I made a perforator in the 1970s, basing it on the Leabarjan models,
but ending up with a machine quite different.  The punch and die I made
out of 'drill rod', which is a high carbon steel which you are able to
machine and file the same as mild steel.

The punch rod I used was around 3/16" and then was machined to fit.
The die was made from 1/2" rod, as a flat piece was not available,
so filing was done to make this flat.  This was drilled to the exact
size I needed for perforating.  The punch was carefully machined to
size, with the last operation polishing with extremely fine emery cloth
for a perfect fit.

The two parts were separately hardened by heating to cherry red color
and doused in water with agitation.   Tempering was not necessary as in
the case of screwdrivers and chisels, etc.  I made two of these units
and after a year of use, I did change the punch and die but later found
there was really no need.

I have used the punch and die since the late 1970's and it is still
working perfectly, I am not saying that at some point it might not.
During this time I have made 88-note, Ampico and "O' rolls, so the
perforator has had many "punchings" to do.

The problem with the Leabarjan in question now is that the punch could
be out of line due to warping or an accidental blow to the mechanism.
Once this happens to punch and die will wear to the point of not
punching a clean perforation.   I will point out that the best punch
will _not_ be "clean" when using just one sheet of paper, but a minimum
of two or more sheets should work fine.

Stephen Bentley - SB-"O" Rolls
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada