Help with G7151 Hand Puncher

[hollahan]

I just bought a Grizzly G7151 hand puncher
http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cf ... mber=G7151
for the express purpose of punching 1/2" diameter holes through 16 gauge CRS. I should have asked for the group's opinion first I guess, but now I find a problem: After punching (which it does just fine), as the punch is raised and the metal hits the stripping shoes, it "sticks" on the punch and becomes deformed between the punch and the stripping shoes. One shoe is much higher than the other, but there is no adjustment on them. They are also a fair bit away from the punch, but making them closer would cut down on visibility.

Please, any suggestions? Deformation of any kind around the hole just won't do.

Happy Holidays to all! I hope everyone gets lots of nice tools!

Thanks,
Jon Hollahan

[D_R]

You might try a lttle oil on the punch before punching the hole.

Other than that, you need to adjust the stripper somehow so the shoes are equal height. The deformation can be cured by using a stripper shoe that's close to the punch diameter, this'll stop most of the deformation.

I'm not familiar with this unit, but most punches have removable and adjustable strippers just for this type situation. If a different stripper is totally out of the question lay a thick washer over your workpiece with an ID close to the punch diameter so the punch goes through the center of the washer. The washer will act as a close fitting stripper shoe when you raise the punch.

[hollahan]

DR,

Thanks for your reply. I removed the stripper shoes and milled them to the same length; this seems to have helped a lot. Additionally, the punch/die seems to have worked in a bit after several operations.

I must say I'm not the least bit happy about the non-adustable stripper shoes. I'll eventually find time to open the holes out into slots so they will slide up and down, but it would have been nice if the machine had come that way.

Jon