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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
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    Geelong, Australia
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    57
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    2,651

    Default Powered workshop press build

    Thought I'd start a project thread on the actual construction of my new press.
    I've already had lots of help and guidance around the hydraulics side in another thread >> https://metalworkforums.com/f65/t205...ulic-questions<< so I'll try not to repeat too much of that here.

    Basic requirements: Approx 30ton capacity, good working envelope, electric pump, dual acting ram with a decent length stroke (300-400mm), quick disconnects to be able to use the pump to power other hydraulic tools.
    Floor standing, power pack mounted on the top of the press to save floor space. Easy method of raising/lowering the work table.

    Here's the basic frame design - obviously there's a bit more to the table than shown here:

    Frame.JPG

    Uprights are 100x20 hot rolled, top beams and table are 250x90 channel that I picked up as scrap.
    Pins will be 32mm (only planning to use one each side under the table but while I'm at it will drill the table beams through the web to take a second pin).

    The uprights themselves will only be 1.5m long (so I get 4 from a full 6m length), but I want the bottom of the upper beam to be around my eye level somewhere so will sit the whole lot up on fabricated base (from 75mm SHS). The base will also serve to tie the bottom of the uprights together, and provide somewhere to lift it with a pallet jack when it needs to be moved.

    Base.JPG

    Obviously lots more detail to come...

    Steve

  2. #2
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    Nov 2017
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    Default Powered workshop press build

    Started on the actual construction by cutting the uprights to length and making the 33mm holes in them for the pins.








    Steve

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,105

    Default

    Looking good so far, do you plan to weld it all together or will it be bolted for easy disassembly if required?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Dandenong
    Posts
    76

    Default

    Looks like you're off to a good start!

    I've always thought with a lot of presses I've seen that the locking pins seemed very inadequate (and dangerous) for the tonnage pressure reached.

    Not with yours though!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Perth, Western Australia
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    67
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    362

    Default

    Steve,
    how are you going to mount the ram?

    Tony

  6. #6
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    Nov 2017
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    Geelong, Australia
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    Default

    I haven't 100% decided how its going to be held together.
    Leaning towards welding the top beams to the uprights and side plates for rigidity, but would like something through them or at least some pool welds through the beam webs to the uprights.
    Table will definitely be welded to end plates, and either bolted spacers or welded webs between.
    Might bolt the uprights to the base in case I need to modify the height once I've used it a bit.

    A mate has a 50T air/hydraulic press and it uses single 32mm pins in 85x10 verticals. It gets used pretty hard and hasn't turned into a pretzel yet so they must have done the calcs OK. The 85x10 just seems really light to me unless its a higher grade steel.
    I'm more comfortable with a heavier build, and it gives me room to move should I decide I need more tonnage. I'd be doing some proper calcs at that point though whereas I know this is currently way overkill structurally for the force.

    Ram mounting - no firm plan but thinking maybe a plate under the upper beam with close-ish fitting hole to locate the cylinder. Tension members running up from the plate beside the ram and then pinned through the cylinder eye. Tension member might be thick walled pipe with access through the side to the cylinder ports.
    Definitely open to any suggestions or criticism there as I'm just pulling ideas out when I stand up

    Little bit more thunking today, and decided that 100mm under the base is good clearance for the pallet jack. Have some spare 75x4 SHS here to use. Will have some form of leveling feet on it:

    Frame 2.JPG

    Steve

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
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    Default Powered workshop press build

    In my previous post I commented about maybe putting some bolts or pins through the head beams to the uprights - basically as I wasn't confident about the welds being strong enough.
    I did some research on strengths of welds in shear, and came up with a rough rule of thumb that a 6mm weld takes approx 80kg per mm of length.

    The beams are 250mm deep, so if I just fillet weld down the sides of the uprights onto the beams it will give me 4m of weld (250mm x 8 fillets)
    250x8x80kg == 320,000kg. Should be plenty strong enough but I'll run a weld across the top as well - just because I can
    Not running one across the bottom of the beam as I'm pretty sure that's not good practice for a member under tension.

    I got the head beams cut today. The length of the beams is half of the shorter piece of channel I have. Turned out to be just under 1100.

