Heavy Wall Pipe For Hydraulic Press

dwall174 · Aug 26, 2019

Anyone make a hydraulic press using heavy wall pipe?

I have (4) 7ft. pieces of 2" schedule 160 pipe (2.375" OD. X .344" wall) That I was thinking of using to make a hydraulic press.

I've done a ton of searches & I've only seen a couple of hydraulic presses using pipe or round columns. Probably do to the cost of the heavy wall pipe!
I got the pipe for free, So I'm going with the "Use What You Got" method.

Any thoughts or ideas on making a press out of this pipe?

Doug

dwall174 · Aug 26, 2019

Here's a couple pictures of the pipe, They didn't post the first time :headscrat

cvairwerks · Aug 26, 2019

Using pipe complicates building the crown and the table. You will have to weld up some kind of pads to support the table in various positions as well as keeping it from rolling under pressure. Drilling cylindrical columns for cross pins will significantly reduce the buckling resistance of the columns. Free onhand doesn’t always make good sense.

Food for thought... In all the years I’ve been in and out of shops, the only small presses that I’ve ever seen with cylindrical columns, are platen style 4 post units and they use solid columns.

Fcvapor05 · Aug 26, 2019

Hydraulic presses don't use round columns because the columns are loaded in bending, and an I-beam is stronger than a round tube in bending.

cvairwerks · Aug 26, 2019

Actually, between the table and the crown they are loaded in tension...

matt_i · Aug 26, 2019

cvairwerks said:
Actually, between the table and the crown they are loaded in tension...

Agree with this...most small shop press columns (thinking bottle jack presses and friends) are punched flat bar with absolutely near zero buckling resistance. But they don't need it because the columns are in axial tension.

Like anything, some basic static analysis should be performed. It can all be double-shear pinned joints if the press is centrically loaded, but its likely that eventually it will be loaded off center and so some welding should be considered...

I don't think there's anything directionally wrong with using tubes for the columns, but it may complicate connections with the lack of a flat surface to attach to. There is always the solution of turning or sourcing slip-fit tubes for connections but again it adds to the time and complexity involved.

dwall174 · Aug 26, 2019

cvairwerks said:
Using pipe complicates building the crown and the table.

Yeah using the pipe for the crown & table would complicate things!

I probably should have stated that the pipe would only be used for the up-right sections, And flat stock would be used for the crown and the table.

My original idea was to built something like this press;

Using the pipe in-place of the flat stock up-rights.

Doug

joe49 · Aug 26, 2019

Maybe do 2 ladders out of the tube, having the table land on the rungs to adjust.

cvairwerks · Aug 26, 2019

dwall174 said:
Yeah using the pipe for the crown & table would complicate things!

I probably should have stated that the pipe would only be used for the up-right sections, And flat stock would be used for the crown and the table.

I understood what you were intending to start with. Mating the crown and a table, along with table adjustment capability to a cylindrical upright is much more difficult than with a flat surfaced upright. Here's a bench top one. Should give you an idea about the added complexity.

https://www.mtixtl.com/YLJ-24TS.aspx

dwall174 · Aug 26, 2019

matt_i said:
It can all be double-shear pinned joints if the press is centrically loaded, but its likely that eventually it will be loaded off center and so some welding should be considered...

I'm planing to use 3/4" rods as shear pins on the crown section along with welding of the joints.

matt_i said:
There is always the solution of turning or sourcing slip-fit tubes for connections but again it adds to the time and complexity involved.

I've thought about that & I managed to locate some tubing that would work, But the extra time & cost probably wouldn't really add any strength.

Here's a drawing of what I'm thinking about!

Doug

gorilla · Aug 27, 2019

Have you considered how difficult drilling the pipe for the pins and fasteners will be? It's not easy to hold long round's in alignment even on a mill You will be drilling twice as many holes then if you used flat bar or c channel. You will be working really hard to save not much money.

Fcvapor05 · Aug 27, 2019

cvairwerks said:
Actually, between the table and the crown they are loaded in tension...

Only if they're pinned, not bolted, to the crossbar at the top.

Bolted joints turn the upper crossbar's load into a bending load into the column.

dwall174 · Aug 28, 2019

gorilla said:
Have you considered how difficult drilling the pipe for the pins and fasteners will be? It's not easy to hold long round's in alignment

Yeah I've thought about the alignment issues & I figure on making a fixture/jig that will allow me to keep the pipe square & index the next hole. I have an older 17" Delta drill press that is located next to a workbench so I can use the bench to hold the fixture/jig & pipe.

Doug

Heavy Wall Pipe For Hydraulic Press

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