HF Transfer Punches?

[Gore]

Are these decent for very light duty use? I have found a few times where I need to use a more accurate punching method than just eyeballing the center of a hole, but I can't justify shopping forever for a high quality USA made set. How do these perform?

I also need a set of regular punches and was eyeballing the Dasco big set at HD...chime in if you know of a good USA set that is fairly comprehensive and readily available...and...that doesn't cost a fortune.

Thanks

 

[potato]

i tried to flatten the point on a vise and it stayed sharp.my set has lasted a couple years now.

 

[Bobf]

I've had a set for several years, only used sparingly and only to gently tap the center creating a small dot. I then use a regular center punch to finish the job.

 

[Gore]

Ok, thanks guys...I'm sold

 

[dogdog]

yea works fine for me.... just keep in mind it's a transfer punch not a center punch...... so don't wham bam thank you madam with a BFH on it... just transfer the mark and then center punch.

 

[Buckgnarly]

http://www.harryepstein.com/index.php/tool-type/punches/transfer-punches.html

 

[rlitman]

yea works fine for me.... just keep in mind it's a transfer punch not a center punch...... so don't wham bam thank you madam with a BFH on it... just transfer the mark and then center punch.

+1

I have a HF transfer punch set. I used it to transfer some holes into wood, and discovered that even punching into wood, I managed to mushroom both ends a little bit.

The good side to this set is that they're cheap, and they do the job.
The bad side is they're soft as silly putty.

Tap on them lightly to make a faintly visible mark, and follow up with a real punch, and you'll get good use out of them.

 

[Gore]

Sounds reasonable for a $10 set.

I usually buy **** like this and either realize I use it waaaay more than I thought I would and then I buy decent stuff...Or...it sits in my tool box never to be used and I don't mind the few bucks I spent.

Plus I'll get a free magnetic dish out of it lol...and I love those things

 

[Willie Makeit]

transfer punches are not used to "center punch" the work piece, only to mark it to show where the true center punch should be used.

 

[crewchief888]

yea works fine for me.... just keep in mind it's a transfer punch not a center punch...... so don't wham bam thank you madam with a BFH on it... just transfer the mark and then center punch.

ive had a set for several years, kinda an "impulse buy" during a weak moment

i use mine more than i thought i would, and they've held up fine..

 

[VoodooCLD]

+1

I have a HF transfer punch set. I used it to transfer some holes into wood, and discovered that even punching into wood, I managed to mushroom both ends a little bit.

The good side to this set is that they're cheap, and they do the job.
The bad side is they're soft as silly putty.

Tap on them lightly to make a faintly visible mark, and follow up with a real punch, and you'll get good use out of them.

I don't believe this for one second

 

[rlitman]

I don't believe this for one second

That's nice. I know what I saw.

The punch I used came out of the plastic base that the set came with. Each punch fits into a hole sized for it in the base, and each fit just fine. I used ONE punch that day, and had only one out. When I was done marking about two dozen holes to center the drilling for as many bolts in a wooden playground (striking a pretty small punch, maybe 1/8" with a 24 oz ball peen hammer, hoping to leave a significant indentation in the wood), it would no longer fit back into the hole in the base, either right way up or upside down. Checking with a caliper, I could easily see how both ends had mushroomed. It took all of 30 seconds to stone it back to cylindrical.

 

[B.S.A. (ret.)]

Agree with VooDooCLD 100%

Or maybe he used the punches on "hardwood" "ironwood", etc...

 

[rlitman]

Agree with VooDooCLD 100%

Or maybe he used the punches on "hardwood" "ironwood", etc...

It was a wooden playground. All coniferous wood.
If you look at the set, some of the punches have conical tips. As they go up in size, they start to have a conical point on a flat face. The small sized punch I mushroomed was one that was just conical at the tip, and I drove the entire length of the tip into the wood with each hole.

I'll have to pull out the set tonight to see which size one it was, because you can clearly see where I rubbed the black off the ends to fix it.

 

[2oolhound]

I bought a cheap chi set on sale at princess auto for $6. Some of the tips are getting pretty flat but they've paid for themselves. You should spray some layout dye 1st but most often I use a yellow paint pen in the hole 1st as it's handier and fast. It shows the centre punch mark very well.

 

[Eric29]

I have one from HF that I bought to use to mark broken bolts to drill so I can extract them.

Tap them lightly once and they are damaged. It was a waste of money for me.

 

[csp]

It shouldn't be surprising that the quality of these varies widely. Probably depends on which factory in China is making them week by week.

 

[Gore]

Thanks for tips...I picked them up tonight. We'll see how it goes.

 

[jrockford]

My only experience with a HF punch was to watch her brother push the roll pin into an AR15 trigger guard. The punch was bent and ruined after 1 use. It did get the job done though.

 

[dogdog]

^^^
LMAO

.... did he use a ratchet as a hammer also.... not sure if that is a pin punch. mine are also bend a little from drops and abuse etc. ....but does not affect the transfer markings ability, I only use it on about 1/2" to 1" thick flange to make aluminum gaskets... never have to transfer marks deeper than that.

 

[kctyphoon]

Just throwing this out there.. I have this cold punch and chisel set from HF.. for like $12 w/coupon it's a pretty decent. I was just using the small chisel to break up a few bolt heads I needed to grind down.. was hitting on it with a 3 pound hammer and it did just fine..I did bend the smallest punch on something I was working on a while back, but for the limited use they see, I'm happy with em. HF sells a jumbo set too.. the green cold punch sets are suppose to be the best ones at HF from what I remember reading.

I did buy a better 2 or 3 piece kit from HD ( I think it's American) in case I ever really needed to whale on em for something. Here's the HF set. Comes with a cheapo roll storage pouch, but it seems like it's holding up for me.

http://t.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/punches/12-piece-cold-chisel-and-punch-set-66440.html