Topic: Inner fender punch

[Danoh1]

What are folks using to punch the holes in the tops of repro inner fender aprons?

[jwc66k]

What kind of holes, and where?
Jim

[Coralsnake]

You can find the square metal die punches at an industrial supply

Its much easier and cheaper to buy a high quality panel that has the holes.

[Danoh1]

To late.  They are all in.  Who makes individual repro panels for 71-73 with the holes already punched?  I?ve never seen them.

I keep getting referred to industrial supply.  I can?t find one at an industrial supply center.

Need a 3/4 by 5/8 rectangle punch

[Danoh1]

What kind of holes, and where?
Jim

Jim, the tops of the Dynacorn inner fender replacement panels don?t come with the openings for the fender bolts fastener clips.  Each fender bolt has 2 openings stamped out of it.  The large one is 3/4 x 5/8.  In years past I used my Dremel to cut them.  It worked, but didn?t really look right.  With the fenders on?.no one knows or cares.

If you buy the whole replacement side inner panel from firewall to core support, the openings are there.

I have searched the internet for hours looking for the correct rectangle hole punch.  Closest I?ve found is .750 x .672.  Which is 3/4 by 43/64.  Probably close enough.  3/64 is not much off. 

[Coralsnake]

Greenlee is a company that makes them

You can also try eBay

Square hole punch or square hole die

[jwc66k]

There's a couple of choices:
1. Find a punch that has the smallest dimension you require and use it "progressively", moving it up to get the larger dimension.
2. A chassis "nibbler" punch. You punch a round hole the width you need and nibble it out to a rectangle. I've got one (you can't have it) I've used for years. It "may" not be strong enough for your metal's thickness.
3. Look on e-bay for a punch with a throat deep enough to accommodate your requirements and an accompanying punch.
Jim

[jwc66k]

Found an air nibbler on ebay. Got a compressor?
Jim

[Danoh1]

Good ideas.  I have an air nibbler.  It punches nice clean holes.  No prob.  Just to small diameter.  I don?t see how I would make anything other than a mess.  The punch from Greenlee that is close is over $500.  For that coin, I was hoping to find one that makes the exact dimension.  It doesn?t appear available.  This is the only car I have planned to do this to.  I?ll use donor originals next time.

Might try a square 5/8 square punch and move it progressively to make the rectangle.  That might work.  Good idea.

[jwc66k]

Good ideas.  I have an air nibbler.  It punches nice clean holes.  No prob.  Just to small diameter. 

Mine punches "holes" with right angles. Look on e-bay again.
Jim

[Bossbill]

Take 4 pieces of flat iron and tack weld them into a rectangle.
Leave the long sides extra long so you can clamp it to the panel.
Run the air nibbler on the inside using the metal as a fence, changing direction of nibbler at the corner.

Experiment with spare sheet metal. You may have break the tack a few times to get the size right. After you do, weld for real and nibble.

Note, this would work with my nibbler. Yours may be built differently.

[RoyceP]

Thank goodness I have only done this once. I used my North American Rockwell hand nibbler, probably made during the Korean war but still a fine tool and quite sharp.


It's a easy choice if you have access to good original sheet metal. Lots less work.

[Danoh1]

Interesting idea.  I don?t see how to get my nibbler to make a 3/4 x 5/8 hole.

5/8 square punches available; eBay 50-150.  On line suppliers new about 250.  McMaster Carr on line $550.

I?m going to give the slightly wider 19mm x 17mm punch a try.  The whole is clearly not square.  I think it will work ok.  I?ll report back.  But it will be a while.  Gotta get my Vintage Car back in shape for the CoTA SVRA event in November.

[Bossbill]

Interesting idea.  I don?t see how to get my nibbler to make a 3/4 x 5/8 hole.

It's a basic woodworking trick using a router to cut a squarish hole in wood.
In the video below substitute your air nibbler for the router.
You are just building a guide for the nibbler so you don't have to free hand it.

[Danoh1]

Ahh.  I see.

It?s still a pretty small area to run my air punch.  Found this on another thread.