making some tools for a press

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i would like to make some tubes in different diameters like the ones shown here for some transmission work.  Is a lathe what I need to use?  I don't have one, but I do know someone that has one and would show me how to use it.  I need probably about 5 or so tubes like this and I don't think I'll be able to find all the right sizes at home depot or lowes.  I tried to search mcmaster.com but don't know exactly what these are called.Thermal Arc 185TSW
Reply:I don't do a lot of precise press work but I've always found that a wide variety of impact sockets to be pretty handy. With a lathe I suppose you could even customize some.
Reply:Originally Posted by chadri would like to make some tubes in different diameters like the ones shown here for some transmission work.  Is a lathe what I need to use?  I don't have one, but I do know someone that has one and would show me how to use it.  I need probably about 5 or so tubes like this and I don't think I'll be able to find all the right sizes at home depot or lowes.  I tried to search mcmaster.com but don't know exactly what these are called.
Reply:I too have used impact sockets and have gotten by with that so far. but I see what you are doing in the pic above and completely understand what you are doing and why.You wouldn't need to worry about hardend or unhardened tube or pipe for what you are doing above. It appears you are mearly pressing bearings on?For that I would just use the smallest diameter you can get away with of the same stuff used in chassis'. I have a piece of 1 5/8", the most common drag racing chassis tubing, under my bench that would for most bearings I can think of. But the stuff comes in quite a number of sizes. That being said, you COULD grind the tube square enough to do what you need to but if it isn't really close to perfect you might have an issue of a bearing binding up on you. That's where a lath would come in very handy. You would just need to face off the end of the tubing to make it perfectly square and cut the other end to the length you need and face the other end.Are you doing more than bearings? Like McCormick above said, the steel companies offer quite a variety of sizes and wall thickness of tubing. If you are in need of something thicker for something more serious than bearing pressing, you could use a piece of solid steel and drill out the the diameter of hole you need and, again, face it off to make it completely square. There is of course a practical limit in diameter you would want to try to drill. I'm not sure I'd try to drill much bigger than 1 1/8" or so.Good luck,Wayne
Reply:Most bearings are mounted on a "step". Usually, to push a bearing  "home", there is very little of the "step" that  a press tool needs to clear. Save your old bearings. You can make precision sized press tools, by  grinding  old bearings for clearance, and then using them with a less critical size extension tube.  Start saving  bushings, pins, spacers etc, soon you'll have an assortment of press tooling.Beware of very hard parts; that can fracture and fly!Good LuckLast edited by denrep; 11-04-2007 at 04:52 AM.
Reply:Hello,   If you need steel tubing you might find what you need at a industrial supply house. Try www.tubularsales.com  there are others but this should get you in the right place.Toolmaker  www.rolxtools.com
Reply:Thanks for all of the suggestions.  I am in need of these tubes to press some gears and bearings back together.  The pressure required should be minimal so I don't think any special metal would be required.  I found a nice variety of tubes with various inside diameters at mcmaster.com but many were in 6ft section.  I have some links to other metal supply places and will also look at the link above.  In the past I've used sockets and pipes to handle most of the work I've needed, but when pressing the gears onto the long shafts on the transmission i will need tubes to make it work.If I had some 1/4" plate and wanted to cut various size holes in it would this be possible to do with a lathe?  I wouldn't want to buy a drill bit for all possibilities, but I was thinking I could cut a hole in it.  The largest hole may be almost 1.5".Thermal Arc 185TSW
Reply:I've just searched http://www.onlinemetals.com and found that they have a huge variety of sizes that are measured by inside diameter.  The tube is sold in sections as small as 12".  Cold roll steel in 4130 or A513 is the cheapest.  Cost is about $5 - $10 for anthing up to 1.5".Thermal Arc 185TSW
Reply:Aluminum can also be a great metal as a pressing tool. It will get destroyed rather then destroying the part you are pressing. If you hit the good part you are working on with the aluminum tool, the aluminum will nick but not nick the good part. I have had rather good luck using aluminum for pressing on sleeves, that are press fit machined. It is easy to machine the aluminum as well, for those custom jobs. I have found that the closer you keep the piston of the hydraulic cylinder to the work piece, the better off you are. Try to avoid long tools, unless they are filed with the work piece shaft.Most people are lazy and do not want to adjust the whole table. But I find that the less you extend the piston the better off you are as well. I can actually see a slight deflection as the piston comes out. Many times when someone comes to you with a pressing job it is because they tried and failed. Or something is actually not sized right. Most press fit bearings can be put on with a raw hide mallet and an aluminum tooling sleeve. So when someone comes to you and cannot get the bearing on look out. I usually just grab a raw hide mallet and an aluminum tube when I put press fit parts or bearings on. And I am surrounded by presses. You just have to put the other end of the shaft you are putting the bearing on, on aluminum or wood. People see me do it and they say "that takes thousands of pounds". You don't even have to hit them hard. They just scoot right on. And because of the type of energy the raw mallet delivers, when it gets to the end it really presses and holds them right up against the shoulder. When I have used the press, I stopped prematurely a couple times because I saw the press table bending. To later realize that it did not go all the way on. With the raw hide mallet you can hear when it hit home. Sincerely,William McCormick
Reply:I would recomment you taking McCormick's advise over everyone elses. He's telling the truth when he says he's done something. I'd say he's probably the smartest guy on this forum when it comes to this topic.Wayne
Reply:I have used everything under the sun for press adapters, sockets, old bearings, exhaust pipe, an old axle tube, etc.....  If I need something special I measure what I need, get the closest size pipe, soild stock or what not, and bring it to my buddys and turn it down in his lathe.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:the good old fashioned hammer press works the best on bearings!
