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BenM78
10th Aug 2009, 08:45 PM
Just hunting for ideas on building a solid workshop press, looking at about 20T, 800mm bed width. Will be used for usual pressing type stuff but also with a press brake die to be able to fold metal. 20 ton should do a full 800mm wide piece of 1.6 (16 gauge) mild steel on a 12mm V. Looking at going full 10mm plate welded.

Anyone done anything similar?

Grahame Collins
10th Aug 2009, 09:35 PM
Hi Ben
Welcome to the mob, You find us a good bunch willing to share.

Perhaps you might consider the following

Hand powered hydraulics
Electric Hydraulic or air over Hydraulic Cylinder.

Will the bed be adjustable in height?
Will the press head be adjustable in height?
Will you use a mechanical rachet hoist aka boat winch to raise lower bed/press head .

A 20 tonner suggests to me that something like 125mm x 75mm x 10mm wt channel would be an advantage for the uprights .

For the press head and bed maybe 10mm might do but it would need to be fairly deep at least 150mm and suitably braced. Press plate's to fit to the top I would make out of 20mm or maybe 25mm.
I'd see $300 to $400 in new steel alone before hardware..

Make the lock pins out of something substantial 4140 as msteel will deform in time.

I sure the others can add to this.

Grahame

steran50
10th Aug 2009, 10:50 PM
HI BenM78,
Welcome to the Forum for a start. Yes a few Years ago I built a 20 Ton Hydraulic Press using a Bottle Jack. I used 75mm x 12mm Flat Mild Steel Bar for the Uprights. I think the channel I used for the Table is 5 inch (I will check this). The Plate for the Jack to Push against is 16mm I think. I used 19mm 4140 (Hi Tensile) Solid Round Bar for the Support Pins (S/Pins) (Drilled 20mm Holes in Frame for Clearance). I Drilled Holes through the Ends of the Table for the S/Pins. I did not want the Table to sit on the S/Pins. I wanted the Pins to Pass through the Table as well as the Frame.

I inverted My Bottle Jack,which means it works upside down. To invert a Bottle Jack You have to take it apart, so it must have a Nut at the Top. You Pull it apart and at the Jacks Base,You will see 2 Small Holes. These 2 Holes You need to drill out a bit bigger, just enough to hold two equal lengths of BUNDY TUBE (Brake Tube). Try not to Drill to Deep. Use Loctite ie 680 (not to much or You will block the Hole) to hold the Bundy Tube in Place. The Bundy Tube just needs to be long enough so it is about 15mm Clear of the Inner Top of the Jacks Body (Oil Reservoir). Make the Tubes two long and it could pick up Rubbish. If You could Work out which is the Oil Supply Hole and which is the Oil Return Hole. You would only have to Drill one Hole and fit one Tube.
Once You have done that You need to modify the Jacks Body (Oil Reservoir). This has to Modified so as The Jack has enough Oil Volume and not to much either. Look at the Body, Measure from the existing Fill Hole to the Open Top. Now take that Measurement and deduct 3-5mm of it. Reason for Deduction is, because Jacks Body sits in a Shallow Recess in the Jacks Base. Now with the New Measurement, Measure from the Open Jacks Body Bottom towards the open Top. Now put a Mark there, then Centre Punch it carefully - don't want to dent it. Now Drill a Hole to suit either the Rubber Fill Plug or something else for a new Fill Plug. I Brazed a screw in My old Fill Hole and used the Rubber Plug in the New Hole - up to You what You do.
Now You can put Your Jack back together and Fill it with Oil. I had to Bleed mine a bit.
I Myself have intentions Myself of Building a bigger Press, at least 35 Ton at some stage. I am going to use an Air Hydraulic Jack, hopefully they are as easy to Invert. For a Press Brake check out these Links http://www.techmad4wd.com/ go to Tools in Catergories, http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=548940 , http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/sumnerindex.html look at Homemade Sheet Metal Brake at lower part of Page. Lucky last go to http://gizmoplans.com/ go to metal Shop Fabrication Equipment on their Website.
Feel free to Email Me if You can't work out the Invertion Process that is if You want to do it that way. Good Luck:2tsup: with Your Project.
All The Best:) steran50 Stewart

BenM78
11th Aug 2009, 07:29 AM
Hi guys, thanks for the awesome info!

I have been hanging around here for a little while now and have learned a lot of neat tricks so thought I'd ask the question.

I had looked at the presses in Gasweld but none seemed sturdy enough for my liking so figured I'd build one.

Although I am in my 30's I am a 2nd year fabrication apprentice and have access to a lot of materials, tools etc including a 135 ton 3.2m press brake, 3ph migs to 450amps etc through work. Just not a lot of people I have spoken to about this have had the experience I was looking for.

Thanks again for your comments and links, definitely gives me something to work with!

Ben

WicketKeeper
11th Aug 2009, 02:17 PM
Ben, you beat me to the question.:2tsup:
Great info Stewart, thanks...
I too have been lurking for a while, and have also been toying with the idea of making my own hydraulic press. Mine would be mainly for small automotive stuff, car suspension bushes, trailer bearings, etc.


I have an added question. I've seen it done before, is there anything wrong with using the bottle jack upright? If I weld the top screw section to the top of the frame, then I don't have to go pulling the bottle jack apart. But if I do need to service it, I can spin it off.

WK

steran50
22nd Aug 2009, 10:30 PM
HI All,
I finally got around to checking My 20 Ton Press. The four Uprights are 75 x 12mm Flat Mild Steel (FMS). The Table is made from 4" x 2" Channel. The two pieces of Channel are 765mm long and have a 485mm long piece of 100 x 6mm FMS welded in there guts. Making part of them into a box section (makes it stronger). The Channel is all I had at the Time, i think 5" would be more suitable. The Work head of the Press is made from an I Beam 7" x 3 1/2". The I beam is on its side, ie flanges front and back. The I beam has 2 ribs its full length of 40 x 8mm FMS. Then on top of those Ribs is a pieceof 178 x 205 x 12mm Steel Plate for the Jack to push back against. The Jack is Held on by two 10mm socket head cap screws. The Work head is bolted to the uprights by eight 1/2" Grade 8 H/T Bolts.
To answer 'Wicketkeepers' question, their is nothing really wrong with mounting the Jack upright. A lot of the Imported Smaller Presses are like this. The downside to mounting the jack upright though (as You will see on the Import Presses) is that their Carrier moves around ie it floats so to speak. I mounted Mine Inverted so I could take advantage of the Jacks Screw, which means I don't have to adjust the Table as much. I also made up an fixture attatchment to go on to the top of screw, which allows Me to put any attatchment on that I choose to make. If You Google Inverted bottle Jacks, inverted hydraulic jacks etc You will find that they are available already to go. Othe Websites good to look at for Pictures and info of Presses are : http://www.larzep.com.au/index.html http://www.tksimplex.com/index.php
http://www.dakecorp.com/ last one is http://www.shopoutfitters.com/ check the last one out for their 'Handy Bend' great unit:2tsup: there is a short Video of it working on their site.
All the Best:) steran50 Stewart

BenM78
23rd Aug 2009, 07:51 AM
Thanks for that!


That shopoutfitters mob make some sweet tooling and are very creative too! That ferris wheel would never even cross my mind as a project!