    I'm loving having a decent horizontal bandsaw!!




    Steve

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Default

    Hi Steve, Guys,

    I agree ! A decent band saw is worth its weight in lack of back ache...
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
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    Geelong, Australia
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    Default Powered workshop press build

    Got the basic frame mostly welded up tonight.
    Welds aren’t the prettiest I’ve ever produced, but I’m confident they have good penetration (the edge welds were beveled about 5mm too)








    I always knew it would be short at this stage.
    Standing in front of it for a working height check - I think the top beam needs to be about 500 higher from the floor.
    The SHS base will give me 175mm, so thinking I’ll just use some more of it to make vertical extensions to connect to the uprights.
    You’re probably wondering why I didn’t just buy some more 100x20 and make them 2m long to start with...
    First reason is I was going to struggle with the length on the mill, second is that another 2m was going to cost me about $100 - half what I paid for the full length.

    Steve

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Healesville
    Posts
    2,129

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    Steve i had a chinese 50 ton press, it used channel for the top section that held the hyd cyl also for the table. They used 12mm plate full length welded inside the channel to strengthen it.
    This still was not sturdy enough, at 30 ton both the table and the top section would each flex about 10mm, this was very anoying as the press would practically leap off the floor when pressing tight things apart, with a huge bang i might add.
    My 40 ton press uses a truss design to hold the cylinder and the table is fabricated out of inch plate.

  11. #11
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    Nov 2017
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    Geelong, Australia
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    Thanks Shed - that 50T Chinese press you had sounds like the one my mate has.
    It uses 180 PFC for the beams, but is boxed in a bit. The uprights are only 80x10.
    Its not surprising they flex in use - IMO they are built too lightly and in use are just a big steel spring waiting to discharge their stored energy. Honestly they scare me.

    Given the dimensions I got from his one and what I've used for mine, I was confident mine will be much more rigid and less stressed, but just for s+giggles I threw some figures in an online beam deflection calculator.

    For my beams (250 PFC), the deflection of a 1m length with single center load of 30T is only 0.6mm.
    The 180PFC on my mates press at the same load would be 2.1mm

    Given that the 30T on my press is shared across 2 beams ==> the deflection reduces to 0.33mm
    The 50T on his shared across 2 beams ==> deflection is 1.76mm
    Not big numbers, but obviously many times more "spring" in his one than in mine.

    I won't really know until I start using it, but I'm pretty sure its going to be OK.
    It definitely won't get painted before its first use - much easier to modify if necessary when there's no paint to remove

    Regarding the table lifting mechanism, I've noticed that some powered presses just have a chain that attaches between the table and ram and you lift/lower the table using the ram.
    It would save messing around with making a separate system, but my only concern is that it might not be practical when you have a job on the table that is in the way of the chains.
    Anybody used a press with that setup?

    Steve

  12. #12
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    Apr 2012
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    Healesville
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    Quote Originally Posted by OxxAndBert View Post
    IMO they are built too lightly and in use are just a big steel spring waiting to discharge their stored energy. Honestly they scare me.
    Steve
    yup a big spring
    You could measure the deflection on your m8's press, chinese steel is different to bhp steel so the deflection on his press might be
    greater than the online calc would suggest.

    You could also use his press to test/check the deflection of your steel.
    Last edited by shedhappens; 11th Oct 2020 at 10:02 PM. Reason: more

  13. #13
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    Apr 2018
    Location
    Drouin Vic
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    I was actually going to suggest to you a system to use the ram itself to lift the table. Can't recall where I've seen this but it made sense to me. I guess you could use a spreader bar so the lifting chain / sling straddled the job?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pete O View Post
    I was actually going to suggest to you a system to use the ram itself to lift the table. Can't recall where I've seen this but it made sense to me. I guess you could use a spreader bar so the lifting chain / sling straddled the job?
    Maybe you've see the same one I have https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/p402m
    The spreader bar idea is worth keeping in mind. Hopefully with having over 300mm stroke on the ram I shouldn't have to move the table much anyway, and it will be obvious before I put the job on whether its going to fit or not.

    Steve

  15. #15
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    Doing leg extensions like this is the closest I get to a gym these days




    Starting to look like a real one.

    Steve

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