Reply:Originally Posted by jaded13640I would recomment you taking McCormick's advise over everyone elses. He's telling the truth when he says he's done something. I'd say he's probably the smartest guy on this forum when it comes to this topic.Wayne
Reply:Originally Posted by chadrThanks for all of the suggestions.  I am in need of these tubes to press some gears and bearings back together.  The pressure required should be minimal so I don't think any special metal would be required.  I found a nice variety of tubes with various inside diameters at mcmaster.com but many were in 6ft section.  I have some links to other metal supply places and will also look at the link above.  In the past I've used sockets and pipes to handle most of the work I've needed, but when pressing the gears onto the long shafts on the transmission i will need tubes to make it work.If I had some 1/4" plate and wanted to cut various size holes in it would this be possible to do with a lathe?  I wouldn't want to buy a drill bit for all possibilities, but I was thinking I could cut a hole in it.  The largest hole may be almost 1.5".
Reply:for non-sealed bearings such as those on the ring-gear assembly,you can warmm the bearing to 350-400 degrees in a covered electric frying pan and they will drop right in place with no pressing. that temperature will not harm that type of bearing. obviously,you dont want that kind of heat on a sealed bearing.
Reply:If you heat up bearings before the press fitting operation they will not fit and will snap if you press them, metal expands when hot so they would fit worse.
Reply:65535 I'm afraid you're dead wrong. You're right about heat making metal expand. So, you heat the bearing, it expands, and slips over the shaft easily. I've done it myself many time. Obviously you wouldn't do a very serious press fit this way but that's not what were talking about. We're talking about pressing a bearing on a pinion shaft or axle shaft. The fit is not that tight.Last edited by jaded13640; 11-05-2007 at 01:15 PM.
Reply:when i went to auto tech school (UTI), our shops all used different sized exhaust tubes. as long as they are cut straight, they are being pressed straight onto the bearing, the bearing surface is clean and dry (no lubricant... it send the bearings and shafts flying), and the work is properly secured in the press, it works jsut fine. we never crushed a bearing unless someone didn't folow the previously stated rules. i have also heard of people using (as previously stated by other forum members) impact sockets, regular sockets, chrom-moly pipe, DOM tubing, etc. basicially, as long as it's round and made out of a stiff metal, it will work just fine. i have even heard of people heating the bearing and freezing the shaft. the problems with this include the temperature shock, the heat can cause the bearings to be permentantly warped, if not done properly, the beaing can be "heat-treated" and can loose it's temper, etc. i would reccomend the chassis-tube for your application. it's reletivley cheap, it can be cut to any length you require, and is fairly common. the main problem with the lathe'd pieces is the cost factor. after you have them turned, it will make you think twice about if you really want to modify them to work for that one "special" job.hope that helps,Later,Andy
Reply:i know we've got a resident metallurgist or two that can tell you the 350 to400 degrees F will not weaken,warp,or break a bearing. as mentioned above,you dont press fit the hot bearing--it just slides right on.
Reply:Originally Posted by boatbuoyi know we've got a resident metallurgist or two that can tell you the 350 to400 degrees F will not weaken,warp,or break a bearing. as mentioned above,you dont press fit the hot bearing--it just slides right on.
Reply:ok,i'll do a partial humble. i did a lot of googling on the subject and found that only a select group of high quality bearings are recommended to go to 400 degrees. most bearings including sealed bearings can be safely heated to 250f.and most bearing companies recommend a heated install as it puts less stress on the bearing than press install.regarding parts that get heated to 400,in the stamping industry,it was commmon practice for us to heat die trim steels to 400 for 30 minutes after a sharpening on a surface grinder--this was to reduce stresses that were induced by the grinding.Last edited by boatbuoy; 11-08-2007 at 07:35 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by boatbuoyregarding parts that get heated to 400,in the stamping industry,it was commmon practice for us to heat die trim steels to 400 for 30 minutes after a sharpening on a surface grinder--this was to reduce stresses that were induced by the grinding.
Reply:case hardening is for low carbon steel--you pack it in carbon and heat it above 1300, usually 1600 to 1800 degrees to promote carbon absorbtion. any heating in the 400 to 500 range is for tempering or stress relief.
Reply:Originally Posted by aczellerthat's funny... i always thought we heated them for case-hardening. i used to work for Danly/IEM in michigan and when we got done making guide strips and/or wear plates, we always heated them to about 250-500 after roughing the piece in... then we finish machining it due to warpage during the heating.later,Andy