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Chain breaker Punch Replacement

Started by joe_indi, June 08, 2012, 08:48:15 AM

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joe_indi

I have had breaker punches fail whenever I had no spare.
They have to be imported over here, so sometimes the delay is indefinite.
So I asked my friendly tooling shop to make me some substitutes out of suitable hardened metal.
But they gave me a better suggestion and followed up the suggestion by making me a couple of their version of breaker punches.
In this punch the body is of regular mild steel.
But for punches they used the needle rollers of used crankshaft bearings.
If the tip breaks I need only remove the tip and fix another needle roller and shape it. The rollers cost nothing.
The body cost me $10/- each
I have posted a video on this in Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itM286zYaXg

Joe

lumberjack48

Just as good as factory Joe, maybe you can drill a hole and put a set screw to hold the punch in place.

This is a long way from when i used a flat file, hammer, nail, socket and a stump, to fix my chain. Out in a Spruce swamp, strip cutting, at 10 cents a piece.
Third generation logger, owner operator, 30 yrs felling experience with pole skidder. I got my neck broke back in 89, left me a quad. The wife kept the job going up to 96.

joe_indi

It would be easier to borrow a page from the wheelwrights viz thermal expansion.
The needle goes into the drilled hole only when the body is heated.Once it is cooled, the fit is snug.
When the tip has to be removed the body is heated and the tip is cooled by dipping just the tip in water.It comes out easily.
I am going to try this soon.

Joe

HolmenTree

I don't know if it's possible to make one Joe? Just my gut feeling.
Of all the tools I've worked with I can't think of one that has to go under so much stress as a chainbreaker punch.
I own a Stihl bench mounted chain breaker with spare punches and only have a few left from about 15 yrs of use. When the punch even rounds off slightly or bends off center it's useless in the smaller .325 chain and under.
I have a Granberg handheld vise grip breaker and it has the same size/ style of punches as my Stihl.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

joe_indi

Holmen, other than the four rolls of 100' reels that are broken (24 loops each) every week, on an average, most days we also get to break 5 to 10 tie straps as part of  for repairing used loops brought in my customers.
This punch is now into its third week of use and its yet to  show any adverse wearing out .
These crankshaft rollers are pretty hardened stuff.
I think they will last just like the original punches, that is till the punch slips sideways.
But, even after a month of use, if I do have to replace the tip, I need only put in a fresh(used) roller, and shape it on a grinder. Less than 10 minutes for all that.
No extra costs involved to do all that.
So when you look at it from that angle, doesn't it work well?

Joe

Cut4fun

Joe thanks for posting this idea.  smiley_clapping

I have been breaking my punches too and now that baileys no longer supplies the parts for the breakers they sold  dadgum you, Charlie! I was looking something like this. My problem is I dont have a lathe to make the punch.

HolmenTree

Quote from: joe_indi on June 09, 2012, 02:52:59 AM
No extra costs involved to do all that.
So when you look at it from that angle, doesn't it work well?

Joe
Job well done Joe , what I have seen in metalworking done in India it amazes me what you guys can do with so little.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

joe_indi

Quote from: Cut4fun on June 09, 2012, 02:10:34 PM

My problem is I dont have a lathe to make the punch.
So?
You want me to send you a couple?
Joe

Cut4fun

Joe, sent you a pm to talk about this project.

sharkey

Excellent idea, thanks for the vid!

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