shop press ideas

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hi guys, new to the site. looking for your thoughts on shop presses. likes and dislikes. hand pump vs old school bottle jack or air/hyd.has anyone made one , what would you do over??? I have no reason for one. just that I want and I got some 6"x2" channel free I thought it would be perfect for a press.   thanks, daye
Reply:You can see the one I am working on in the projects forum.  Titled "my attempt at a brake press".  I would post a link but I  am limited in n my computer ability right now
Reply:I never made one but have used such extensively for maintenance.    Thus the suggestion that you stick with a manual pump type press.   Mainly to keep a feel for what is going on when trying to press something.In fact a manual mechanical press is often a better machine for light pressing needs.   The often give much better feedback on what is happeing when pressing things together.Of course if your goal is metal forming then my opinion has to be weighted against the actual usage.   Metal form as in a brake is a wholly different machine in my mind.dave
Reply:Picked this one up at Harbor Freight for $189 on sale. Its the 20 ton model. The blue press brake is not included.Miller Syncrowave 200Hobart Handler 140Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38E-Z Tube BenderPlasma Cam DHC2
Reply:Originally Posted by tigmusky...looking for your thoughts on shop presses. likes and dislikes...
Reply:Originally Posted by QuciferPicked this one up at Harbor Freight for $189 on sale. Its the 20 ton model. The blue press brake is not included.
Reply:thanks guys, manual pump for the feel , longer bleed valve for hand operation, moveable ram . those are some good ideas boys thanks. I'am triyng to do one project with out should ofs!!    thanks daye
Reply:You guys have probably seen this. But it is pretty cool. And as close as you can get to hand control. But powered. http://www.rockwelder.com/Flash/Vbre...owerpress.html       Sincerely,             William McCormick
Reply:http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96188 This is what I want to get.I have a 20 ton one now, and I need bigger and better so I can use it on larger items...
Reply:I built mine to do a job, where I had to set 6000 or so stainless steel rivets, in big plate, so a tiny HF press just wouldnt do it.Its got a 30 ton cylinder on it, but its actually sized to take a 50 ton. Enerpac electric pump. Since I use it a lot for hot forging, with some relatively large tooling, I use a cylinder thats power in both directions, not spring return. I am told the spring return cylinders wear out quickly if you ask em to lift tooling every time.I copied the enerpac presses from their catalog- its a bit bigger than some people might need, but it works great.I did make the head movable- you loose the 4 big bolts at the top, and the head and cylinder assembly slides left or right. I went to all the trouble of building in an adjustable height table, with a winch to raise and lower it, and, in about 4 years, have never moved it once.
Reply:Nice work Ries. That's super.Did you ever think about punching with it?
Reply:I have an ironworker, so I do all my punching with that.The big thing with punching is really ridgid registration- you dont want 30 tons to be pushing the punch, and have it miss the die. If I was gonna punch on a hydraulic press, I would try to find a used unipunch frame to use, as then your registration is all taken care of-http://www.unipunch.com/But I have made a variety of special tooling for the hydraulic press, to bend and shape steel, often hot, that isnt easy to do in any other way.
Reply:I saw your press brake and thought I would send a picture of the one I built from an idea on this forum.  Still needs some tweaking. This is my first photo post so please bear with me as I may need a few tries.  Chuck
Reply:well the press is just about done just need the make a few more accessories.I made it so i can pull the jack out and use for other things that may come up. also the jack can be moved from side to side for speical pressing like DENREP suggested. I make a hand release wheel that slide on and off for easy of raise the jack ( good idea gmn109)     I like what wisard69 said about the manual hand pump for the feel , so i used air/hyd jack  the air should work nice for a poormans brake.   thats next , some dies .  any thoughts or ideas on makeing dies. thanks daye Attached Images
Reply:I like that wheel  a lot! Now I need one. Where do you get a wheel? How does it attach to the release?Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain