HELP.....!!!!

[Regal Beagal]

I Just Fudged Up! I just drilled out the rear trunion rivet on my Polish underfolder. There was still jut a slight bit of metal left, like a metal sleve. I tried to drive it out with my 1/8" punch. Couldn't get it to budge, so I switched over to my 3/16" punch which fell in pretty easy so I wacked it with my hammer, driving the sleeve out but jammed the punch in the trunion hole. I thought no big deal, I'll just dive it back out with my 1/8" punch. It won't budge. I took another shorter punch to really bang on it to just move it a little so I could finish her off with 1/8". Still no budgin' it. I now have it in the freezer and I'm going to heat the trunion up and try to drive the punch it out. I'm hoping it works or else I'm SOL. I did try drilling the punch and the bit didn't even making a dent. AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!! Anyone know where I can get a Polish underfolder trunion, in case my trick doesn't work? I may try taking it to my machinist buddy and see if he can't press it out. Probably a lot less than a trunion. Man. sometimes I just don't know my own strength. HELP!!

[bykerhd]

Hard to believe that punch can be jammed all that securely. Try the freezer. Can't hurt. You might transition by heating the trunnion a bit with a propane, Mapp or butane toch quickly before you try wacking that pesky punch out.

Is the 1/8" punch actually long enough to be making contact with the 3/16" punch tip ?
Are these both flat pointed punches ?

[DYNOMIKE]

I have had a Punch stick before but DAMN!
I gotta go with bykerhd here and ask if you are sure the punch from the other side is actually making contact?

[Regal Beagal]

Yep, it's making contact. I probably should of tapped on the 3/16" punch instead of power driving it. I figured since it just dropped in without any contact that it would drive all the way through and all I would have to do is yank it right out by the handle. I'll try the cold/heat trick after work tomorrow. I figured that since I'm a little steamed at myself I better wait to try it after I cool my jets so I don't end up really getting pissed and really fudging up the trunion. I didn't think that the rivet hole would be tapered. I guess there could be just a slight hair of difference towards the opposite end of the hole that it bound up. I'm pretty sure that I didn't enlarge the hole when drilling out the trunion because I started with a small bit and stepped up my bits until I reached the next drill bit size that was smaller than the hole. That's why it left a sleeve. I was kind of surprised when the sleeve didn't come out with the bit when I extracted the bit. That should have raised a red flag for me. There could be a spot in the hole that was just enough of a difference to cause the sleeve to hang up and cause my punch to jam up.

[XHardrock]

If your 3/16 punch has enough of a raised lip try pliers or set of vise grips on the back side and tap on the pliers away from the trunion. Turn the punch if possible. I believe your 1/8 inch punch is compounding the problem.
Good luck.

[Regal Beagal]

EURIKA!

The freezer and MAPP gas torch trick did it!!!! As I had expected, when you look down the trunion hole there is a slight stepout where the punch got jammed. Once I cleared it the punch fell out with ease. I guess with a rivet which is slightly softer than a steel punch the stepout doesn't make that much of a difference. I'll probably still file it down so it won't be a problem when I rivet the trunion onto the receiver. Thanks Folks for the advice and the words of encouragement. As my wife later said, "I knew you were mad at yourself and I was expecting a hammer to come flying threw the wall so I knew not to go out to the shop so I quietly closed the door so you could get it out of your system in private." She knew if she came out and fussed at me that things would start flying. She's a great wife....I think I'll keep her....

[DYNOMIKE]

YEA!!!:biggrin: