Center punch

[Richard Dooling]

I want to get a spring loaded center punch to make the holes for the drive spur and live center on smaller pieces.

I see lots of negative or unenthusiastic reviews for these especially as regards reliability. Any recommendations?

Thanks - Richard

[Kyle Iwamoto]

especially as regards reliability. Any recommendations?


Buy one, they're real handy. IMO these are disposable items. They're cheap. I recently bought a cheapo General Tools one. It works. You can take many of them apart for a quick cleaning/lube, and they should work like new. I also have a very expensive one (tool truck) that I bought 30 years ago that still works.
If you buy a "weak" one, since it reloads, you can punch 2 or 3 times and get a nice divot. Some strike lightly, on purpose, to make tiny dots for layout. Oh, a nice thing about that General one is that it is adjustable.

Just my $0.02.
KI
Sure wish someone would invent a tree with no endgrain.

[Terry Morrill]

Rockler has one that you pull and is spring loaded

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

A spring loaded push model is my preference. operated by one hand. It doesn't make a huge dent, but then I follow with a center drill and make only a shallow indentation for the centers.

However, on small stuff, I don't use a spur drive. I just shave the end to fit the head stock morse taper snugly. the friction is enough to spin small stuff quite well.

[John Keeton]

I use an awl when I need a center point. Seems to work for me.

[Damon McLaughlin]

I use this one (https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-02638A-Automatic-Center-Adjustable/dp/B008DXYOLC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1546475232&sr=8-4&keywords=center+punch) and have had it for three years or so. No issues with it whatsoever. Easy one handed operation.

[Bruce Page]

I’ve had one of these in my tool box for over 30 years, it’s been used hundreds of times and still functions as good as new. (reliable)

https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-78-Automatic-Center/dp/B00004T7RF/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1546480603&sr=8-5&keywords=heavy+duty+automatic+center+punch

Home Depot also sells it.

[Reed Gray]

I do use a spring loaded one for marking when I want to drill metal, which is what they are made for. For wood, I also use an awl and wood mallet. I have a number of them around from my years when I did leather work. An ice pick will work, or a 16 penny nail, or a old screw driver with the flat ground off....

robo hippy

[Thomas Canfield]

I have several of the cheap spring loaded punches from Harbor Freight usually found on sale for less than $5.00. I keep one by drill press, lathe, and work table. Works well with my cardboard templates to mark center and draw outline for bandsawing blanks.

[Bill Boehme]

Surprisingly, the ones from HF aren't too bad and the cost is really low. When they quit working reliably I refurbish them by disassembling and use a diamond hone to square up the back end of the pin that goes in the cylinder ... the back edge gets slightly rounded with use. It would be nice if the pin were hardened more to withstand the wear and tear. Sometimes I also square up the end of the cylinder that the pin goes in.

[Paul F Franklin]

I also have the one that Damon linked to and it's been fine for me. And the price is right.

[Dave Bunge]

I use an angled pick like this one to make holes for center point. It's also handy for things like scraping out the debris that build up between the point and cup in live center.
400183
https://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-pick-and-hook-set-66836.html

I've never tried a spring punch, but am curious to do so having read the other posts.

Dave

[Robert Henrickson]

I find that an awl does the trick for me, whatever the type of turning but especially in doing multiaxis work.

[andy bessette]

...these are disposable items. They're cheap...

Cheap ones are disposable and not worth their cheap price. Get a Starrett.

[Wayne Jolly]

I have a cheap one I bought from HF years ago that has been working perfectly, and I use it quite a lot. Even on steel. When I bought it, I expected maybe three or four strikes and it would be toast, but it is still as good as the day I bought it. My only complaint with it is very minor. The two pieces of the body want to come unscrewed. One of these days I'll fix it with just a tiny dab of blue LocTite.


Wayne

[Richard Dooling]

Thanks for the replies!

I've been using an awl and that's fine most of the time but I'm looking for a one-handed tool. I saw someone doing production turning and he used a spring loaded center punch. I made a bunch of small things for Christmas and realized it would have been quicker and easier with the center punch.

Damon, that's the one I've been looking at on Amazon and I think I'll give it a try. If it doesn't hold up I may move up to the General ($$) or the Starret ($$$).

[Marvin Hasenak]

A company called Ronson makes a kockoff of the Starrett brand of spring loaded center punch. I have one for a few years.

Harbor Freight makes the same punch, looks almost like the Starrett, but at $3.99 is a better bargain.

[John K Jordan]

I want to get a spring loaded center punch to make the holes for the drive spur and live center on smaller pieces.

I see lots of negative or unenthusiastic reviews for these especially as regards reliability. Any recommendations?

Thanks - Richard

Richard,

I have several spring-loaded punches and my favorite is a Starrett. They do cost more but they always work and are definitely not disposable. In fact, thanks for reminding me - I stole the one I use from my little machine shop and need to get another so I don't have to carry it back and forth.

BTW, I always make a hole for the centers. In many woods the spring loaded center punch works fine. However, it very hard woods the hole may not be deep enough IF your drive and live centers do not have a spring-loaded point. In that case I use a gimlet to drill the hole deeper. This is especially important in hard wood as the spindle gets thin - the point can split the wood. I use drive and live centers with spring-loaded points for most spindles. (Steb centers)

Gimlet (cordless drill!):
400326

Steb drive and live centers with spring-loaded points:
400324 400325

For soft woods I sometimes use this for smaller square blanks - tap with mallet, very quick:
400323
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E4UNTZU

JKJ

[Alex Zeller]

I have a Starrett and a couple cheap ones. The cheap ones worked fine but eventually they seam to loose the snap part of them. A couple times I've taken them apart but eventually they find their way to the trash. But they are cheap and they do last a long time when not doing production work. The Starrett just seams to always work.

[Richard Dooling]

Okay so I got this one yesterday. Thanks Damon.
https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-02638A-Automatic-Center-Adjustable/dp/B008DXYOLC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1546475232&sr=8-4&keywords=center+punch

It does the job well and time will tell if it's going to last. This lets me quickly punch holes for the drive and live centers with one hand.

Thanks John, I am using this with steb centers and only with smaller work. I had not seen the four legged center finding tool - pretty interesting. I'm going to make a version of this from Lee Valley. http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=43205&cat=1,330,49237&ap=1

If I want a deeper hole I often use a yankee drill that I keep at the lathe.

[Dan Henry]

I have the inexpensive auto punch and made a hard wood knob for it and it is more comfortable to use and I think maybe more control where the punch mark will be