Auto Center Punches: Gotta have a good one! Blue Point for the Win!

[@anaitali8256]

Morning greetings. Once again, an excellent video. Informative and educational. I possess the Bluepoint which i bought in 1986 whilst employed as an engineer. I left the industry in 1995, and joined the police service. Surprisingly, i continued to use the item when the need arose to break windscreens and windlows of a vehicle. I retired 3 weeks ago, and can state it has been extremely useful for the past 36 years.

[@drengskap]

I can confirm that automatic centre punches are popular with car thieves, due to their ability to take out a car window with a single pop. I learned this on a welding course I took many years ago, where a lot of my colleagues were on probation...

[@pincombe]

As others have commented you really should give the Starrett a try they make great center punches. Mine have lasted for ages and still work well.

[@chiphill4856]

I have my grandfather's Starrett that still works great for making starter holes for drilling in most metals. Great tool.

[@jd3497]

Starrett for the win. Even a 50 year old one still function like new.

[@spevakdesigns]

Starrett is my favorite for these, followed up by Fowler. All adjustable force. I use them for punching marks to drill in steel, stainless and aluminum. The only one in my truck lives with my layout tools or sometimes ends up in with drill bits.

[@jris]

Agreed. Some starrett tools have seemed to go down in quality, but the auto center punches are still the best made.

[@scotts4125]

Agree. I have had a few different brands but Starrett hits the hardest.

[@jessegreenwood1956]

Agree with all. The Starrett center punches are FAR better. I have had accuracy and wear issues with any aluminum body center punches.

[@TylerSnyder305]

That blue point is definitely a rebranded Lisle, and the lisle is about $17. This blue point is almost 2x the cost, and that's a damn ripoff. For that price you should just get a Starrett which I'm sure is higher quality, not that the Lisle isn't perfectly fine but Starrett is always top notch.

[@jasonbabila6006]

I have two Starrett automatic center punches and those have been very reliable.

[@boosted2.4_sky]

I use the Spring Tools centerpunch...BEAST..I'll probably never go back to this style...

[@grahamwaldo331]

The general tools no. 78 is my go to large automatic center punch. And the starrett no. 18A is my favorite smaller one. They both have replaceable tips and WAY better build quality than any of the ones shown here.

[@jameshuffaker9369]

General Tools steel with the replaceable tip, has been in my FD/EMS scissors pouch to pop car side/rear windows for patient access in wrecks. Always worked well. Some more then 30 years old, just need to keep it oiled.

[@andyburns]

Have you looked at the various Spring Tools hammerless punches?

[@chrisgroves9829]

Thanks doc.bought the same one about 8 months ago. The one I received did not work well ,I had to take it apart and mess with it.snapon makes a cool spring loaded one too.

[@csimet]

My new favorite punch is the hammerless spring punch... Spring Tools 32R00-1. They also make a really nice hammerless center punch as well (28R45-1) and I have a spring nail set from another manufacture. They are so easy to use and very precise.

[@brianmoore1164]

I have a Starrett and a Brown & Sharpe. Both are good, but I would give the edge to the Starrett for quality. They both have the ability to adjust how hard they punch.

[@FearsomeWarrior]

Starrett 18C and 18A autos and some Starrett regular punches. Then the birdcage awls/square awls for starting nail/screw holes. I have pined over a Matthias Fenner Toolworks awl because they're gorgeous. I have bought the Narex birdcage awl kit for turning my own. The Starrett autos are special to me either way. Like their tap wrenches, they look good and feel great. I do use the Starretts on whatever mystery metal I run into. No problems and would probably keep using them just the same if the tips get damaged. I expect a decade or two before that happens.

[@petermoore9504]

Have you used an optical centre punch? More for machining really but interesting.

[@upsidedowndog1256]

I have gotten about 20 of the Blue Points warrented, none worked long, including my newest one. HF, same story. I bought the General and a black large bodied one from Lowes that are fantastic....so far.

[@paxtonc]

Ditto to all the Starrett props. Also, in hard wood a bird cage awl is sooo much better than either a center punch or an awl. Narex makes a decent one; Lee Valley sells a fancier one @ 2.5x price

[@rulrich45]

I have one that looks like your Bluepoint. It's made by Lisle and it's made in America, but it doesn't have any Brand or model marks on it. Sometimes I have trouble getting it to reset itself. I'd be interested in getting the bluepoint to compare them. I like the thinner barrel, as opposed to the General.

[@LumaLabs]

Yup, Starrett... In the metalworking world, General and Blue Point basically don't rate.

[@PreciStrike_96]

Starrett 18c is the way to go on this one!

[@AlexeyGopachenko]

Have you tried *Starret*?) Also, if two hands required are ok for you *Spring Tools* hammerless tool are great and have centre punches.

[@idiotburns]

awesome, I had a horrid time with mine today, time for a new one, it was nothing quick at all

[@bcwrangler]

Starrett!

[@rwbishop]

Indeed.

[@felixf5211]

Absolutely

[@Size15s]

Perhaps Starrett is known more by metal workers?

[@bcwrangler]

@@Size15s probably right....Starrett and Mitutoyo are the Snap-on of the machinist world

[@dougm2433]

If you can get hold of one, try a Sunflag auto punch from Japan.

