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Originally Posted by dontlifttoshift
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That is freaking awesome!!! I've forwarded it to everyone I know that is an electrician!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dontlifttoshift
The only problem is, right now, all the dies are conduit sized. I think a custom draw bar and it would work with the MB punch and flare dies.
The best step drills come from Harbor Freight.....seriously.
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You are right... I bet it wouldn't take much to make a custom draw bar... but I am serious that for sheet metal (I've done as thick as 18g so far) just the 1/2" fine thread bolt and bearing the MB set comes with punches and flares with no inkling of hesitation. Always be liberal with lube on threads anytime it is used for drawing.
I have always hated cutting with holesaws... In fact I think i've still got a bone spur in my jaw from where one caught and the drill came around on me a few years ago. Plus the fact that the hole takes 10 min to cut and is never "perfect." This punch tool takes about a minute and is beautiful!
Harbor freight does have some cheap step drills (uni-bits) and they really are the best for holes up to 1" ish. I think the biggest I've got is 1-1/8" I've probably got half a dozen 1/2" step bits around.. I use them all the time!
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Originally Posted by GregWeld
That thing is bad ass!!
My Hougen's go up to 3".... You can't even buy anything larger if you wanted to. They also need clean sheet metal to center up on. This bad boy goes bigger with up to 4" punches and doesn't need to have metal to hold center on. Sweet.
For those that don't know about them STEP DRILLS are the proper way to "drill" holes in sheet metal. Not a twist drill.
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I had never heard of Hougen before so I looked them up. Looks just like the Blair Rota-Broach spotweld bits I use. I guess I had never looked to see if they made them in larger sizes. I have a drilled spotweld shape scar on the inside of my left knee from where one walked while I was drilling sideways sitting on a stool so I can vouch for how well they work!