I’m contemplating making C-frame punch carrier taking Roper Whitney “Junior” punches and dies to use with my small arbor press.

Has anyone ever done this or had experience with such things on a small press? My press is of unknown make but the ram is rather better fitted and lower geared than the common import variety. Perhaps 2 tons nominal rating. Maybe!

I have a long handled Roper Whitney type punch, looks like # 7 or close copy, which gets very little use due to the small throat depth. The short spacing between punch and die makes it hard to line things up especially as there is no table to slide things around on. I’m figuring a C-frame with a 5″ or 6″ throat giving an inch or so between punch and die with a suitably large table able to hold a fence will prove much more useful. Obviously I’ll need a separate punsh carrier to ensure everything slides in line.

I imagine I’ll sacrifice a bit of punching capacity at the thicker end of what “junior” punch and die sets are normally supplied for but generally I’ll be doing thinner stuff anyway.

I figured that if I’m going to the trouble of making this thing I might as well treat it to a nice new set of punches and dies. Are there any views won the quality of the “junior” punch and die sets supplied in the relatively inexpensive hand such sets. Looks like you can get a complete tool with punches and dies for little more than the cost of two official punch and die sets. If it all works out I might as well sell my #7 (or whatever it is) set to help defray costs.

Clive