Why don't you just forget about the link?
It really is easy to punch out the pin and even easier to push the pin back into place.
I use vice grips and put a small nut on the backside of the pin so that as I squeeze the pin out with the vice grips, it has a place to go. Thsi makes the pin flush on one side of the chain and stick out a little on the other side. I then use a thin sharp punch and punch the pin out the rest of the way. Do not take the pin right out, just enough to be able to unhook the link. I lay the chain on a block of wood as I punch it out. The vice grips work really well putting the chain/pin back together if you do it in stages until done.