The bounce when you dropped the acrylic magnifier into the holder and it hit the workpiece is why the better versions of this tool have a step to a wider section at the top of the magnifier so it sits in the holder with just a tiny bit of clearance and doesn't make contact with the workpiece and get that nicely polished end all marred up...
You can insert the metal punch on one end and the plexiglass rod on the other. You can then lightly press or tap the punch to leave a concentric point on the end of the plexiglass.
A nice little project, might have to make one myself. Regarding the aluminium not machining right, I've seen that with some 6082-T6 where it was soft and gummy, not normal. I called the supplier and spoke to the head guy and he said he knew exactly what I was experiencing as he had run a commercial machine shop producing large volumes of aluminium parts and things would be fine for months until a new batch of material would come in from the mill and things would go wrong as it didn't machine as it should. He said they got the heat treatment wrong, he was large enough they would replace the material. In my case he said to ask for him next time i was in and he would replace it which he did FOC and I could keep the bad stuff which is slowly being used up where it can be.
I think you are spot on here. I recently made a some sleeves out of 6082-T6. They came from the same bar, but I had to use some heat to shrink one of them on, while the other I was able to just press on. Both were machined after wards. The one that was just pressed on machined like normal, but the heated one machined terribly.
to create the center mark in the viewer (acrilic) use the tool body it self to align the punch with the viewer, push together and spin teh punch against the ciewer, this will let you know if the punch is completely on center with the mark it leaves, if it's a dot than yourr centered, if the mark is a ring than your punch os out of center :)
You get use to them once you see how precise you can be, I think that's why design wise Fowler does there's in the holder so it is ready to work. I like the 3 hole version, two outside centers store, center hole thru drilled. Good video and good riddance to that aluminum, well maybe not good riddance, it is a gift. Thanks for sharing!
I have been going to make one of these for a long time now, your video has got me motivated again so I will make a copy of yours great work thank you. 👍👍👍👍👍👍
These are handy tools! I bought one before I had machine tools and all it needs now that I think about it is a vent hole so I can swap tools without the vacuum acting to disturb it.
Good video. This center punch is helpful when doing precise layouts for face plate work on the lathe. Using a spring loaded center between the tail stock center and the prick point made by the center punch, work can be located within two or three thousands of an inch with a dial indicator running on the spring loaded center.
My favorite finish on Aluminum is brushing it with a scotch brite pad to remove the tool marks and then I put it in some concentrated sodium hydroxide solution. This not only cleans the part, but you get a really nice uniform finish with a bright and almost blueish silver color. Depending on the concentration it only takes a few minutes, but you can also do it with washing soda and let it sit for longer, if you don't feel like dealing with corrosive chemicals. Just keep in mind, that you are chemically removing material, so be careful on parts with very critical tolerances.
Man, I think he would totally appreciate it, considering they are not cheap for what they are. I wanted one to have for the occasional precision punch, but couldn't justify paying 100 USD for one, so this looks like a project I'll have to take up.
I had to look that up coz I thought "100 usd?! No way"........😱 HOLY CRAP!! For a Uri Tuchman rendition - sure, no worries. For what Google showed me -🖕
@@vaulthecreator Yeah, there are some cheaper ones but from my experience, every time I buy cheap center punches, the heads are so soft they fold over after a few strikes. A good set seems to be around 100 USD. I also believe that optical punches are such a niche item that even the Chinese don't bother making them, as there's probably not a huge market for it, so the pricing seems to be steady.
If you use that center punch on steel, I think you'll find it is actually very soft. You need to heat the punch up to a dull cherry red before quenching.
Just came in from the shop myself. It’s 2 degrees C here and my shop is unheated so I was glad to get some milling done before it gets back under freezing. Making some jaws for the air vise at work, nothing fancy but I enjoy working with my hands since I sit in front of solidworks all day during the week.
That turned out great!!! Personally, I would love to get a handmade gift like that. Your friend is lucky indeed. I hope that you and your family have a very Merry Christmas.
