Workshop Hints
Punching holes in springs
The British Horological Institute has archived and edited the following from e-mails sent to the Clock/Clockers mailing lists on the Internet. The information here does not necessarily indicate a method approved by the BHI, we are only publishing this digest so that others can decide for themselves whether the methods listed below will suit them.
From: Murray R. Falk
Make the jig out of a steel hinge. Then the holes are always aligned. I make a dot where the hole is to be. When the dot is visible through the holes in the hinge, I clam in a pair of Vice-Grips, and punch clear through.
If the holes are to be very small, the hole can be punched without the hinge-jig. Just punch into a block of lead, but make sure the punch is sharp, flat, and not tapered.
