SU and EK Success punch maintenance
 

So, punching aluminum foil sharpens the punch, and punching through wax paper "lubricates" the cutting edges. My question is how much? Punch through a single layer of foil or mulitple layers? 10 times or 50 times?

I was using my SU Boho Blossoms punch yesterday. I am working on punching 1,230 flowers for a project. I got 60% done, and the punch started acting up, getting stuck, catching, etc. So, I need to do some maintenance on it, and looking for some advice on exactly how.

TIA!

WoW! Thast's alot of flowers!

You can also try punching through fine grit sandpaper to sharpen it along with all the other things your doing for it. Sometimes there are burrs left on the edges from the manufacturing process. The sandpaper will remove them and make the edges cleaner and sharper and give a better cut (like freshly sharpened scissors).

I recently bought a spray can of punch lubricant - "Punch Doctor".

"Keep your punches from stick and being sluggish! Punch Doctor is made from a unique lubricant formula developed specifically for the scrapbook industry! Use it on all scrapbook paper punches; cutting devices; scissors; paper cutters and more! Use it to extend the life of all your punches and other cutting tools! Acid free; does not build up; quick-drying; oil and silicone free; clear and odorless."

I admit I have not yet used it, but spoke with some folks at a stamp show who swore by it, and it has gotten some good reviews here on SCS. The link is to Amazon, I think Joann's online carries it, or try your LSS. It is not a sharpener, but is supposed to keep the mechanisms gliding.

Punch spray s a very good product, but every punch has a life span! I do 4 thickness of foil and 2 of wax paper...If you are using the punch over a long period of time like for an hour, try popping it in the freezer for a few minutes to cool off and shrink down the metal...It can expand with the friction of use!

Ohhh I wish I'd know about this before I threw away two punches! They just kept getting stuck and I'd have to have DH get them unstuck. I got so sick of them not working, I just threw them away!

I've also used stretched out soda can aluminum instead of foil. Helps a lot, just be super careful! I want to try the lubricant too, I've got some sticky punches.

I gave up and tossed my old style SU scallop edge punch last year. One day it just refused to cut all the scallops and nothing helped. I'd had it for awhile so I didn't go thru my demo at the time.

That probably would have helped considerably! The room was about 84 degrees, and I was punching for a least 4 hours. It so totally makes sense that the metal would've expanded a bit. I will have to remember this for my next marathon punching session. Thank you!

- Tricia

What grit would you suggest? I have some very, very fine sandpaper that I get for polishing polymer clay projects. Fine grit wood-working sandpaper, or fine grit polishing sandpaper?

I was wondering about using a soda can... I just wasn't sure if it was too thick and possibly damage the punch. I will certainly have to give it try now. Thanks!

Popping your punches in the freezer will also get them undone if they get stuck! It's just enough to shrink th metal and let them relase...

Sand paper is not good on punches, but my Dad (a Tool & Die Engineer and Designer) told me to punch emery cloth, like you would use on fine metal work...It takes off almost invisible burrs and blemishes you can not even see!

I've been using very very fine sandpaper (sorry I dont know what grit it is - I think around 800) and it hasn't hurt my punches. In fact, the opposite. I think if you used sand paper thats too course, then it could ruin the mechanism. I don't now if emery cloth would be a good choice since it is cloth and the punch might not be able to get through the material. I know the punch would be able to punch through the paper of sand paper. Just my experience and opinion...

I swear by the soda can trick. Aluminum foil is too thin. Soda can metal is actually not very thick at all. Just be careful. Wear gloves or use a rag to hold. Use a pair of scissors to punch a hole then cut away the top and bottom. And make sure you punch INTO the trash can, so it doesn't become shrapnel.

I have also done the soda can trick and it works well. It is firm enough to hold its shape while punching, unlike the multiple layers of aluminum foil - I always spend more time cleaning out shredded bits when I use foil.

I just went and copied what I wrote in a thread in Tool and Product Talk from a couple of days ago about the same subject:

I have found a secret to punching with the MS punches. I think that the metal that connects the puncher part to the hole part gets stressed. (just my thoughts) Then the punch doesn't perfectly line up. I first discovered this when my MS branch punch quit doing cardstock and would only punch typing paper.

So, what's the secret? Instead of just telling you how to punch with your MS punches, here's a picture.

Don't try to punch while looking at the bottom of the punch. Put it down on the edge of the table, put your hand on the top of the punch (using just a moderate amount of "push"), and with the other, squeeze the levers to punch. (If I had 3 hands so that I could have taken a picture at the same time as doing the punching, I would have had a better picture, but I haven't figured out how to grow an extra arm yet...LOL!)

Try it and see if it will work for you as well as it worked for me.

I have a lot more trouble with the MS punches doing this, but the SU ones are just as susceptible to it. Hope that helps!

SO glad to have come across this thread! I have a scallop border punch that leaves fuzzy edges and I am going to try the tin foil and see if that will help. I don't have any soda cans in the house so I hope the foil works! Thanks, as always, for the great tips!

I will give this a try Diane...thanks.