You can wash/ rinse the pads numerous times also. 😁😁They are commonly found in Pen Turners go to abrasives' box. As demonstrated so ably here, perfect for hard plastics, also for standard wood turning 'hard' finishes, even CA/BLO. Oh, not forgetting the resin/ epoxy casters. I have a few packs, some for wood, some for plastics and even some for metals. Just don't mix them up. 😒 (Don't ask).
very cool little present that. I occasionally struggle to get centre dots and if you don't get them exactly right drill bits wander ...especially small ones so I know I would be stoked to get something like this.....considering making one now too lol happy holidays
Love you're channel, nice work, I hope santa brings you a bandsaw as I bought one a few years back and find it great and I cringe when I see you attack some large piece of steel with the hacksaw
its like 5$ on aliexpress in anodized cnc machined aluminium. Plus if your have two metal rods connected by a spring you dont even need the hammmer. You pull them apart and let go. Its much nicer. Or the spring punch where you just push on it. Give it a 10mm OD and it will fit in the same hole
I wonder if you could use the body to perfectly center the dot on the acrylic. Machine/bore the body, insert the acrylic while it's still on the lathe and then do the dot. actually, i wonder if you could just lay the body sideways, insert the acrylic from one side and the punch from the other and use the concentricity of the punch to mark the acrylic
Wouldn't you be able to use the punch to make the center dot in the acrylic sight by using the holder? Putting the acrylic in the holder half way, then inserting the punch into the other side of the holder and giving it a gentle tap. Wouldn't this way ensure both the punch center and the sight center are both in the same place as long as they both have the same diameter. I could be wrong if so I'd love to know how so I can learn where I'm messing up.
Tools like these aren't ornamental IMO, they're just not suited for industrial production. Tools like this are more for the artistic side of metalworking, where doing more of the work by hand has a value all of its own, even if a machine might be able to do it faster.
about that garbage aluminium we had a piece like that at school for our CNCs we broke 2 5mm endmills because at that time we had no coolant or airblast option setup that specific aluminium allow is REALLY malleable and doesn't become brittle when bent like some other more machinig friendly alloys it also very much likes to stick to any cutting tool and cause tear out on the surface it's a piece of garbage
my good sir, this video makes an awful lot of assumptions about how many friends i have ... not to say anything about friends with center-punch adjacent hobbies
![KRK - ชนิสรา Ft.WanMai , N/A [Official MV] Prod. By Sakarin](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/C-WMwwYobcU/mqdefault.jpg)
The bounce when you dropped the acrylic magnifier into the holder and it hit the workpiece is why the better versions of this tool have a step to a wider section at the top of the magnifier so it sits in the holder with just a tiny bit of clearance and doesn't make contact with the workpiece and get that nicely polished end all marred up...
For a just get it done method - put an o-ring on the magnifier at the same position. Certainly not the same look.
Always want a precise and accurate centre punch.
You can insert the metal punch on one end and the plexiglass rod on the other. You can then lightly press or tap the punch to leave a concentric point on the end of the plexiglass.
Came here to say the same thing!
That sounds like a much easier & more accurate method in the home workshop!
A nice little project, might have to make one myself. Regarding the aluminium not machining right, I've seen that with some 6082-T6 where it was soft and gummy, not normal. I called the supplier and spoke to the head guy and he said he knew exactly what I was experiencing as he had run a commercial machine shop producing large volumes of aluminium parts and things would be fine for months until a new batch of material would come in from the mill and things would go wrong as it didn't machine as it should. He said they got the heat treatment wrong, he was large enough they would replace the material. In my case he said to ask for him next time i was in and he would replace it which he did FOC and I could keep the bad stuff which is slowly being used up where it can be.
I think you are spot on here. I recently made a some sleeves out of 6082-T6. They came from the same bar, but I had to use some heat to shrink one of them on, while the other I was able to just press on. Both were machined after wards. The one that was just pressed on machined like normal, but the heated one machined terribly.
to create the center mark in the viewer (acrilic) use the tool body it self to align the punch with the viewer, push together and spin teh punch against the ciewer, this will let you know if the punch is completely on center with the mark it leaves, if it's a dot than yourr centered, if the mark is a ring than your punch os out of center :)
You get use to them once you see how precise you can be, I think that's why design wise Fowler does there's in the holder so it is ready to work. I like the 3 hole version, two outside centers store, center hole thru drilled. Good video and good riddance to that aluminum, well maybe not good riddance, it is a gift. Thanks for sharing!
