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 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...c+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.
HF Pick.JPG
https://www.harborfreight.com/4-piec...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