I find far and away the easiest for me (and I have over 400 punches) is using the very finest wet/dry sandpaper you can get. I have tried it all...the aluminium (crap) and wax paper (gets v v stuck in fine detail punches) but the wet/dry sandpaper works beautifully across the board. Punc 2-3 times with the paper one way and then rpt turning tha paper over. Easy peasy. Hope this helps.

Just curious....someone told me that cutting photos with my paper trimmer wears out the blade FAST....would the same be true for cutting photos with my punches?

I bought a can of Du Pont Teflon multi-use dry wax lubricant at Lowe's that I spray on the punch mechinisms when they stick. seems to work for me, however I do it outside cause it does have an odor. Just make sure it drys well before use.

O my goodness 400 punches boggles my mind!! where do you put them all? I have over 100 and don't have space hardly for that many.lol

I do not believe so...however, depending on whether they are matt or gloss, there may be some residue issues.

They vary fm hand helds to Carla Craft CP1....CP21...and then SU ones..EK border...and the list goes on. I have been fairly savvy re storage...but it wasn't till I started to total the #'s of all the containers that the numbers strted to boggle the mind...hee hee hee.

I use HD foil and that works much better than regular.

We've been working on wedding invites and are using a MS punch on the belly bands. I hate that thing!!! Unfortunately my daughter had her heart set on using the punch. It was sticking and we tried everything, including the soda can trick, which worked pretty well. Punch number 1 then broke, so a second one was purchased. The first punch was brand new when we started and only punched 40 bands. I think it needs to be replaced by the MS company.... we will see how that goes!

Thanks for all of the tips and advice on how to fix punches. I think the "fix" really should happen in the manufacturing or design process, but I will give these ideas a try to remedy our current problem. I will really think long and hard before ever buying another MS punch. If not for the punch the invites would have been done and ready to mail. Can you tell I'm a bit grumpy about this subject?!?!? ;)

I fully agree with Annie. The problem should be taken serious by the manufacturer and fixed if they want us to continue buying their punches. That goes for all of them.

I don't think you're grumpy Annie. Plain and simple, it is a problem and it needs to be addressed at the design table.

Personally, I don't think this is true since the little trimmers were made to trim photos in the first place. I don't think the photo paper is any harder on the blades than any of the cardstock or patterned papers we use.

I've had MS punches break I've bought at Micheal's and they've replaced them, no questions asked.

Has anyone had a problem with the MS Punch all over the page punches. I had one stick, got the paper out and the bottom cutting plate popped out. I managed to get it back in but am wondering if this will be a continuing problem. It worked OK after I put the plate back in. Anybody else have problems with these?

I only have one of these. The Crochet Flower punch. I do have problems with it sticking when I use SU paper. I think it's because the paper is heavy good quality. When I use it on normal paper it seems to work fine. I have never had the plate come out though. I just looked at mine. It does appear that there are clips on the bottom that hold them in. If yours snapped back into place, then it should be okay, but if you aren't sure, then I would take it back. Like I said, the only trouble I've had is I've had it stick. One time I thought I wasn't going to be able to get it to pop back up, but eventually it did. I am just very careful now. Just make sure you put it on a solid table. Mine is lower so I can have full use and force of my hands. My hands are not very strong so a lower table works so much better.

I had trouble with my all over the page punch right from the get go. I've use punches for a long time, but I was so dissatisfied with this one I returned it to Michael's and got my money back. It just wasn't worth messing up my scrapbook page. And I stopped buying the MS Double Punches - the results were terrible and I spent too much time pulling my ruined cardstock out of the punch. I love the MS single punches and the Around-the-Page punch sets, but I now make sure to avoid the Double ones.

I have a MS punch that I've used foil, wax paper, fine sand paper----it JUST DOESN'T HELP! :( I LOVE the design, just not willing to go & re-purchase it! I'll try the soda can & see if that helps! LOADS of GOOD info. on here!!!!!! I'm even going to have my hubby look for the Teflon Multi-Use Dry Wax Lubricant Spray when he goes to Lowes next! THANK YOU LADIES! As for the all over the page punches, I bought one. It's kind of intricate, it did stick once. I think they're only to be used with thinner paper, vellum... I LOVE the concept...

Have you had your receipt when you made the returns? We didn't save the receipt because we didn't think we needed it. That is why I am afraid we will have to take the issue up with the company, rather than Mikes. It sure would be nice if they would replace it for us!

A lot of times, if you email the company that makes them and tell them the problem that you are having, they will replace the punch. I have done that a couple times and always got it replaced, with no problem.

and one of them was a ms punch!

I prefer SU! paddle style punches. I've owned MS punches and noticed that they are not built to punch through 80# CS, but rather the lighter weight thinner cardstock. So when I use an MS punch, I have to consider using lighter weight paper.

No, I didn't save the receipt and it wasn't any problem.

Using soda cans
 

If you soda cans to help sharpen your punches, you can use the punched out metal as an embellishment or make jewelry out of it, we call it upcylcing. At a local bead shop I took a class on how to make jewelry from soda cans and of course I use them on cards too. So now I have sharpen punches and embellishments.

I bought one of the MS punch around the page punches that left the edges jagged right out of the box. Took it back to Michael's and got another. It works fine, though haven't used it much yet.

I ordered a can of the punch doctor stuff. I have a friend that swears by it too. Can't wait to try it.
blessings.