Drilling a 10mm hole in thin metal

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Help! I am trying to find something that will punch a hole through a jam jar lid. I need the hole to be 10mm in diameter. I've tried a drill but it's too messy and takes way too long (especially as I need to do 100 at a time). I've tried looking for a conventional hole punch but they don't go up to a 10mm diameter. Can anyone make any suggestions?
 
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If you put the lid onto a timber block that has a hole in it, and then use a hammer and centre punch (of the correct size) you'll be able to punch a hole through no problem......the edge won't be smooth though! Would that be a problem?
John :)
 
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If you tried hole punch and are getting poor results then it's the method you are using, should be punch over a piece of hard wood for a clean cut.
What are the holes for?
 
I'm making lights with the jars so need to punch holes through the lid in order to fix a lampholder.

It seems that there isn't a machine as such that will do this...I think I'm just going to have to sit there trying the methods you have all suggested!
 
Step drill will probably be the fastest and neatest. It'll give a clean hole. Just set it up in a pillar drill. Blanks on the left, bucket for drilled ones on the right. I reckon you'd do one every 3-5 seconds.Its one handed so you can use the other hand to load and hold the lid which you can't do with a punch.
 
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I think a step drill would be the one here....the only problem being that every hole will use the same drill flank so it'll blunt a bit.
Make a triangular jig that'll help you hold the lid.
John :)
PS Those hole punches courtesy of Dave work brilliantly - especially on aluminium.
J.
 
The only reservation I have about using a step drill is holding the lids. Not insurmountable, but you don't want your fingers anywhere near the drill! if you do the job regularly you'd want to fabricate some sort of lever clamp and jig combined.
(ETA missed the bit John had said about a jig)

I wonder if you could use the parts of one of those punches to make a "press tool" to use in a drill press?
 
With a 100 at a time it would be worth getting a hand operated pillar press with a 10mm die & punch set.
 

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