Sharpening Cheap Chinese Hole Punches

We show you how to bring to life the easily available cheap Chinese hole punches and get them cutting holes properly. If you are into leatherwork or other crafts, then you need a set of good hole punches. Professional hole punches can cost a lot of money but there is no need to pay their high prices. These Chinese hole punches - when properly sharpened - will do the job at a fraction of the cost.
Link to punch set shown in video:
Amazon UK: amzn.to/2MvIz6Y

[@diapedesis1093]

This is the KZbin we all wanted. Just people helping each other out. I’m fixing my boyfriend’s belt and needed to punch holes for grommets. They came with a cheap punch and I knew I would need to sharpen it or the holes would be unclean and frustration would ensue. Videos like these are lifesavers. I pulled out sharpening stones and was floundering for a few minutes wondering how the fk people sharpen these. Then I thought, KZbin it. Funny enough I have a scrap of wood on the table already, so I grabbed my dremmel, easy as pie. Thank you!!!!

[@eatenkate]

I love how all through KZbin there are these videos with quick solutions to very specific problems that will never go viral but instead get a thumbs up and a heartfelt thank you about twice a year for all eternity. This is one of them, THANK YOU for saving my cheap punches

[@classicalvintagecollector]

Thanks for the simple tips. I needed to punch circular decals for the WW1 aircraft model I am building and my punch was too dull. I was about to buy a new set, but reviews on various manufacturers all said the same thing - they need to be sharpened. That is when I decided to see if the ones I bought almost twenty years ago could be sharpened (some cheap alloys cannot). Sure enough, your method worked perfectly. Thanks a bunch!

[@katya_fhs]

Heavily underrated video. Helped me a lot!

[@BMakar049]

This video was exactly what I was looking for, for the exact same hole punches. Thanks!

[@michaelrodriguez6210]

Thanks so much for this video. I broke down and ordered some expensive punches, but they wont arrive until june. I've been swinging a metal hammer heavily just to get a hole, and I've got a good gash on my thumb due to the ejection ports being so sharp. This will help me keep my sanity until June.

[@susanwagner1745]

This is wonderful! I bought mine at Harbor Freight! Now have to find a dremel or something to do the grinding!! Thanks so much!!

[@westleycary5557]

Fantastically brilliant! I'm sure the Chinese tool market appreciates it also, as this shows us how to make them useable! Many thanks! I was ready to toss my set after whacking 6-7oz, 6 or 7 times to get a hole. Thanks again mate.

[@rogierius]

The steel used for cheap hole punchers will still be cheap steel. It dulls or chips again fast. Better to find vintage hole punches and sharpen them on a drill press.

[@cybertree]

Thanks Yoov! That using a wooden guide saved my butt! You're the man!

[@brotherBvideos]

Thank you sir, great video, I feel confident buying the cheap stuff now, I'm a beginner and the good stuff is a little too expensive, this will help greatly.

[@carletonhoffman]

thanks a lot. i wasn't sure how i'd go about this and now i will follow your suggestions.

[@mcampbell4914]

Thanks for the video. Reviewers that buy these punches make the same complaint about how dull they are, just as you stated. I need a modestly priced set to do some basic repairs, so your instructions on how to sharpen them is quite helpful.

[@orangefaygo1]

Thank you. Was just about to return the cheap set I got for cutting gaskets.

[@jordanwhite1420]

Excellent video! Clear description, good up-close shots, & it actually did what was in the title (many many don't!) !

[@PENFOLD1962]

Eh an ENGLISH person I must be lost lol. The good ol Dremel comes to the rescue once again. Thank you for sharing this video I'll definitely give my blunt hollow punches a spruce up. BIG THUMB'S UP 👍😷👍

[@FUUNNIIEEE]

Thank you for making a video Sir. It was very educational.

[@matthewdenty7760]

Drill press and sharpening stone, finish with sandpaper

[@erindover6617]

Thank you! Now if I can learn to sharpen scissors (previously my Grandpa’s Barbering scissors, and also a pair of my Gran’s sewing scissors), I’ll have just about covered *all of Jack’s trades* 😉

[@magicman8533]

Very nice and cheap way of sharping a punch.

[@hsvsenator355]

Great tutorial, fantastic idea with the jig you’ve made to get the angle. Nice work and thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@almonies]

Thanks mate 👍

[@arctichare8185]

Indeed, I'd say if you are only using a hole punch now and then its plenty adequate. Thanks for the tip!

[@imrekocsis4614]

Genius thank you very much i just took delivery of a set of Chinesium chisels and they are super blint. Much appreciated

[@pdelmercado]

Awesome tutorial, thanks for your help.

[@poorbuthonest]

Brilliant video

[@bobbibuttons8730]

So useful, I’ve got the same tools and could have cried as they are so blunt

[@cb01ttr]

Brilliant, just what I needed, thank you!

[@martinemilio7175]

Very interesting video...helped me a lot! Thank you very much.

[@ZippedUpKitz]

AWESOME! Thank you!

[@StonyRC]

Brilliant - I'll do that with mine. Many Thanks.

[@rick6429]

Nice, thank-you

[@PopcornChristian]

1:44 What do you mean by file? Can you give me link to file you mean? EDIT: Addition, so also the file would you rub it across the top of those sharp areas or file exactly how?

[@sipinhennessey23]

Great Video Thanks!

[@mozyandme]

Hello, how have you mounted the Dremel to the table?

[@onurcandemirbilek4874]

great vid! ty

[@Ray2001ify]

yip....sliced my thumb with the opening edges

[@anouardjedouani4400]

يرحم الله والديك

[@westleycary5557]

I'm trying to do this now! How did you set up the system? I have my Dremel with the handheld extension and board setting in front of me and can't figure out how to arrange everything haha. Thanks for your video and time

[@scootch4224]

If you have a vise clamp the dremel. And get a regular clamp and clamp it to a straight piece of wood or plastic. Make sure to put the piece of wood at the same angle of the edge so you dont destroy the edge completely. If it is still off you can slightly adjust it till you get rhe correct angle. And the punches are very cheap so if you botch it. Its not a big deal.

[@jihyeflutelab]

Oh, good what is the name that hand-piece?

[@Hueffed]

I'll bet what you said will work to sharpen a cigar punch.

[@wild-radio7373]

🥰👍

[@Donutkommando]

You sound like the Swede from hell on wheels

[@AlexanderMason1]

1:14 you tilted it on purpose so it wouldn’t punch through and to top things off, you didn’t hit hard enough. That is very misleading. This then makes your end results appear that much more impressive when it may not be that much of a difference.

[@egdiryellam68]

Like most things Chinese their hole punches are total junk. I have done this to sharpening method and it will work for one hole and the the soft metal just collapses again even when using a soft base (cardboard) to punch out on.

[@cousinit5387]

1;14 one hit 5:08 3 hits This is real simple dual it before video pretend like yr making it better & still make it look bad. What a jurk

[@wellpleased1836]

This technique is completely bass ackwards. The best way is to put the punch into a drill to spin it as if it were in a lath and then apply a file or even a dremel to it. Also it is best to insert the proper size drill into the hole just a bit smaller and to ream out the interior of the punch. Or even a piece of sandpaper rolled up to ream it out. And of course please use some acetone to clean out the interior beforehand. As sometimes we use the punches on sticky backed material. This technique with just a Dremel will give an uneven punch. Try again my friend and correct your video. don out.

[@almsmine8205]

How about a video?

[@westleycary5557]

I don't believe you could control the angle as precisely. Also keeping the drill running, while you rotated the tool, if you could stabilize the drill that easily. There's always another way, that's easier for some I suppose though.