Made a shop press
- liveaboard
- Posts: 1971
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 1:40 pm
- Location: southern Portugal
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Made a shop press
I made a 20 ton shop press last week; probably dumb considering I could have bought a Chinese one new for $300.
But I had almost all the material lying around; a broken air/hydraulic jack looking for a problem to solve, a high pressure hand pump, and the steel.
I had to buy the pressure gauge, a new seal for the jack, and the paint.
2" heavy square tube Steel hydraulic tube The bottom of the jack was convex; I don't know how that's possible. Anyway, I faced it. Here drilling a new oil port [welded the old ones closed] Since the jack will be upside down, I put in a drain port. There is a second 'wiper' seal that sends oil that got passed the pressure seal into the reservoir.
But I had almost all the material lying around; a broken air/hydraulic jack looking for a problem to solve, a high pressure hand pump, and the steel.
I had to buy the pressure gauge, a new seal for the jack, and the paint.
2" heavy square tube Steel hydraulic tube The bottom of the jack was convex; I don't know how that's possible. Anyway, I faced it. Here drilling a new oil port [welded the old ones closed] Since the jack will be upside down, I put in a drain port. There is a second 'wiper' seal that sends oil that got passed the pressure seal into the reservoir.
Last edited by liveaboard on Fri Nov 01, 2019 6:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- liveaboard
- Posts: 1971
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 1:40 pm
- Location: southern Portugal
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Re: Made a shop press
The oil filler pressure gauge only cost around $10.
I made the connection block from mild steel and welded it to the pump bottom. First pressure test; Second test, measuring the deflection of the upper beam at full pressure [indicator above is stuck to the wall behind]. I didn't think it would be strong enough, but it is [yay!] And here all painted and in use pressing a flange from an old bearing block;
I made the connection block from mild steel and welded it to the pump bottom. First pressure test; Second test, measuring the deflection of the upper beam at full pressure [indicator above is stuck to the wall behind]. I didn't think it would be strong enough, but it is [yay!] And here all painted and in use pressing a flange from an old bearing block;
- warmstrong1955
- Posts: 3568
- Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:05 pm
- Location: Northern Nevada
Re: Made a shop press
Hey.....and there ya go! Looks good!
No cost really, other than your time! That's a good thing. You can spend the money you didn't spend on something else!
I built mine out of stuff laying around as well, including the air over hydraulic jack I pulled out of a scrap metal bin, and fixed by replacing an o-ring. Only thing I paid for was the spray paint when I finally got to making it shiny.
I like it!
Bill
No cost really, other than your time! That's a good thing. You can spend the money you didn't spend on something else!
I built mine out of stuff laying around as well, including the air over hydraulic jack I pulled out of a scrap metal bin, and fixed by replacing an o-ring. Only thing I paid for was the spray paint when I finally got to making it shiny.
I like it!
Bill
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
Re: Made a shop press
Nice job! You'll get more satisfaction from building it than buying it.
Vision is not seeing things as they are, but as they will be.
Re: Made a shop press
That press really turned out well. I bet it is a joy to use.
- liveaboard
- Posts: 1971
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 1:40 pm
- Location: southern Portugal
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Re: Made a shop press
Thanks guys; I'm really pleased with it so far.
A design fault though; the 24mm rods that hold the shelves bent a little at full pressure.
I need to find material and make some hardened rods for it.
A design fault though; the 24mm rods that hold the shelves bent a little at full pressure.
I need to find material and make some hardened rods for it.
- warmstrong1955
- Posts: 3568
- Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:05 pm
- Location: Northern Nevada
Re: Made a shop press
Mine are 1" 1045 TG&P, and I've had no problem. Only reason I used the 1045, was I had some leftovers laying around.
So.....a bit larger in diameter at 25.4 mm, and a bit greater yield. 36 ksi for mild, vs 40 ksi of 1045. Maybe that's all it takes, and it's closer than I thought? I didn't run the numbers....I winged it.
You could find some 4140 Q&T if you want to overkill it and be sure, which is at about 230 ksi yield.
So.....a bit larger in diameter at 25.4 mm, and a bit greater yield. 36 ksi for mild, vs 40 ksi of 1045. Maybe that's all it takes, and it's closer than I thought? I didn't run the numbers....I winged it.
You could find some 4140 Q&T if you want to overkill it and be sure, which is at about 230 ksi yield.
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
Re: Made a shop press
That is probably the answer because you don't want any more metal taken out the heavy 2"X 2"s. It is all assembled and looks great!
I mentioned having a 100,000 lb. hydraulic press and that is my "big one ". The way it works with the ram downward, avoids all those issues with a sliding fixture. Nice job on that, too. I'm getting to something important here, bear with me. Mine is constructed with wider "C" vertical beams and they built that everywhere on the press. That means the platen is two channels 5+" apart and most always, needs plates to bridge the gap between. The jack you have, may have been used in a similar situation and base became convex. Now that it is all trued up, very accurate compared to others.
An accurate press is a jewel as it should direct pressure to where the user set it.
I mentioned having a 100,000 lb. hydraulic press and that is my "big one ". The way it works with the ram downward, avoids all those issues with a sliding fixture. Nice job on that, too. I'm getting to something important here, bear with me. Mine is constructed with wider "C" vertical beams and they built that everywhere on the press. That means the platen is two channels 5+" apart and most always, needs plates to bridge the gap between. The jack you have, may have been used in a similar situation and base became convex. Now that it is all trued up, very accurate compared to others.
An accurate press is a jewel as it should direct pressure to where the user set it.
Re: Made a shop press
Very well done!
Glenn
Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
Re: Made a shop press
I agree with Glenn. Very nice looking press. I am in envy, as I don't have anything beyond my 6 ton arbor press. I do have a 100 ton 4 post press (manual hydraulic), but it isn't operational.
H
H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
- liveaboard
- Posts: 1971
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 1:40 pm
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Re: Made a shop press
It's something I've needed for years; sometimes I had to go use one in a garage nearby, other times I made my vice do the work.
Yet they aren't expensive to buy, or difficult to make, and simple ones like this don't take up too much floor space.
Regarding higher yield rods; Europe uses different classification numbers for steel, and it's something I need to learn about.
I've worked with tons and tons of mild steel, but very little else. I'm planning a trip to Lisbon soon, to visit a steel yard who deals with engineering grades.
My local supplier has great prices and service, but only sells mild steel.
My language handicap doesn't help; people learn English in school, and then from media. People who speak really good fluent English usually don't know technical terms, even in their own industries.
Translation software is very unreliable for technical words. Usually you get a literal translation, and in the case of Portuguese, Brazilian instead of European. They're often very different.
So I learn a few words, and teach a few words, and we usually have a laugh.
Yet they aren't expensive to buy, or difficult to make, and simple ones like this don't take up too much floor space.
Regarding higher yield rods; Europe uses different classification numbers for steel, and it's something I need to learn about.
I've worked with tons and tons of mild steel, but very little else. I'm planning a trip to Lisbon soon, to visit a steel yard who deals with engineering grades.
My local supplier has great prices and service, but only sells mild steel.
My language handicap doesn't help; people learn English in school, and then from media. People who speak really good fluent English usually don't know technical terms, even in their own industries.
Translation software is very unreliable for technical words. Usually you get a literal translation, and in the case of Portuguese, Brazilian instead of European. They're often very different.
So I learn a few words, and teach a few words, and we usually have a laugh.