Press Plates

[Jeeper]

Bought a Harbor freight 20 ton press a while back used for cheap and it didn't have press plates. They have them online for $40 but was hoping to find something local for cheaper. Any idea on where to get something like that? ...for hopefully cheaper?

[Keep]

Your local metal supply place. Check the shorts bin and you should be able to find what you need. If not they can cut you some whatever size you want.

[A_Pmech]

1" x 2" and 1" x 4" flat stock from the steel supply. :)

[Brad54]

I had the same problem when I bought a press from the swap meet--no plates. I bought some through the local auto parts store, but they're just flat stock (couldn't find any "drops" or scraps anywhere). I also paid too much for them. What I'd rather have is the X-press plates that have the cut-outs in them for bearings and shafts. I'll probably buy some from HF, since it's the only place I've been able to find any.

-Brad

[jerryW]

You can always put the cutouts in the plate with a hole saw. Might take a while but can be done on a drill press or mill. Calmp the 2 plates with a spacerbetween and drill thru with saw.


jerry

[Jeeper]

Thanks for the responses. Guess I will hit the steel supply shops for scraps.

[Art From De Leon]

Pay no attention to the above post, Northen no longer shows that set for that price.

[speed bump]

I had the same problem when I bought a press from the swap meet--no plates. I bought some through the local auto parts store, but they're just flat stock (couldn't find any "drops" or scraps anywhere). I also paid too much for them. What I'd rather have is the X-press plates that have the cut-outs in them for bearings and shafts. I'll probably buy some from HF, since it's the only place I've been able to find any.

-Brad

Thats what the cutting torch is for. We have a couple of plates that were built using a cutting torch and some scrap steel.

[bgott]

You don't want the ones from Harbor Freight, and maybe the ones from Northern, either. The HF plates are cast iron, I myself wouldn't want to load a lot of pressure on cast iron in that application. Things might go boom! Stop at a machine shop and see if the shop foreman will dig up some 1" plate that will fit out of the short stack for beer money.