REMINDER: We are drilling heat treating tool steel. If you get it hot while you are drilling it, IT WILL HARDEN! Use slow speed, quite a bit of pressure and very sharp drill bits. If the bit starts to dull, change it; don't push harder or speed-up!

Drill two #13 holes through both plates, 3/8" (10 mm) up from the bottom and 3/8" (10mm) from each edge. Deburr the holes in both plates and using the 10-32 screws, bolt the two plates together, once again making sure that the edges are aligned.

Drill two #43 holes through BOTH PLATES in the area encompassed by the interior die. These need to be a minimum of .200" (5mm) apart as well as 1/8" (3mm) away from the cutting line. If your interior cut design is larger than the minimum size, increase the spacing of the screws, still staying 1/8" (3mm) away from the cutting line. If your interior cut design has a long extended "tail", add a third (or fourth) screw to support this portion of the punch.