What have some of you found to be 'easy to locate' material to make 1 1/4" and 1/4" punches for birch bark rings? Thanks

In my regular business (conveyor belting) we use a thing called an "arch punch" to perforate belts. My shop has them up to 2" diameter or so. Don't know where they came from, though, but I know they are made by C.S. Osborne. Maybe you could do a Google search.

Steve,

I used a 1 1/4" steel pipe "nipple' that I bought at Menards. It is a 6" length with threads on both ends. I bought a matching cap for one end and sharpened the other end at about a 45 deg angle on my bench grinder. I punch disks on a left over piece of synthetic deck board. It works great. I had no luck using a cheap Walmart cutting board to punch on. It's too hard and kept dulling the punch.

Credit for the above developments goes to Jerry Poindexter and Randy Parpart (Putter), and others. See [www.rodbuilding.org]

For the inner hole I use a 3" piece of 1/4" ID brass tubing that I also bought at Menards. It was in the water pipe section and it also has a matching cap. I can take pics tomorrow. I built a little jig to hold the disks for punching the inner hole. I punched enough bark for about 6 split grip rods. Now I see (and hear) birch disks in my sleep. :)

My basement is dry and chilly since the A/C is on a lot here now. I noticed that the bark was easier to work with in the warm & humid outdoors.

Chuck



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2006 11:53AM by Chuck Mills.

I just looked up the Osborne punches. About $45 for the 1.25" size. You could certainly make one cheaper, I am sure. These are good tools, though. I have a couple from my old leather-working days, in smaller sizes. I have used them for over 30 years, punching all sorts of materials.

I just looked at them too. Nice punch. I think we need one of those at work....for something....

I wonder what other materials we could punch and glue together for handles?

I also use leather punches. Question I have even drilled my holes. Is this one of thecorrect was to making a hole.
Good Wraps Bob

Read where someone was using a hole saw like the kind you use to make a hole for a door knob.. attached to a hand drill. This cuts out the bark in a circle and drill the hole in the center all in one operation. Make a lot less work to turn the rings down if they are already round to begin with.

Havent done birch bark yet, but I do thin cork sheets, all sorts of thin gasket material and EVA craft foam with a standard hole saw and, yes, it does leave ragged edges but when you glue upa nd sand that takes care of that!! Use a piece of soft wood under them and if you want, place a piece of scrap material or even cardboard on top and that will minimize a lot of the "tearing". That way, you can cut several at a time. Sure makes live easier and faster.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Look for punches called "Gasket Punches". I have a set I got for cutting rings in EVA foam to use for fly tying. I think I paid about $5 for an inexpensive set on @#$%&.

I got the idea from Harrison Steeves who has published a couple of books on using foam in terrestrial flies. He suggested using a deburring tool used in cartridge reloading as a way to keep them sharp. It works very well for me.

The only thing is I don't know if you can get them in 1.25" size. The .25" is no problem. Check auto supply stores as well as online.

-John

Waynesville, North Carolina --
Gateway to the Smokies

As a shooter as well as a rodbuilder I have punches made from cartridge casings from .25ACP to .50bmg as well as every gauge of shotgun. Polish an edge on them with a belt sander and you are good to go.

Most sizes of spent brass free at your local shooting range.



Derek L. McMaster
Rohnert Park, CA

Born to Fish, FORCED to Work

I have also sharpened the edges of old metal ferrules.
Good Wraps Bob

I tried drilling some birch bark rings last night with an 1 1/2 hole saw as Mike Barkley describes - I didn't find it to tear the bark, you just have to use some care and not blast the saw right through the bark - take your time and back out a couple times, even with the thin bark. An 1 1/2 hole saw gives you a ring a touch over 1 1/4... For center punches, a leather or gasket punch set will work great. I found a set that goes from 1/8 to 1/2 inch at a local "bargain store" for $1.99 Works great for EVA, have not tried it on the bark yet. On @#$%&, I've found gasket punch sets that go to 1 1/2 - expect to pay $25-30 for a set....

Another advantage of the hole saw is that it will give you a 1/4" hole EXACTLY in the center of the ring. Why beat yourself to death???

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Yep - I forgot to mention that Mike - perfectly centered hole as well!!

I'll try it tonight now that my bark is dry. The hole saw tore my fresh-off-the-tree bark. I agree that it would be much nicer to have the centered hole done at the same time! (Okay, I'm lazy)

Chuck

For me, dealing with this stuff is not difficult. I just cut it with a knife in 1 1/4 in strips. then took each strip and cut in 1 1/4 sections with tin snips. Worked great. Glued them together in sections of 10 at a time and then drilled a hole in the middle. Placed them on a mandrel and pressed them together as I glued them with ivory and wood. Turned it down on a lathe and used Spar Varnish to seal the bark.

Saw the reccomended methods and for me............no offense intended...........I thought it should be much easier than that.........and it was. This way was no fuss, no muss and quite easy to make a beautiful handle.

terry

I agree, but my "lathe" is a drill press and sandpaper. :) I saw pictures on another site where someone had done just that with birch squares.

Terry, what glue worked for you?

My wife just called. She visited her dad today (about 2 hours south of us). He is building a new home and has to remove a birch tree. My wife said it is a clump of three of the biggest birch trees she has ever seen. This could be good!

Chuck, I used UB40 Rod building glue and also used 30 min. epoxy on another rod. Both worked great.

As for your lathe, you can shape it with a belt sander and get it close to finishing, then use the lathe to sand it smooth.

Did one glue job following another's instructions. Worked, but was messy and un-nessessary.

Terry

Okay, I just drilled a dozen or so holes with a red 1 1/2" hole saw. My bark has been in the warm garage for a couple weeks and it worked nicely. However, getting the bark out of the saw is a pain. I like the punch - faster and less mess.

Chuck

Chuck, there should be 4 holes around the side of the hole saw. Just stick an awl through the hole and push the rings out.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!