10 Ton press, have you built one?

[Heavymetalmechanic]

Every time I use the small 8 ton press at work I think to myself "I could put together a far sturdier unit". It is just a Princess Auto special with a small bottle jack. The welds looks poor and it's not quite square.

Has anyone built their own press? Did you run into any issues? Any interesting ideas you incorporated to improve it? Pictures?

I am thinking of putting one together, I have all the materials I need other then the retraction springs. I would be welding it after bolting it together with grade 8 fasteners. I would use a 10 ton pneumatic/hydraulic jack ram I salvaged from a floor jack.

Any concerns with this idea?

 

[sz0k30]

Considering that you can buy a HF 20 ton press on sale for about $150.00, why bother?

 

[Heavymetalmechanic]

No Harbor Freight up here in Canada, Princess Auto is our equivalent, and I am not really impressed with the small press they have.

I have materials, tools, ability and time, not so much money...

I'm am also lucky enough to have 2 cousins who are mechanical/structural engineers that I run most of my designs past, they tend to be massively over built so I'm not too worried about that side of things.

 

[raddksn]

I bought the HF 20 ton newer version gray in color. Love it has done anything I needed and I couldn't have bought the steel to build one for what I payed! Just upgraded to the HF 20 ton air operated jack. For a DIY/ home owner shop this is nice press!

 

[Heavymetalmechanic]

I am thinking of a bench top design, that is 6" wider and deeper then most commercially available designs. My searches on here have shown me a couple of DIY presses, they look beefy.

I have heavy structural c-channel and and some beefy 1" plate for blocks. I also have some huge 2"x18" bolts that are from excavator counterweights that will work well for the hight adjustment pins. I will have to use my works drill press and big bits to drill those holes though.

 

[kazlx]

They are pretty simple. Go for it. Just look at other builds, oversize everything and make it happen. If you can source cheap materials, then you can definitely save money. If you have to pay full pop for materials, something 'like' the HF press is going to be cheaper. Presses are handy. I use mine for all sorts of stupid stuff.

 

[Heavymetalmechanic]

Thanks Kazlx, that's how I feel about it. I'm just wanting to play it safe, 10 Ton of potential energy is nothing to treat causally. I have been knocked around when work pieces 'squirt' out of a press, leaves some nasty bruises. There is a good reason for the cage on the shops 100 ton press...

 

[raddksn]

If you have most of the material, and want different dementions than what's out there go for it! It's always more fun and rewarding to build somthing you need!

And after all isn't that why we all have our garages?

 

[kazlx]

I have a 50T and the frame isn't anything exceptional.

 

[srmofo]

Make sure the table sits level. Bad things will happen otherwise

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... I made adapter plates, 'n use my 37 ton wood splitter as a press-break,...

Little more riggin', 'n I bet it'll press alota things,....

 

[longlivepunk]

Oooooo, I am intrigued! Guys, no HF near here! I've seen some PA ones too, they are alright if you use them VERY casually, but rather than waste the money on something that you'll have to replace I agree with building something solid especially if you have the materials around (and as has been mentioned: the ability to make it straight and square) and just buying/scrounging a good hydraulic ram.

You should link to some of the good builds you've found on here, and definitely keep us updated as you build!

 

[airrj]

Here is a very good video about a 25 ton build for your reference.

 

[LouieD]

I agree with the notion of making your own press. I too saw the HF offerings and thought I could do better. They were wobbly and way out of square. Here's my table top 4t that I made from scrap that I bought at the local metal yard and stuff I had lying around. It can't be that hard/expensive to put together a 10t if materials are sourced inexpensively.

[/IMG]

 

[bullnerd]

LOL...I built a small press when I was in high school in the 80s using a harbor freight UNO-MIG, a bottle jack from kmart, hood springs from my 67 Camaro(had a glass hood, didnt need the steel springs) and scrap steel from a local steel supply house dumpster! Guess what the top bar started to bend..did it shoot apart and kill anybody? NO. I cut off the bent piece and made a stronger one. I used it for many years without a problem after that. I say just do it.

 

[Heavymetalmechanic]

Thank you for the input folks. After watching that YouTube link and a few others I have realized my biggest issue will be trying to make sure the work deck and press cylinder are square to each other. I may need to focus on finding a nice flat 3'x4' piece of 3/4" plate to put on my not so flat 2'x3'x1/2" welding table first. It is 'flat enough' for what I am doing now but I think this project may justify the upgrade.

I love this Forum, my wallet hates it.

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

built this one to these dimensions because everything was free, BUT my boy just brought home some 12 in I beams and we are going to build a big one. sorry about bad picture also built a small press break the has been useful

 

[cwh]

I built one for a very specific purpose - pressing in oillite bushings in hydrauliic cylinders for my skid steer. It is not even a little bit fancy, but it works.

 

[Heavymetalmechanic]

I stopped in at Princess Auto this afternoon, they want $349 for the garbage 12 Ton they carry.

Thanks for posting those pictures, if I get around to this project I will be sure to take some as I proceed.

 

[mango_420]

I don't own a welder- don't have the space, money or skill..

Couldn't a guy make one out of super strut? Seems like it would hold to the pressure.


At least a bench top 2 ft x 2 ft press.

 

[kazlx]

No....just buy one. Even the cheap HF ones are fine.

 

[Slackerzinc]

Just bought a 30ton press from princess auto, it was a special buy for $299.
It's a nice sturdy press, it weighs in at 300 pounds!

 

[ddawg16]

How often do you need said press?

If not very often, then expand your list of friends who do have a big press. A 12 pack of beer would make for cheap rental.

 

[Heavymetalmechanic]

I have access to a 8, 50 and 100 ton press at work so I am not in any panic to get one. I would like to have one at home, I keep finding that it would be quicker to put a 90* bend then to cut and weld a corner.

And again, I don't have access to Harbour Freight, I live in Canada. Though I am tempted to make a road trip just to better understand this smell of harbour freight that everyone talks about.

 

[Aquaticbob]

I have access to a 8, 50 and 100 ton press at work so I am not in any panic to get one. I would like to have one at home, I keep finding that it would be quicker to put a 90* bend then to cut and weld a corner.

And again, I don't have access to Harbour Freight, I live in Canada. Though I am tempted to make a road trip just to better understand this smell of harbour freight that everyone talks about.

It's a most wonderful smell. Seems to give my girlfriend a headache though

I have a grey 20T in my shop, use it daily. Made a home made filter crusher that goes into it as well, crush tons and tons of filters with it. Making a press wouldn't be too hard, you would just want to make sure that the "engineering" behind it was solid, as well as the construction

 

[jesse41]

You could always buy used I got this 50 ton press for 200 works great i ended up making a return spring for it and ditched the hydraulic pump for a 100$ air/hydraulic foot activated pump. you couldn't even buy the steel for 200$ to build this

 

[404]

The smell of harbour freight comes from the rubber tires and hoses.. smells like.... toxic.

 

[PCO6]

Here's mine that I built about 30 years ago.

View media item 36098

 

[longlivepunk]

Holy ****, Jesse. Nice score!

 

[Toxicscrew]

The smell of harbour freight comes from the rubber tires and hoses.. smells like.... toxic.

Wait a minute, I showered just last week!

 

[longlivepunk]

Wait a minute, I showered just last week!

That only washed off the first layer, exposing the older, more pungent SECOND layer. [emoji14]