Dake arbor press #0

[fireman164]

Found this on craigslist and had to have it ,I dissasembled it then stripped it and got all the rust off of it , painted it rustoleum hammered blue, im looking for a slotted table for it if anyone know where to find one

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

Check out Ebay,or have one machined,but that is a nice press.

 

[gatewaysysop]

Been lusting for one of these (or even a larger model) but no joy on the local CL just yet, usually priced way outta my range for what little occasional use I'd get out of it. Very nice job on yours, looks excellent!

Edit: Nice Athol in the background.

 

[kunkernator]

Very nice press. We have one similar at school.

 

[cnc-me]

I have one just like yours, its missing the table too.
Always wanted to build a table for it, just can't seem to find the time,
to many other projects.

 

[EvilWelder]

Have a no 3 at work and they are a fine press. Not much I need to put in the monster hydraulic press.

 

[justanengineer]

Ive got a similar sized Famco that I restored a few years back and its installed many bearings. I actually just reacquired it a few weeks ago from my father, and am planning to make a set of wooden or plastic dies for it to install lens crystals into bezel rings for indicators, calipers, gauges etc.

 

[tool_scrounge]

I had one like that as a kid, but our Dake has a round cast iron wheel instead of a spoke handle. The added momentum of the cast iron wheel was great for cracking macadamia nuts!

 

[EvilWelder]

I had one like that as a kid, but our Dake has a round cast iron wheel instead of a spoke handle. The added momentum of the cast iron wheel was great for cracking macadamia nuts!

We have an old one that has a cast iron ships wheel instead of a lever, I will get a pic.

 

[fireman164]

Cracking nuts , now there is a new use I hadn't thought of haha!

 

[darkk]

Are these things actually worth owning? I've never used one. I see them all the time on the local CL. I just haven't thought they were worth paying the price. Some have been reasonable I guess...

 

[Dustin Echoes]

I have one, and love it. It saves pressing things in the vise. I also took the last 3 teeth off the ram with a grinder, so I can move the ram all the way up, and ratchet the handle to a better position. Too many times I've had the ram meet my work with the handle at some awkward angle. I've got pics of this modification in my thread, if you're interested.

 

[justanengineer]

We have an old one that has a cast iron ships wheel instead of a lever, I will get a pic.

You should look at that wheel closely before applying any leverage to it. On mine and many others, the ship's wheel is for rapid movement of the ram only, not meant to apply large loads, and is simply locked into place with a tiny set screw. Many times there is also a hole/spot for a regular bar/handle.

IMO an arbor press is well worth owning, dependent of course upon the type of work you do. Frankly, I wish the knuckleheads that love to force and ****** up parts and tools with a hydraulic press or bench vise would invest in an arbor press, it would save a load of work for me. Realistically, the biggest limitation of these to me has always been the throat depth, not the force applied, but someone will argue that things need 10 tons of force to press in an automotive bearing.

 

[Provincial]

Arbor presses are perfect when you need to have precise control of the force applied. Some jobs that they excel at are: broaching small keyways, installing small bearings and bushings, straightening small shafts, and pressing small shafts in/out of assemblies.

Another advantage to arbor presses is the ability to cycle quickly. This is especially handy for jobs where the same action is repeated over and over.

Having several arbor presses of various sizes allows the operator to match the pressure, stroke, speed, and throat depth to the specific job. I have a small (1/2 ton) and a medium (2 ton) press, and I use the little one quite often to start a bearing that it can't press in all the way, but it will get the bearing started straight so I can finish the job in a larger press.

 

[5lima30]

Nice score!