I have one, made in Germany, got it from my uncle. It's in daily - or at least weekly - use in my shop. Well made gift!
I have been going to make one of these for a long time now, your video has got me motivated again so I will make a copy of yours great work thank you. 👍👍👍👍👍👍
These are handy tools! I bought one before I had machine tools and all it needs now that I think about it is a vent hole so I can swap tools without the vacuum acting to disturb it.
Got a This Old Tony vibe on this one. Nice work
Good video. This center punch is helpful when doing precise layouts for face plate work on the lathe. Using a spring loaded center between the tail stock center and the prick point made by the center punch, work can be located within two or three thousands of an inch with a dial indicator running on the spring loaded center.
Engraved on the holder: "Hey bud, you've been a little off the mark recently, so I made you this"
😆😆😆
Awesome build, your friend should be so lucky.
The intro is so golden! 🤣
I have an optical center, and I’m surprised how much I use it. Grate work.
Nice gift. I wouldn’t mind having one of these myself
My favorite finish on Aluminum is brushing it with a scotch brite pad to remove the tool marks and then I put it in some concentrated sodium hydroxide solution. This not only cleans the part, but you get a really nice uniform finish with a bright and almost blueish silver color. Depending on the concentration it only takes a few minutes, but you can also do it with washing soda and let it sit for longer, if you don't feel like dealing with corrosive chemicals. Just keep in mind, that you are chemically removing material, so be careful on parts with very critical tolerances.
when i was a maint tech at Snapper Mowers/Briggs and Stratton, a tool and die maker gifted me one. made things so much easier.
Man, I think he would totally appreciate it, considering they are not cheap for what they are. I wanted one to have for the occasional precision punch, but couldn't justify paying 100 USD for one, so this looks like a project I'll have to take up.
I had to look that up coz I thought "100 usd?! No way"........😱 HOLY CRAP!!
For a Uri Tuchman rendition - sure, no worries. For what Google showed me -🖕
@@vaulthecreator Yeah, there are some cheaper ones but from my experience, every time I buy cheap center punches, the heads are so soft they fold over after a few strikes. A good set seems to be around 100 USD. I also believe that optical punches are such a niche item that even the Chinese don't bother making them, as there's probably not a huge market for it, so the pricing seems to be steady.
👍I’d buy one❤
I suppose most people think a center punch is a blow to the nose but this is a really nifty gadget and of course a very nice gift.
😂🤣😂🤣
I don't think my wife would like one though. 😂😂😂
If you use that center punch on steel, I think you'll find it is actually very soft. You need to heat the punch up to a dull cherry red before quenching.
Nicely done and they are a useful addition to any workshop. Especially one occupied by a bloke with tired eyes, like mine.
Thanks for sharing 👍 and Merry Christmas to you and your family 😊
Looks good.
I love it!
I've been wanting one of these. I'll have to add this to my list of projects! 👍
I didn't know optical centre punches were a thing, but we would use it daily at work if we had one!!
Nice, That’s what I need, might make one for myself. 🤔
Just came in from the shop myself. It’s 2 degrees C here and my shop is unheated so I was glad to get some milling done before it gets back under freezing. Making some jaws for the air vise at work, nothing fancy but I enjoy working with my hands since I sit in front of solidworks all day during the week.
That turned out great!!! Personally, I would love to get a handmade gift like that. Your friend is lucky indeed.
I hope that you and your family have a very Merry Christmas.
I have that exact unit you showed. I used mine yesterday.
very nice little project
nice work, it looks amazing.
Thats so awesome, happy holidays man! Awesome video!
Very nice project! Thanks for sharing. I never knew about those micromesh sanding pads. Just added a bunch to the arsenal! cheers!
You can wash/ rinse the pads numerous times also. 😁😁They are commonly found in Pen Turners go to abrasives' box. As demonstrated so ably here, perfect for hard plastics, also for standard wood turning 'hard' finishes, even CA/BLO. Oh, not forgetting the resin/ epoxy casters. I have a few packs, some for wood, some for plastics and even some for metals. Just don't mix them up. 😒 (Don't ask).
@@timgrenville-cleave2848 Thanks for the tips.
very cool little present that. I occasionally struggle to get centre dots and if you don't get them exactly right drill bits wander ...especially small ones so I know I would be stoked to get something like this.....considering making one now too lol
happy holidays
I need to make one of these someday
very nice wqork!
