For making largish holes in leather and book board you can use a hollow punch (shown at left), which has a sharpened tube shaped hole on one end, and a flat head on the other end. Ours has replaceable tips for different size holes, but some hollow punches come in sets with a different punch for a different size hole.
To make a hole, place something underneath your material, something soft but dense, such as a scrap of book board, or an old phone book or catalog. Make sure it's thick enough to allow the punch to go into without going all the way through. You may also wish to avoid punching holes anywhere that if it does go all the way through it won't leave a hole where you don't want one (kitchen table, etc).
Next, place the hollow end of the punch on your material where you want a hole, hold the punch vertical, and hit the flat head with a hammer. Hit it hard. Repeat as needed. It can be a chore, but, as it requires wielding a hammer, it can also be satisfying.
Crop-A-Dile I |
The Crop-A-Dile comes in three flavors, designated by a I, II, or III, only two of which are for hole punching. (The Crop-A-Dile III, or Main Squeeze, is not for hole punching, but for die cutting, embossing, attaching corners and setting squeeze tabs. What's a squeeze tab?)
Crop-A-Dile II |
There is one style of book, a quasi-longstitch, for which we use the Crop-A-Dile I to punch holes in signatures (a group of pages). But, for most styles of books we use an awl for this job. However, it could be used to punch holes in pages of other book styles too. Just depends on what you like.
With our Crop-A-Dile I we have punched tens thousands of holes in book board and leather. And it's still going strong.
Japanese screw punch |
Leather hole punch |
Anything to add to the discussion? Please leave a comment.
4 comments:
I have all three types of hole-maker, plus a couple of paper punches, that make small holes. Like you, I find a Cropadile the most useful tool. It is so easy to use, makes the work a lot less strenuous, since it has a strong spring-loaded handle and has measuring lines marked on it (I have a large cropadile).
It was reassuring to have your opinion, in an earlier post's comment, that the spring inside would last a long time - I use it such a lot, that I did wonder whether to buy a "spare"!
I have a leather puncher, but find it almost impossible to use, as it is soo stiff. And the good old hit-it-with-a-hammer punches... they're great, but very tiring and so noisy - not something I can use in my studio, when children are sleeping in our house and next door!
I feel that the Cropadile was an excellent investment. In UK it costs around £20-£30. In USA $30-$45. Worth every penny!
Oh I love hollow punches, I have a set of various different sizes. I've been sort of addicted to them ever since I was a child, I used to punch holes in everything just or the fun of it. I recently bought the Japanese screw puncher for a class held by Mia Leijonstedt but I haven't tried it yet as I like the traditional hollow punches so much. I have to admit I like the hammering part.
Veterok: Have to agree, the hammering part is quite satisfying.
Will the crop a dile big bite go through 98 pt book board? I have the leather hole punch last on your list but am having difficulty physically squeezing it now (arthritis). Wondering if a screw punch or crop a dile big bite is easier.
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