Dimple die/punch tool

[acourtjester]

Hi
Here is a tool for you off the road guys. A dimple tool used to flare holes in your panels on your ride. Made from a hydraulic punch from HF adding the parts to make the dimples after the holes are punched.
made by Jim Stabe from San Diego.
Have fun
Tom

[DaveO]

Hey, Tom- Is punching holes a weight reduction technique? I can see where the inward flare reduces the sharp edges, but for a newbie, what's the rationale for that?

[acourtjester]

It so when you roll your ride over and you tumble around inside you don’t end up looking like you were attacked by a giant octopus (sucker marks)!!!

[ScratchStart]

I have a set of these I made from the piston on an old hyd. cylinder, but I never thought to pair it with the punch.

Can you punch and flare all at the same time? or 2 operations?

Hey, Tom- Is punching holes a weight reduction technique? I can see where the inward flare reduces the sharp edges, but for a newbie, what's the rationale for that?

I stiffens your large flat surfaces of sheet metal, much like rolling a bead. So you get the benefit of weight reduction and a stronger sheet metal part, all while moving the sharp edges away from you. Tom is right, looking like an octopus attacked is not a good thing...LOL

not to mention it looks cool!

[acourtjester]

its a two step operation I would take a deep female portion to have it work with one step.
I don't think the hydraulic ram has enough distance to do that. I saw a video with a guy using an electric powered pump and that made it fast to do either operation.

[ScratchStart]

did you radius your dies? or are they angled? Angled is certainly easier on the lathe (especially since I don't have a raduis cutter). but will it provide more strength if they are raduised?

its a two step operation I would take a deep female portion to have it work with one step.
I don't think the hydraulic ram has enough distance to do that. I saw a video with a guy using an electric powered pump and that made it fast to do either operation.

I was thinking about using something like this... I've already got one for the porta power, and I use it on my shop press (though sometimes I don't feel it puts out enough on the press)

this one is from northern tool, mine is a cheaper chineese nock-off... but I bet it'll work. Next time I can get a little lathe time I'll build a set of dimple dies that fit the old Hydraulic punch, and try it out.