Which center punch is best?

There are a few different types of center punches out there and I figured it would be worthwhile to show the ones I use on a regular basis. Each one has its pros and cons and it really depends on what you're trying to do and what you like.
Here are the punches I showed in the video. These are affiliate links, FYI.
Neiko Spring-Loaded Center Punch - amzn.to/3vxrOiv
Spring Tools 28R45-1 Punch - amzn.to/2QRM7bw
Spring Tools 32R00-1 Punch - amzn.to/3e882US
My Favorite Tools - www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls...
Follow me on Facebook: / robertcowandiy
00:00 Intro
00:29 What is a Center Punch and Why?
01:19 Classic Punch Set
02:41 Spring-Loaded Punch
04:03 Spring Tools Hammerless Punch
06:03 Cost and Final Comparison

[@Ad-ut4vv]

It's 2:00 AM, and I am watching the center punch video for no particular reason.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Sounds like a perfect way to fall asleep actually ;-)

[@michaellewis4424]

Right there with you

[@FedEx84]

Not the only one 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@thirdyatok1393]

Same feels

[@AedanBlackheart]

Hello fellow man of learning.

[@Mike-vn7ys]

Somethings that were not discussed. As an Ironworker, Fabricator and Shop Fitter I use punches many times when laying out holes. I like a solid punch with a wide tip. If the tap is to sharp even the small drill bit can change directions. This way your drill bit tip will sit in the hole and has a better chance at a precise drill hole. Then you can step drill sizes from there. Do not double tap your holes. Softly hit your tap, check your hole alignment, reset your tap in the direction needed and retap. Just a few more tips.

[@explorenaked]

Thank you for the video. I was on Amazon ready to buy the classic spring loaded punch. Then you showed the Spring Tools brand and that will serve me well for my van build since there are many different types of materials I will be drilling through.

[@darkcorsair247]

great video. precision is always the key

[@bludolfin53]

thank you so much for sharing this info regarding these center punches. I really like how you explain and demonstrated.

[@lavilev9961]

THANK YOU, purchasing now!

[@mylifeisdope916]

awesome video. ordered some of those USA built spring punches. also subscribed. thank you!

[@NewAgeDIY]

Good information thanks for getting straight to the point!

[@balakrishnanacharya]

Excellent work

[@MichaelCorsetto]

This is the video I didn’t know I needed.

[@Tarex_]

For further usecases of the spring tools i can recommend Deviant Ollam and the magic he can do to doors with them

[@fiercefix]

The best thing about KZbin is there is nearly coverage of everything

[@bisonuberti]

Thank you for your assistance with my purchasing choice.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Any time!

[@LotusJones]

Concise and informative. Well done.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Glad it was helpful!

[@joshualee6932]

Great video!

[@kiwdwks]

Awesome...thank you!

[@fer_fdi]

excellent, thank you!

[@lzh3131]

I’m need to make punch marks on my internal steering column, “Do Not Want / Afford”, to mess this up. Thank you for the video. I feel more confident in doing this now. Really appreciate these kind of videos.👍😊

[@shaylynn1776]

Thanks for the informative video. Didnt know about the spring tool. Definitely looks like itll help with stainless.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I was really happy I found them, and so are others. I just looked and over 400 people have bought them (based on my link in the description), which I find fascinating!

[@chicago-knin]

Yea great video just what i need with all the info .

[@oldmanadventuring]

Thank you for the review. I have a busted stud on an exhaust pipe and need a good center punch to put a start for a left handed drill bit and extractor. I went with the Spring dual head punch.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Nice! They're good tools for sure.

[@TheEcorristine]

Thank you for a very comprehensive tutorial on center punches, have been looking to buy a few and as per usual there are a million and one choices on Amazon and eBay BUT there's nothing worse than buying a product to find out it's completely garbage. Have become an immediate subscriber as you seem to be a very well spoken and intelligent man. Very thorough with products so appreciate the heads up.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Your check is in the mail, thanks. ;-)

[@TheEcorristine]

😁😁👍

[@petarjovicic3311]

thank you!

[@crckdns]

Our corporation uses worldwide the red one also for steel and it works great 👍 Thanks for the presentation nevertheless! Haven't seen the small steel ones!

[@venomxx1451]

Thank for the video I'm making some fishing jigs out of some old butter knives and I'm having trouble drilling the holes but whit this bad boys I'll get the job done ✔️

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Ah nice!

[@ryanmast6977]

Great video! Don't forget the Optical Center Punch for when precision really matters.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

True! I don't have one, if I need that kinda precision, I just use a CNC machine, but they are pretty handy.

