Drift punches

[Batmanacw]

I was never taught to use drift punches. I've used parallel pin punches and roll pin punches and line up punches, but never drift punches.

As I understand it the drift punch was used to bust a pin loose before removal with a pin punch. Is that their primary use?

Do you go straight to a pin punch or do you use a drift punch? Thoughts?

 

[Jim F]

I use the one that works.

 

[Jake M]

Don't get hung up on a name. You won't find them to be entirely agreed upon.

In the end, the instructions are about the same for all of them, they're a stick of metal that you beat the crap out of with a hammer. Use the one that isn't bent and doesn't have a muhroom on top Use the one that fits the job. They're not proud. They don't care.



As I know them-

Pin punches are best saved IMO for jobs that need them. Typically round pins, but they fit inside a hole of their nominal size. They are not stout, they bend easily.

Roll pin punches are the same thing, but have a little "bump" on the business end to help keep them lined up. Those are unnecessarily expensive, but do really well with roll/spring pins.

Drift punches taper to a flat. It's a form following function, so I'm sure they've been around since before there were written words to document them, but in modern form they came into being "a thing" for lining up misaligned holes. Now they're more of a universal tool. They certainly can be used as you describe, to start a stuck pin moving without damaging your less rugged special purpose punch. They are very stout, hard to bend, and you can wail on them with confidence, but they do not fit into a hole of their nominal size, as the taper gets in the way. They're very well suited to be universal "general purpose" punches.

Whatcha buildin' ?

 

[Batmanacw]

Don't get hung up on a name. You won't find them to be entirely agreed upon.

In the end, the instructions are about the same for all of them, they're a stick of metal that you beat the crap out of with a hammer. Use the one that isn't bent and doesn't have a muhroom on top Use the one that fits the job. They're not proud. They don't care.



As I know them-

Pin punches are best saved IMO for jobs that need them. Typically round pins, but they fit inside a hole of their nominal size. They are not stout, they bend easily.

Roll pin punches are the same thing, but have a little "bump" on the business end to help keep them lined up. Those are unnecessarily expensive, but do really well with roll/spring pins.

Drift punches taper to a flat. It's a form following function, so I'm sure they've been around since before there were written words to document them, but in modern form they came into being "a thing" for lining up misaligned holes. Now they're more of a universal tool. They certainly can be used as you describe, to start a stuck pin moving without damaging your less rugged special purpose punch. They are very stout, hard to bend, and you can wail on them with confidence, but they do not fit into a hole of their nominal size, as the taper gets in the way. They're very well suited to be universal "general purpose" punches.

Whatcha buildin' ?

Every darn thing.......lol

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Don't get hung up on a name. You won't find them to be entirely agreed upon.

In the end, the instructions are about the same for all of them, they're a stick of metal that you beat the crap out of with a hammer. Use the one that isn't bent and doesn't have a muhroom on top Use the one that fits the job. They're not proud. They don't care.



As I know them-

Pin punches are best saved IMO for jobs that need them. Typically round pins, but they fit inside a hole of their nominal size. They are not stout, they bend easily.

Roll pin punches are the same thing, but have a little "bump" on the business end to help keep them lined up. Those are unnecessarily expensive, but do really well with roll/spring pins.

Drift punches taper to a flat. It's a form following function, so I'm sure they've been around since before there were written words to document them, but in modern form they came into being "a thing" for lining up misaligned holes. Now they're more of a universal tool. They certainly can be used as you describe, to start a stuck pin moving without damaging your less rugged special purpose punch. They are very stout, hard to bend, and you can wail on them with confidence, but they do not fit into a hole of their nominal size, as the taper gets in the way. They're very well suited to be universal "general purpose" punches.

Whatcha buildin' ?

Those are the little ones sized to the pins being used.

I have a nice set as you described with the button on the end that go up to either 5/8 or 3/4 and their called shaft pins or shaft drivers.

The button fits nicely in the center drilled dimple in the ends of most shafts and keeps them lined up so you don't butcher the edge of the hole driving the pin out.

 

[whitmore]

I was never taught to use drift punches. I've used parallel pin punches and roll pin punches and line up punches, but never drift punches.

As I understand it the drift punch was used to bust a pin loose before removal with a pin punch. Is that their primary use?

I thought drift punches were originally used to size holes; heat the metal red, pound the drift into the
small hole until it's the right size. The anvil's hardy hole is where this usually happens.

My usual reason for using one, is to lever the heavy thing into position using one part of the hole pattern, while
I insert bolts into the other part of the hole pattern. You never want one-hole joints when making a heavy
thing.

 

[Jake M]

Before I say anything, I need to point out that this is speculation. These things have evolved over time, and as I said previouisly, the nomenclature is NOT terribly consistent. So take this for what it is, and no more......

I thought drift punches were originally used to size holes; heat the metal red, pound the drift into the
small hole until it's the right size. The anvil's hardy hole is where this usually happens.

I think that tool would have been of very similar description, but I don't believe it would have had the flat "business end" as modern drift punches do. I also believe (open to correction), that these were simply called "punches". Round punches, square punches, etc.

My usual reason for using one, is to lever the heavy thing into position using one part of the hole pattern, while
I insert bolts into the other part of the hole pattern.

This is where I believe the name of the tool as we (mostly) know it came from. The term "drift" would have been common for that time to describe the motion as the beams moved with the wind, and also the twist that inevitably happened early in crane (and wire rope) technology, when bridges and buildings were being hot riveted. I believe this is where the "drift punch" name came from. They still wouldn't have had the flat tip, it would have been (essentially) a new use for the existing blacksmith's punch, as blacksmiths were pretty much not using them by that time...

You never want one-hole joints when making a heavy
thing.

I'll can give you a list of places to send that message to.

 

[Batmanacw]

Before I say anything, I need to point out that this is speculation. These things have evolved over time, and as I said previouisly, the nomenclature is NOT terribly consistent. So take this for what it is, and no more......



I think that tool would have been of very similar description, but I don't believe it would have had the flat "business end" as modern drift punches do. I also believe (open to correction), that these were simply called "punches". Round punches, square punches, etc.



This is where I believe the name of the tool as we (mostly) know it came from. The term "drift" would have been common for that time to describe the motion as the beams moved with the wind, and also the twist that inevitably happened early in crane (and wire rope) technology, when bridges and buildings were being hot riveted. I believe this is where the "drift punch" name came from. They still wouldn't have had the flat tip, it would have been (essentially) a new use for the existing blacksmith's punch, as blacksmiths were pretty much not using them by that time...



I'll can give you a list of places to send that message to.

A line up punch has a much longer point for aligning bolt holes. I've seen drift punches for black smiting. Those are really not terribly like the current drift punches with a small flat and short taper.

 

[Orangetruckman]

A broken screwdriver can make an excellent punch. Making it whatever size that‘s needed. If it’s not a full tang style, be gentle!

 

[ChazzC]

Brownells range of punches (Drift, Roll, Pin & a host of others); this is just a small sample: