Punching holes in stainless steel tape

[Andrew Gabriel]

I bought some high temperature adhesive stainless steel tape (3316) to stick over the surface and around one edge of a gasket. It's the burner gasket in a Keston boiler, which always cracks, and it's clamped between two pieces of very thick stainless steel.

The gasket has 10 bolt holes through it, and I'd need to punch holes through the tape in the same positions. Any suggestions for punching the holes in thin stainless steel? I bought a single plier-style hole punch, but that doesn't cut well enough, and by the time you've cut through the tape, it's wrinkled where the punch tried to drag more tape into the hole.

Cheers Andrew

[Andy Burns]

Q-max punch?

[Andrew Gabriel]

I should have said the hole size is 6-7mm.

In searching, I've just found a Kennedy Hand Operated Hole Punch, and it looks like that might work...

Cheers Andrew

[John Rumm]

What diameter hole do you need? The traditional sheet metal punch devices that you bolt through a hole and tighten will give a clean punch, but they do require a starter hole!

How about clamping firmly between a couple of scraps of 19mm MDF or ply, and then drilling through the lot? (or small bimetal holesaw for a larger hole)

[newshound]

That would be my first thought too, although if the tape is narrow I would worry about getting enough friction to stop it from skewing. Worth using a new cobalt-type drill bit. With a drill press, obviously.

I think you might have to clamp it between metal plates (say, 1/4 inch alloy).

The punch might work, though.

[Tricky Dicky]

I have a Kennedy hand punch which is basically a clone of No 5 Whitney Punch having used both the Kennedy is as good as the far more expensive Whitney. It is the quality of the punches and dies that determine the quality of the hole. One point is that the punches are only available in imperial measurements (Yanks) so 1/4?. Is the nearest for your requirements.

Richard

[alan_m]

depending on the thickness of the tape

Tape resting on leather or soft wood and hit with a hammer

[williamwright]

You knew who your dad was?

Bill

[sid]

Try an office paper punch..

[newshound]

The "punch" bit should be hard enough, I suspect it would only work on very thin stainless. You could try with half a dozen sheets of paper either side.

[Andrew Gabriel]

A 2-hole paper punch works, mainly because the cutter is shaped like the Q-max cutter. However, I ideally want to stick the tape to the gasket and then drill through the existing gasket holes to get it in exactly the right place. The gasket is much too thick.

However, this made me recall that some 30 years ago, I saved a Lihit Model 2001 paper drill in a work clear-out. It's buried in my man-cave. I'll see if that might work. Would even be worth buying a new cutter if it does.

Regards Andrew