My shop made press

[Kielbasavw]

Had scrap laying around and decided it was the right stuff to make a hydraulic press. I was tired of pressing things on my buddies tiny press that I have to hunch over, and with a bad back, it *****.

This is 7'x3' using cheap horrible freight 20ton jack. I haven't used it much yet but seems to work quite well.

 

[Nystad]

Nice build, got any photos from the work progress?

 

[OccupantRJ]

Nice job. If you wish to get rid of the leaning of the eye bolts relative to the frame, there are special bevel washers available for this use from McMaster Carr.

 

[Dave in Ozark]

At 7'3 and all the weight up top any concern for tippage? Feet look relatively narrow.

 

[LXCam]

Most excellent

 

[ilovevocs]

Nice looking unit. I priced materials and thought about how long it would take to drill holes and decided to just buy the HF press. Not a nice unit by any means but it's functional. Keeps me from getting unprofessional and beating on things with a hammer when I shouldn't be.

I found my press to be one of the shop tools that I thought I had a use for but quickly realized how invaluable it is to my shop.

 

[Kielbasavw]

No issues with tipping. It works great. The 7/8 holes with a mag drill took a very long time and was messy. I miss counted and added a set of holes that are not use able which is the very top set. Oops. Then reamed holes with a 7/8 reamer that reamed them oversized a hair (figure that..) and used a 1018 7/8" bar for the bed pins.

Return springs are 70s suburban hood springs I found at junk yard.

The 2 carriage bolts that go through center was for my original idea of return springs which was garage door spring cut to length. Springs were not strong enough, and made the ram tippy and unstable.

 

[Aussie]

Sent from my GT-I9195T using Tapatalk

 

[Briggs]

Looking good. Im getting ready to build one of these myself. A bit of a smaller version though.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Nice build, runs rings around the one I brought.

 

[funks]

Looking good, all bolted together or did you weld it in some spots?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[rslaback]

You might want to consider changing out the jack to a quick pump 20 ton. I had that jack on my HF press and it took forever to pump. I swapped it for the Northern Tool quick lift which takes about 1/3 the pump strokes. After I sold the original jack, the upgrade was only about $15.

Either way, please bolt the jack to the plate. Should the jack ever have a failure or a piece let go you don't want the jack flying around.

 

[Kielbasavw]

It's fully welded nothing bolted together.

 

[Mr.N]

It's fully welded nothing bolted together.

I thing you miss understood, not your metal. Suggestion was to bolt the Hydraulic jack to you press.
I'd also suggest welding a piece of tube just larger than the jacks extension, that would also keep it in place.


Thanks for posting and great feedback!

 

[Kielbasavw]

It stays in place just fine...

 

[Steevo]

It stays in place just fine...

. . . so far.

You are obviously safety concerned, or you would not have run cables through your (front side) springs.

In the same vein, add something to eliminate the possibility of the jack base, or the jack top from skidding sideways or fore/aft in an extreme bind condition. All it takes is a small ring of steel pipe welded to the plate where the top of the jack pushes, and a couple of corner stops cut from a scrap angle to do the same for the jack base.

When you have 20 tons of pressure applied and are trying to get a ball joint to pop loose is no time to have the jack come shooting out instead.

Been there, done that, ducked in time to avoid scars of proof.

 

[Kielbasavw]

I don't think a tiny piece of tube will hold up to 20tons.

I am very aware of what I'm doing. If I feel so ming binding or moving some way it shouldn't. I stop and fix it. Thanks for the pointer though.

 

[blind]

It will because it's only taking side load not 20 tons.
Better to be safety first than injured/dead.

 

[Farmall 1066]

I agree on restraining the jack...saw a homemade one come apart and the Jack hit the guy running it right in the chest.

 

[dbabicky]

There's nothing holding the jack on my HF 20 Ton press. I don't see a problem. I think he did an awesome job and all you people want to do is bang on the safety stuff like you're perfectly safe with all that you do. Christ, lighten up and knock it off with the bicycle helmet and elbow pad **** !! Give the man kudo's for a nice build !!