# A Very Cheap Hole Punch



## Stinch

I don't like doing it but I needed to punch another hole in a watch strap. I just couldn't get the strap to fit as I liked. One hole too tight the other too loose. I looked for leather hole punch pliers on watch tool sites and they seemed to be around Â£30. The existing holes were 1.5mm. It then dawned on me that spring bars being 1.5, 1.8, 2mm etc and the metal tubes pretty thin they might make a decent hole punch. I took a correct diameter spring bar & pulled the sprung end pins out quite easily with 2 pairs of pliers, pulling at the same time against each other holding just the pins at each end, the spring just drops out. (It's fine if just one pin comes out as it will just push inside and possibly strenthen the tube anyway). I didn't need to, but you could then if needed file one end of the tube to make sure it's true.

I then put the strap on a block of wood, positioned the end tube vertically over the strap exactly where I wanted the hole and held it upright with a pair of long nose pliers whilst giving the other end of the a tube a sharp clout with a hammer. Job done, nice clean hole straight through (I also repeated the process from the reverse of the strap just to make sure the hole was clean). I left my strap on the watch but just put some cloth around the head in case.

This might not work on a really thick strap, mine was a Hirsch Classic Camel Grain with medium padding.

Anyway sorry for the length of this post and please don't take the p**s (too much) if everybody except me already knew this method!!

Cheers Roger


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## BondandBigM

If you don't want to spend Â£30 or faff about with a spring bar just pop down to an engineering tool supplier. This shows a set but you will be able to buy an individual one of the right size for a couple of quid or less. If it's only for straps it doesn't need to be fantastic quality to do a job.


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## Stinch

Engineering tool suppliers are a bit thin on the ground here & on the web I didn't seem to find below 3mm hollow or gasket punches although I found non hollow punches in 1.5m & 2mm in Homebase! I only found 1.5 & 2mm hollow in watch tools. To be honest it probably took me less time to do than to write the post & I quite like faffing about!


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## BondandBigM

Stinch said:


> To be honest it probably took me less time to do than to write the post & I quite like faffing about!


You won't be saying that when your are trying to hold the spring bar and you batter your fingers with your 2-1/2lb ball peen hammer :lol: :lol:


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## sparrow

Have a google for leather punches - i've used these in the past to punch extra holes in straps with no problems...










you should get one online for less than Â£12


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## Stinch

I already had one of those but it didn't go down small enough. Perhaps my strap was unusual having 1.5mm holes & I wanted the addition to be exactly the same size. I'm hoping not to need to do it again so for me :hammer: & spring bar was fine.

Cheers Roger


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## bentleyT1

Stinch said:


> I don't like doing it but I needed to punch another hole in a watch strap. I just couldn't get the strap to fit as I liked. One hole too tight the other too loose. I looked for leather hole punch pliers on watch tool sites and they seemed to be around Â£30. The existing holes were 1.5mm. It then dawned on me that spring bars being 1.5, 1.8, 2mm etc and the metal tubes pretty thin they might make a decent hole punch. I took a correct diameter spring bar & pulled the sprung end pins out quite easily with 2 pairs of pliers, pulling at the same time against each other holding just the pins at each end, the spring just drops out. (It's fine if just one pin comes out as it will just push inside and possibly strenthen the tube anyway). I didn't need to, but you could then if needed file one end of the tube to make sure it's true.
> 
> I then put the strap on a block of wood, positioned the end tube vertically over the strap exactly where I wanted the hole and held it upright with a pair of long nose pliers whilst giving the other end of the a tube a sharp clout with a hammer. Job done, nice clean hole straight through (I also repeated the process from the reverse of the strap just to make sure the hole was clean). I left my strap on the watch but just put some cloth around the head in case.
> 
> This might not work on a really thick strap, mine was a Hirsch Classic Camel Grain with medium padding.
> 
> Anyway sorry for the length of this post and please don't take the p**s (too much) if everybody except me already knew this method!!
> 
> Cheers Roger


o

Some good tip's there .


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