[@ryanmast6977]

@@RobertCowanDIY I do the same, especially if I have a lot of precisely spaced holes on a project, but occasionally I just need a quick accurate hole with out the cam, zeroing, fixturing, bit change and such. The optical center punch is nice where applicable,all be it overkill in most situations.

[@TeamSmallRobots]

Optical punches are life. I make my wedges by printing out a CAD drawing, gluing it to titanium, and lining up the optical punch with the hole centers. Works great!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@TeamSmallRobots Nice! I almost never use punches for precise holes, I would almost always just have it laser or waterjet cut with the hole locations in place. And I guess that's why I haven't gotten an optical punch yet. But yeah, that's a perfectly good way to do it, and you can get some great results, I'm just lazy ;-)

[@M.TTT.]

Glad I found this video, I've been using a cheap auto punch with steel, but those spring punches look much better. Ordered the one with the hardened tip.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

They're great. I have a full set of them and use them all the time. They're great for removing tapered pins and roll pins too!

[@M.TTT.]

@@RobertCowanDIY ah, good idea

[@nerveseus7069]

U helped me.thanks

[@NoferTrunions]

Need deep setting one-handed automatic center punch. To achieve that, punch needs to be large and massive - as heavy as possible. Unfortunately, while a prerequisite, that does not ensure it will be the deepest setting. I think I saw some that were 6 inches long somewhere which might be a starting point - large body diameter also probably a good metric. Will also require a lot of manual force input.

[@A_Bird]

For getting the maximum precision with wood, I like a square awl. Just needs a few twists, and it's easy to control depth. It cuts the wood fibers with the sharpened edges while twisting, rather than splitting and/or compressing like with a punch. This makes it better for handling endgrain, wood with rings that vary hard/soft like pine, or knotty grain in general without drifting from your intended point due to being guided by the fibers of the wood.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Fair point. I do very little with wood, and when I do it's usually harder woods.

[@imanoutkaster]

These look closer to what I'm looking for, but maybe there's already a specific tool I just haven't found. I want to put decent size drain holes in oil filters without swinging a hammer and punch in tight spaces.

[@Rossco242424]

thanks for the video, I bought one at Harbor Freight and it is not good. I bought the Neiko. Thanks for the affiliate link.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

No problem!

[@felgate11]

Centre punch the hole position, then Pilot the hole using a No 4 or 5 Centre drill. The Centre drill has a finer tip & Web. (That's the thickness between the cutting edges in short terms)

[@Edi-wt3ge]

Muito boa explicação. Não conhecia o modelo com mola. Obrigado por compartilhar!!!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

de nada!

[@buzzpatch2294]

thanks

[@BaconbuttywithCheese]

For an array of 75x 1/8" holes, a person may go cnc, however i prefer the paper template, optical center punch and drill press route. Not being lazy can save money and improves skills and experience especially when prototyping and iterating fast.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

See, I would 3d print a jig that allows you to drill faster. Make a jig with ~10x holes, and when you get to the last one, slide it down and repeat the pattern. New skills and all ;-)

[@JayHutchG]

thanks for taking the time to do the vid. I bought an outside spring center punch a while back and just don't use it. WHY? Well 1st its still a 2 handed operation, so why not just use a regular fixed center punch? The single handed spring loaded with the bulb (no roll) is my go to most of the time for mild steel & less hard. Stainless and higher = plain old center punch and hammer. $12.50 in my wallet instead of sitting in tool box.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

yeah, it's nice to have options!

[@hoangnguyendinh291]

Let's buy them all :D

[@FryGuy1013]

That third one looks like a hinge remover tool. I didn't know they made center punches like that too.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

For sure. I was going to mention they work well as a hinge removal tool, but trying to keep my videos shorter.

[@rickeaston3228]

You left out other but important types of punches like a optical punch and transfer punches. I use these almost every day and they allow me to work within close tolerances when careful and use good techniques. Transfer punches (an optical punch is also a kind of center and transfer punch) are unique because they make very accurate marks where you would want them. The problem with the one\s shown in the video is the accuracy of the mark made is totally dependent of the person using it. Ive seen workers positioning the punch that ends up being 1/64 to 1/16 in or even more off the cross hairs scribed. Try getting holes to line up with that accuracy.

[@dmitripogosian5084]

With what accuracy can scribe the crosshair ? I find it often more limiting for me than further positioning of the centerpunch.

[@fungames24]

Is there a commonly found metal that is too hard for center punching? I want to drill holes in utility knife blades. Will punches work on them?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Eh, probably not reliably, but maybe! I'm not sure how hard those blades are. Drilling holes is the wrong way to do it though, I would waterjet the holes. You're just going to trash your drill bits and make nasty holes.

