Sheet metal knockout punches

Knockout punches are sized for conduit fittings. You want to search for Chassis Punches. Greenlee is prpbably the best-known maker. If you're looking for 1-time use, the famous auction site is probably the best place to start. Item 120484675057 gives you a wide selection, but if you're looking for specific punch sizes, search for chassis punch at McMaster-Carr

-- David masondg44 at comcast dot net

Klein Tools also makes knockout punches. MSC is another supplier that caries the Greenlee line.

Cheers

This is a hand operated metal punch for smaller holes:

This is a base to mount it to a workbench:

They are similar to the more expensive ROPER-WHITNEY METAL PUNCH

Here are some examples of the step drills that John mentioned:

They are great for deburring holes and inside the ends of conduit, as well.

"Slug-Splitter", eh? That sure would have been nice in my days of punching holes for toob sockets ;-) ...Jim Thompson

The Q-Max hole cutters are still being made and last time I looked, they were stocked by both RS components (rswww.com), Farnell

Don't know who owns the Q-max brand now, but they've been the standard item for such tasks for 50+ years...

Regards,

Chris

Wrong! The Greenlee 1/2" hole punch PUNCHES 1/2" HOLES!

The 1/2" conduit is what is at 22.4mm. D'OH!

I know this for a fact as I use this exact punch to punch holes in a 4" wide heavy braid ground strap tab from a 1/4" hole to 1/2" to accommodate a 1/2" stud on the back of one of our vendors' racks. That 1/2" stud IS

Buy with confidence if 1/2" is what you need.

They also sell D-SUB connector punches, Indexed hole punches, and many other electronics industry punches, not just electrical wiring industry stuff. Also, IIRC, they will make a custom punch as well.

They then, of course, make it part of their non-standard line of offered products.

You did not look well enough then. Their electrical lines match those figures, but they do sell other lines...

Look in the catalog for:

Slug-Buster® Knockout Punches 0.492" to 2.520"

It is page 46 of the 31MB pdf catalog.

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. I hope you don't mind if I reply in one post.

I'd already downloaded the pdf catalog suggested by John before I posted my request, but I was influenced by my failure to find what I wanted while browsing online (plus a comment by someone in another newsgroup) and I missed seeing the exact-size punches. Thanks for pointing it out.

I looked at the step drill bits before but didn't give them much thought. Now that John and Michael have suggested it, it's starting to look like a good, relatively inexpensive option.

eBay item 120484675057 suggested by Dave M is exactly what I want. Let's see if I manage to win it, though it will mean staying up to 4:00 AM over here. And my ISP has a nasty habit of going down at any time for indefinite periods on weekends.

@Archimedes' Lever: please see my explanation in the second para above.

I'm still considering the Q-Max punches. Could anyone please answer the question in my initial post about having them sent to the US?

Nearly every mid sized and major city has a "Graingers" supply house. Most have several. They either already have it, or can get it fairly quickly, so your friend can drive to one, and either grab it or order it to show up within a week.

Farnell are in the us, so you should be able to buy from them online.

tools and productions supplies -> hand and woodworking -> punches -> Q-Max

Still pretty low cost as well, surprisingly...

Regards,

Chris

Good job of NOT answering his question.

He already said that shipping it to him is the hassle.

He is looking to get it into the hands of the buddy that is coming to see him.

You should actually READ threads at some point to make your participation a bit more valid.

Yes, Farnell is good, as is Grainger, and basically ANY local electrical supply outlet. Neary all carry about the same price schedules for these types of products.

A simple check on ebay will yield expected retail price, if you add about 10% to 15%.

Q-max seems to be a UK item.

I would go with the step drill $35 or order a greenlee from MSC. (your buddys in the US)

MSC delivers in a day or two, As well as Grainger and Mcmaster.

Cheers

Thanks again for the reply. I've often heard about Farnell, but when they started selling in India a few years ago and I browsed their prices for electronic components, I couldn't believe it. Common general-purpose components were listed at 10-50 times their average street prices in Indian cities!! I stopped considering them as a source after that.

Now that you've brought up their name, I looked at their prices for Q-Max punches and they are much more reasonable. Roughly 50% more than in the UK, but I guess that's to be expected. I may not have to impose on my friend in the US after all.

(Strange though that even when I selected the US, prices are still given in UKP. Prices for India are given in Indian rupee).

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Their also almost twice the price of a standard knockout.

Cheers

Errm, Farnell *is* the us and the question was:

and

Seems pretty relevant to me. Perhaps you should read the posts before firing off ?...

Regards,

Chris

YOUR wording appeared as if you were intending to ship to HIM.

HE is NOT in the US.

Would be worth it. I take it you've never punched out 10 or so toob sockets holes in one chassis ?:-) ...Jim Thompson

For heavens sake, stop digging and lighten up a bit :-)...

Regards,

Chris