Notes From a Maker

The Pittsburgh Automatic Center Punch is a cheap automatic center punch found at Harbor Freight. Like other automatic center punches, you simply press the handle down on the place you'd like to punch a mark, and an internal spring loaded hammer will drive the tip into the workpiece.  Construction The construction of the center punch is quite solid, and the solid brass handle feels weighty in the hand. The tip is relatively sharp and made of Chrome Vanadium steel, and is more than hard enough for marking most materials. The knurling on the handle offers a good grip. The handle can unscrew into three parts, which allows the user to replace the tip or any other internal components.  Disassembled punch Build quality is pretty good considering the price. The entire handle was turned on a lathe based on the machining marks left over, and the threads and knurling are clean. While there's a few marks and marring on the brass handle, it's not that bad, and is nearly unnoticeable unl