Love you're channel, nice work, I hope santa brings you a bandsaw as I bought one a few years back and find it great and I cringe when I see you attack some large piece of steel with the hacksaw
Beautiful work, dude! It turned out great! 😃
Merry Christmas!
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
One of my most accurate tools I made! It was such a nice project!
its like 5$ on aliexpress in anodized cnc machined aluminium. Plus if your have two metal rods connected by a spring you dont even need the hammmer. You pull them apart and let go. Its much nicer. Or the spring punch where you just push on it. Give it a 10mm OD and it will fit in the same hole
Ha, I was just shopping for one on eBay a couple days ago and decided I'd rather just make one. I'll be copying your process, thanks!
In the "test" footage it is clear that there is a huge backlash between the movement of the body and the optical rod.
Yeah, it's atrocious.
To me it doesn't look like backlash but more like the whole body rocking on the o ring. Perhaps the groove could be made a touch deeper.
I would use one.
👍👍👍
A very nice gift. Cheers 👍💪✌
I was making something last week where one of these would have been nice.
Really like your videos. One question. What hacksaw blades do recommend?
I wonder if you could use the body to perfectly center the dot on the acrylic. Machine/bore the body, insert the acrylic while it's still on the lathe and then do the dot.
actually, i wonder if you could just lay the body sideways, insert the acrylic from one side and the punch from the other and use the concentricity of the punch to mark the acrylic
Wouldn't you be able to use the punch to make the center dot in the acrylic sight by using the holder? Putting the acrylic in the holder half way, then inserting the punch into the other side of the holder and giving it a gentle tap.
Wouldn't this way ensure both the punch center and the sight center are both in the same place as long as they both have the same diameter.
I could be wrong if so I'd love to know how so I can learn where I'm messing up.
You would also need to fix the rotation in case you have runout on the punch
While ago paskmakes did optical punch but i prefer your practical approach more.
Using sandpaper without protecting the bed of the lathe hurts while watching.
Where do you buy your steel bar and other plates from?
Thumbnail looks like a Inheritance Machining one 🤣🤣🤣
@PaskMakes made this kind 3 month ago
A nice brass body which would be minimal extra cost...would just have been sooo much better..and no rust either.
The acrylic part might not even need redoing. The combination of centerpunch and sanding would sort of cut away the asymmetric parts first.
Definitely not ornamental! The problem is they’re pretty expensive. I’d absolutely love to have one!
Punch a center or center a punch?
... yes, no. maybe. Its one of them
Center a center, punch a punch
I don’t know why, but deep down I hope that’s been the same hacksaw blade after all these years.
It looks like acrylic is WAY smaller in diameter than the outer shell
What is the point of this endeavour? 😆Enjoyed it very much, cheers! and nice gift for your lucky chum!
The lathe has really become alot stiffer, so much less chattering noise in this video!
@1:33 they are definitely not ornamental if you are using a drill.
Pask makes colab??
Tools like these aren't ornamental IMO, they're just not suited for industrial production. Tools like this are more for the artistic side of metalworking, where doing more of the work by hand has a value all of its own, even if a machine might be able to do it faster.
As a tool and die maker, they are great to have :)
about that garbage aluminium
we had a piece like that at school for our CNCs
we broke 2 5mm endmills because at that time we had no coolant or airblast option setup
that specific aluminium allow is REALLY malleable and doesn't become brittle when bent like some other more machinig friendly alloys
it also very much likes to stick to any cutting tool and cause tear out on the surface
it's a piece of garbage
Why you a day late
I was waiting for this yesterday
Had some friends over last night for some drinks. End of year stuff.
The sun still rose this morning, didn't it? Let the man live.
@@classicbandgeek I'm joking m8
@@artisanmakes didn't expect you to reply m8
But yeah that makes sense.
Have a good one
steel + weak magnetic inserts
my good sir, this video makes an awful lot of assumptions about how many friends i have ... not to say anything about friends with center-punch adjacent hobbies
Clickspring for mortal men.
Is a bandsaw a tool you ever wished out had?
First!
😂
Dont cut stock by hand!
channeling a little bit of ThisOldTony here. in a good way
awesome