[@fungames24]

@@RobertCowanDIY OUCH!! Thanks for the suggestion. A waterjet would be beyond my price range. I do have a fallback plan of grinding holes with a dremel. Also, people drilled hard metal using sharpened masonry drill bit. I might sacrifice a bit to try that. But, the bit will wander if I am unable to punch a hole.

[@u.s.a.198]

Thank you !

[@STARDRIVE]

In your experience, should the tip be sharper or more blunt than the drill bit?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

It depends on what you're trying to do. A sharp point will dull or break if you're using it on hardened steel. But for aluminum and such, it can be fair sharper.

[@aidanaldrich3102]

The latter tools are often used to take the hinges out of doors by locksmiths

[@JB-pu6ek]

Out of the two types of spring punches, which is best for round tube steel?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Hum, it depends. MAYBE the spring style punch, because you would hold it against the materials with one hand and pull back the spring action with the other. I find the spring ones better for precision. It's nice to have several types on hand though.

[@JB-pu6ek]

@@RobertCowanDIY Thanks!

[@ichalmeong7071]

The Red cap is that Double ace?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

No idea, I have a link to it in the description.

[@thekop9049]

Which punch can use with remove the dead bolt

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I usually just use a my key.

[@zacheiriksson]

springtools are nice but they could have a longer grip area

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Huh, I never found that to be the case. Maybe I have smaller hands?

[@chrisdiaz1830]

can the spring tool punch a hole into duct work?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

probably? it will dimple it pretty bad though, you'd need something on the backside.

[@kylelions]

If your shop was engulfed in flames and you could only grab one punch, which would you grab though?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Hum, great question! Probably the spring punches. The automatic ones are nice, but the spring ones can do more. Plus, they feel like a higher quality tool.

[@reliefmango6]

👍

[@boinecastillo7455]

I want this for nefarious reasons

[@RobertCowanDIY]

do not attempt to use these for sounding!

[@fritz46]

I'll never look at my cheap single, simple, springless center punch the same way again...

[@maxmustermann2596]

Edit: The video is more helpful than I expected it to become. I had the habit of missing the correct spot a little in some situations and I think I like these automatic punches most if it is about accuracy. Thx for the tip. The rest is the original message: Didn't you miss the spot a little with the spring center punch, when you really pulled on the spring? I guess accuracy is a drawback because that pulling motion might alter the position you wanted to punch. I didn't know the spring-loaded ones you were showing at first. When you activate them by pushing, you probably don't miss and you could then enlarge the dint with a classic one and a hammer. Of course, I am inexperienced, and I guess you don't miss the punch with some experience and concentration. I see the advantage, it can have, when you want to punch hard and want it fast.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Yeah, if you REALLY pull back on the spring, you other hand could slip, for sure. But you have to REALLY tug on it. It doesn't take much force to get a nice divot in most materials. The traditional ones are fine, I think I just like the others better.

[@maxmustermann2596]

@@RobertCowanDIY Maybe I should have underlined more that I have a habit of missing the spot to punch using the classic ones. Especially, if there are many things flying around on my bench. Sometimes, if I am already balancing stuff on the drill press, I was around 0.5mm off the spot. The video is probably much more helpful than I expected it to be. Thx :)

[@Joey_Avocado]

Sucks you didnt talk about quality of the auto punches. Im an aircraft mechanic and using an auto center punch is mandatory. Problem is that many auto center punches tend to not last long internally.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I was unaware of that. Maybe they're just not made for hard use? As a hobbyist, I'm probably not using them enough to cause failure.

[@BeefIngot]

The spring ones would make me fearful of pinching my fingers during use. Exposed springs are scary, but maybe I'm just a puss

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Huh, I haven't had that happen since I got them. It just doesn't feel like something that WOULD happen. But fair point.

[@trevonkahlis]

Are you an Engineering Manufacturing Lecturer ?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Ha. no. I'm just a guy with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a camera.

[@JonathanRansom]

Looks like you punched your fingertip. 😂

[@RobertCowanDIY]

That was from the drill bit testing video, it finally grew all the way out!

[@JonathanRansom]

@@RobertCowanDIY ouch!

[@EitriBrokkr]

You want quality hard punches to tap out bearings.... They make heavy duty automatic center punches.... You don't pay $10 for one. "Let me comment on the stuff I got in the checkout aisle at Walmart" This guy is an absolute hack.

[@Bakafish]

No Veritas Optical Punch? No Rennsteig expanding punch? Dude...

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Haha, sorry! That's all I have on hand. The expanding punch looks kinda cool though!

[@randombadchannel8700]

Second