[@warrantyvoid100]

Absolutely, Sunflag tools are excellent quality and not expensive. I have a had set of Sunflag screwdrivers for 20 years and love them. I bought their heavy auto punch a couple of years ago, under $20 and works fantastic. Very durable point, strikes hard and excellent build quality.

[@drvinnyg7422]

Great video! Have to ask, what's the wrist watch?

[@lastbesttool]

DSSD

[@lastbesttool]

DSSD

[@pukkimi]

I had a cheap one and then I got Starret, as AvE recommended it. Works ok, and the point is definitely harder, but the box smells funny :D

[@jritcey108]

My blue point stopped working. Nothing is broken inside but wont work. Do you know how to fix it?

[@paultrujillo9923]

Boy, I can't stress the importance of keeping a center punch, in arms length in your vehicle. Car crashes, roll overs, kids/animals locked in a vehicle on hot days, etc., can litteraly be a life saver. The amount of force a window can take is amazing, just ask first responders 🤤, tow truck drivers. Cheap, small, easy to use, keep everywhere/dedicated to vehicles, great insurance when you need it. Yes, "Spring Tools" are awesome!, a great tool to make center punch- guide holes, but a little pricey to put in vehicles. Best to leave those in your tool box. Great video Doc, on a much overlooked useable tool.- So Cal., Paul A. Trujillo

[@rwbishop]

Yes, but out in the real world... should some little cop ever notice it you'll get an immediate & unceremonious 'wood shampoo', complete with a knee/s on your neck for 93 hours while being _vociferously_ interrogated over every missing vehicle since the ice age. But if your still going to keep one in the car, put it in a holder of some sort so it doesn't fly & become lost in the event of an accident.

[@paultrujillo9923]

Yes sir, you have a valid point. I appreciate your thoughts and opinions. Yet, most vehicles have troughs, cubby's, coin bins, garage genie pockets, center consoles, eye glass storage slots, etc. My 2012 crew cab Ram truck, has approximately 8- 10 such storage points, in the driver/passenger/dash area alone. I keep multitools, flashlights, screwdrivers, pen/pencils, baby Knipex pliers, zip tie clippers, finger nail clippers, micro scissors etc. A center punch, "blends" right in, and is camouflaged with all the other tools. As long as they are clearly "viewable", not purposefully "concealed" to be utilized as a purposeful weapon, it "should" be ok/safe. All items scream of tools, construction worker, and craftsman, not "standing" out as an "anomaly". Now, FOR ME, I can only speak of my experiences, with many various law enforcement interactions/run ins, including "Customs/Border Patrol/I.C.E., not once did they ask-question/touch/commandeer/confiscate/raise eyes-fixate on, whatsoever. Not once, in 15 years keeping center punches in my vehicles, has an issue arise. But sir, that just my experience. You "mileage may vary". Either way, trust your gut, go with your instincts.

[@rwbishop]

​@@paultrujillo9923 Yes, true. However, if the vehicle is say upside down in the dark, and you open whatever storage compartment, it's contents can be dumped & become difficult or impossible to find. Significant accidents can also dump pockets/consoles & send items flying. I suggest at _bare minimum_ keeping a flashlight reliably restrained in a suitable holder, where it can be quickly located & retrieved by mere touch alone. Far as the little cops go, they're grossly inconsistent in mentality, and more likely looking for convictions over the utilization of common sense & good judgment.

[@paultrujillo9923]

@rwbishop, yes sir, you are correct. I was inferring to the scenario of me "helping" others, utilizing various "tools" (possibly utilizing the center punch) in possible emergencies. Should I be the one in "need", flipped upside down, rolled over, or whatever, obviously that's a different animal/ predicament. Should I be coherent, lucid, uninjured enough, and can reach/manipulate, my pocket knife, which has a deep carry, tight clip on it, has a "Carbide" tip window punch, built into the handle. I've busted/shattered out several windows with said knife, not for nefarious reasons I might add. But sir, obviously there are a million "what if's, yeah buts, how abouts, you cant's, I wouldn'ts"....I'm just sharing my experience, two cents, opinion, etc. Might not be for everyone, but just another usage for the "topic-tool" video from Doc. Be safe, and aware, friends 🙋‍♂️.

[@rwbishop]

@@paultrujillo9923 Yes, the possible scenarios are infinite. As is sometimes said in sport skydiving community: "You pays your money, you takes your chances." (But it's never wise to take unnecessary chances.)

[@darkJohnSmith]

I've never had a problem with the harbor freight one. Think it was $3. The brass handle is very nice as well. I like quality tools, but I don't think there's a significant difference in any of these punches ability to leave a mark.

[@pzwolski]

This fat general one looks like a Bahco 1157. I wonder how they all compare to Facom 257.GPB or one of Rennsteig models: 430 129 (force 20-50 Newtons), 430 130 (force 60-130 N) or 430 131 (force 180-250 N)?

[@btnh-9er244]

Can this punch through a tin can? Like a can of tomato sauce.

[@highgatehandyman6479]

Thats a lot of watch.

[@idiotburns]

aluminum comparison