Roper Whitney Jr. No. 5 Punch Kit
Hand punch will make holes in sheet steel, aluminum, and brass.
The Roper Whitney hand punch is one of the most-used tools in my shop for sheet metal projects. For holes up to 9/32″ in thin metals it is often easier to use than a hand drill or press and leaves a clean hole with minimal burr and no shavings created. It’s also ideal for awkward objects that you don’t want to disassemble, such as punching holes in a bicycle fender while it’s still on the bike.
Changing the punch and dies takes me about 30 seconds. Not as fast as changing a drill bit but once you’re ready to go, each hole just takes a squeeze of the handles. The compound leverage mechanism requires minimal effort. It also makes centering holes easy. Set a dimple with a center punch then slide the Whitney punch around on the metal until its center point finds the dimple and you’re lined up perfectly.
The basic model comes with seven punch and dies sized from 3/32″ to 9/32″. It maxes out at about a quarter inch hole in 16 ga. mild steel, but that still covers most of my needs. Plus, it can punch in thicker material if the holes are smaller and if punching aluminum. It also works good for plastic and leather. Mine is over 30 years old and still going strong.
06/23/16Roper Whitney Jr. No. 5 Punch Kit ($87)
