Don't buy these roll pin punches.

[enamel 35]

Ya I know I took a chance and figured they'd be bad but they said harden steel. So 50 50 shot lol, and at 10.00 shipped I figured I'd try them. I'll return them. But I'll get a better set US made lol. 

Brand is Horusdy

 

First pic is before use. 2nd pic is after 1 use. 

[ebinmaine 67,522]

"Drop forged and heat treated steel". 

Really does NOT have to be a truly "Hardened" steel.  

 

 

I've been carefully buying some VINTAGE tools off the fleeeeBay. 

Decent luck so far.   

 

[enamel 35]

3 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

"Drop forged and heat treated steel". 

Really does NOT have to be a truly "Hardened" steel.  

 

 

I've been carefully buying some VINTAGE tools off the fleeeeBay. 

Decent luck so far.   

 

Ya I seen that when I got them. The listing says harden steel lol. Good ol Amazon 

Edited October 5, 2023 by enamel
Picture

[ebinmaine 67,522]

Might wanna report that to em. 

Also post a 1 star review.   

 

Won't help you but maybe someone else.  

[JCM 9,168]

If you can afford these you most likely won't need to buy another set .Do not remember what I paid some 20 plus years ago.

[wallfish 17,000]

Good quality is the best  BUT...

Heat the ends up with a torch to cherry red and quench it. It'll harden them.

I do this with damaged screwdrivers that are ground back to shape. Chisels and punches too because I'll grind them to the shape I need for a given task. Etc.

It's the backyard hammer mechanic way! LoL 

[c-series don 8,708]

@wallfish Quench them in oil? I remember in high school making a center punch on a lathe and then hardening it but don’t remember the exact process. I believe that you can make it too hard and it will shatter like glass? 

[wallfish 17,000]

1 hour ago, c-series don said:

@wallfish Quench them in oil? I remember in high school making a center punch on a lathe and then hardening it but don’t remember the exact process. I believe that you can make it too hard and it will shatter like glass? 

I use water because I just heat with a mapp gas torch. Have an Oxy Acetylene torch but it's small so always out of gas.

Bright orange heated steel like in a forge or oxy/acetylene you would quench in oil so it's not "shocked" and too brittle. You can use a propane torch and quench in water too. Cherry red, basically as hot as those light torches are capable of but but many people have them so use what ya got.

Experiment with a couple of cheap screwdrivers or punches and you get a feel for it. remove hardness with heat and air cool. Smash the edge or tip with a hammer. Then grind back to shape, treat it and hit it with a hammer. They aren't going to end up as perfectly hardened tool steel but it definitely makes a difference vs doing nothing

Not the entire tool, just 1/2-3/4 inch of the working end is fine.

 

Heat and air cool can also remove the hardness from steel. Like drilling or cutting hardened steel will quickly dull the bits or blades. Heat the area to cherry red that you want to drill or cut and it will work much easier. Spring steel is hard and brittle but you can heat spring ends, air cool and now they can be much more easily bent into shape. A back yard hammer mechanic reuses broken springs! LOL Saves a trip to the store

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by wallfish

[enamel 35]

1 hour ago, wallfish said:

 

How long would one keep it cherry red before quenching? Or juut get it cherry red and quenching?.

 

[lynnmor 7,307]

There are all kinds of steel, air, water and oil quenching so without knowing what type you have it is only a guess how they should be heat treated.

[JoeM 7,874]

My Dad did some blacksmith work making chisels and treating the tools. Used coal fired heat tho.

Just like @wallfish suggested. The one thing he showed me was during the quench, the tool could be dipped for like a two count then removed to air cool the rest of the way. Sometimes when he removed the tool he would look at the end then re-quench the tool to finish. It had something to do with the color transition of the heated area. He used both and oil and water, water was a quicker quench. 

It has been a long time and hard to remember. But when I wanted a custom chisel or punch he was my go to.

[c-series don 8,708]

 @JoeM I think the transition area is supposed to be brown, but as I said earlier I learned this stuff in high school and that was over 35 years ago. I can guarantee that if I call my shop teacher who I’m still friends with, he will remember the exact process! It’s because of him that I know how to cut, braze, weld, work on small engines.I could go on and on about the things that man taught me, in and out of school. Like joining the volunteer fire department and giving back to our community is just one example. Sorry if I went off subject for a sec! 

[BairleaFarm 340]

Ive used them several times and they worked fine.    Quality control at its finest.   

[Handy Don 12,232]

 

I have that set and it’s given me good service. I’m always careful to use the exact correct size.

[enamel 35]

Maybe mine are defective lol.