square punch for styrene ?

I need to punch many 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" square holes in .018" styrene. Is there a ready made punch set for sale ? If not, how might I go about making a punch/die set ? I have a relatively well stocked workshop including drillpress and small arbor press. I've tried using a drillpress woodmortice chisel but it leave ragged edges for some reason. Also ... I need to punch holes up to six inches from the edge of the styrene so a craft store paper punch probably won't work unless can alter it somehow. Any hints, tips or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks, Frank Cordes Lakes, AZ.

p.s. BTW, I'm using the styrene to make lampshades.

Reply to
Datura
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I don't know of any such set but you could try sharpening the edges of square brass tubing and using that.

Reply to
Al Superczynski

Some arts & crafts stores have little novelty punches for paper. They come in shapes like hearts, kisses, etc. They may have square ones. They are about the size of a small tiny tot stapler.

Rob Gronovius Modern US armor at

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Reply to
Rob Gronovius

Somebody was selling sets of them at one of the shows I went to a few years back, and the sizes are pretty close. Check around as I am sure somebody has them.

(I think they came from somebody called the Tool Man, who was out of Georgia and came up to Maryland for one of the Great Scale Model Railroad Shows.)

Cookie Sewell

Reply to
AMPSOne

If all else fails, how about making them of metal the proper sizes or buying square tubing, then heating them and melting the hole? Key stock comes to mind, the stuff used for key slots, like where a harmonic balancer slips onto a crankshaft for example. I know they make this stuff in varying sizes, available at auto parts stores. Worth a try, otherwise a sharp exacto knife blade is about it.

Grandpa John

Datura wrote:

small arbor press.

Reply to
Grandpa

A punch is good, but for a clean hole you really need a die too, and a way to align them. For the punch, you can use HSS cutting tool, such as those used in lathes. The die can be a plate of steel with a square hole. If I was making it, I would stack up sheet of 1/4" acrylic over some 3/32 steel, and drill and bolt four corners. Then I would drill a round hole through both just slightly smaller than the finished diameter, and file until the punch was a good fit. It would take a while, but if I needed a lot of square holes, it would do the trick very well. When the fit is good, unbolt and put a shim or washers a bit larger than the thickness of the intended materials on each of the four corners to raise the acrylic sheet off of the metal die, which will allow you to slip the material to be punched under the acrylic hole.

I have made similar punches for making styrene discs, and the process works very well. Commercial gasket punches are made the same way, but I have only seen them in the round varieties.

Good luck with your project

Kurt

Kurt Greiner

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Reply to
Kurt Greiner

Micromark sell a square punch for styrene .

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item 81652 its 5/16 but with your workshop and skill you should be able to knock up similar in the sizes you need .

Reply to
Kevin(Bluey)

Reply to
Don Stauffer

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