First time 20-ton press usage - FAIL!!

[jimgood]

Yeah. I don't know **** about pressing stuff together. This was part of a project I'm working on. I'm making an anvil stand with wheels like on a hand truck. So, I went to Tractor Supply and bought the wheels, the 5/8" rod and some 5/8" ID bushings. The rod fit the wheels perfectly. Apparently, Hillman bushings with an ID of 5/8" have too tight a tolerance. I was expecting a slip fit and I was sorely disappointed. So, I thought maybe I can press them on. I've been dying to use this press. Ummm...no.

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Anyway, took the rod back to the store (the straight piece I hadn't ruined in the press), went to the tractor bushings section and found what I was looking for. This is what I was going for.

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[MoonRise]

What is "Buckling failure of a slender rod with compressive loading" Alex?



Your 5/8" axle rod fit the 5/8" 'bushing' in the wheels, right?

So what were you trying to do with the 'other' 5/8" bushings??

And, just an FYI, sometimes a bushing is the actual size it claims, sometimes it is smaller (made to be reamed to fit as desired after installation, especially if you have a bushing being press-fit into a hole which thus causes the OD of the bushing to have a press-fit into the ID of the hole, which means that the ID of the bushing gets a few thou smaller as well), sometimes it is larger (for a 'loose' fit).

 

[Slackerzinc]

Hahaha you are lucky

 

[tenlug]

A good man learns from his mistakes!

 

[Richard Cranium]

this reminds me of when I wanted a bent handle ratchet.
I had just got the 4.88 close out ratchet in the lawn and garden section of Lowes. I put it onto the press, figuring I would bend the handle a little. It snapped and handle went every where.

 

[oldmxracer]

It was not a fail, just learning Your press !

Love My cheap 20 ton that I repowered with a 35 ton air over hydraulic jack 11 years ago, had to beef it up just a little after years of use.

 

[bullnerd]

Is it me, or is there no where for the shaft to go after passing through the bushing?

 

[gungatim]

glad you weren't hurt!

you can probably straighten that shaft back out with the press, at least it would be a good practice exercise to get to know how to do it.

nice cart so far. one thing you could have done is just use some long 5/8 bolts and weld them to the uprights, cut off the threads, drill for a cotter key. that way you don't have to have a full axle. it's how I built my welding tank cart and they fit the wheel bearings without pressing on...pack those bearings good with grease, they are pretty light duty and can pop out of the hubs (DAMHIKT).

 

[jimgood]

What is "Buckling failure of a slender rod with compressive loading" Alex?



Your 5/8" axle rod fit the 5/8" 'bushing' in the wheels, right?

So what were you trying to do with the 'other' 5/8" bushings??

And, just an FYI, sometimes a bushing is the actual size it claims, sometimes it is smaller (made to be reamed to fit as desired after installation, especially if you have a bushing being press-fit into a hole which thus causes the OD of the bushing to have a press-fit into the ID of the hole, which means that the ID of the bushing gets a few thou smaller as well), sometimes it is larger (for a 'loose' fit).

The other 5/8" bushings were to position the wheel on the axle as can be seen in the second pic. Those bushings are and easy slip fit.

Did you hear this a lot?
'I'm pretty sure my mom won't let you play at my house.'
You're lucky you weren't skewered.

Hahaha you are lucky

What? I stood at arm's length away plus the length of the jack handle and engaged my safety squint. I was safe!

A good man learns from his mistakes!

Well, let's just hope I'm a good man.

this reminds me of when I wanted a bent handle ratchet.
I had just got the 4.88 close out ratchet in the lawn and garden section of Lowes. I put it onto the press, figuring I would bend the handle a little. It snapped and handle went every where.

Seems logical.

It was not a fail, just learning Your press !

Love My cheap 20 ton that I repowered with a 35 ton air over hydraulic jack 11 years ago, had to beef it up just a little after years of use.

So, what I really needed was more POWAH!

Is it me, or is there no where for the shaft to go after passing through the bushing?

It's not just you. I knew it would stop at the bottom. I just wanted to see if it was going to go anywhere at all. I put a mark on the rod at it's entry point and was watching to see if it disappeared. It did, just about the time the rod gave way. My ill-conceived plan was to get it started then try to place the bushing on the edge of two plates that I don't have and try to get it to go all the way through.

 

[jimgood]

glad you weren't hurt!

you can probably straighten that shaft back out with the press, at least it would be a good practice exercise to get to know how to do it.

nice cart so far. one thing you could have done is just use some long 5/8 bolts and weld them to the uprights, cut off the threads, drill for a cotter key. that way you don't have to have a full axle. it's how I built my welding tank cart and they fit the wheel bearings without pressing on...pack those bearings good with grease, they are pretty light duty and can pop out of the hubs (DAMHIKT).

I guess what I was trying to accomplish was to use the wheels and axle to get the height perfect instead of trying measure. With the axle in both wheels, it's self supporting and all I had to do was get the fore/aft alignment right, which is what the pieces of angle do.

 

[gungatim]

this reminds me of when I wanted a bent handle ratchet.
I had just got the 4.88 close out ratchet in the lawn and garden section of Lowes. I put it onto the press, figuring I would bend the handle a little. It snapped and handle went every where.

I did the same thing with my press, but I wanted a ring made from a small ignition wrench. saw a guy wearing one, asked about it, thought it was really cool. I took a regular craftsman 1/4" ignition wrench to use in my press with a round die plate.

SNAP! nearly missed my eye.

won't try that again...

 

[Capt Chrysler]

Today I would say. You are a lucky fellow!

20 years ago when I was a Service Manager. I would have ask you WTF were you thinking? Do you want to F'ing DIE?

Capt. Chrysler

 

[jimgood]

Unfortunately, there's no training manual for DIY'ers that take home a hydraulic press. And I'm sure there isn't a training manual for every one-off situation that us DIY'ers find ourselves in. Certainly not this one. There's no caution on the internet or in the unintelligible user manual that says, "Thou shalt not attempt to press a 12" x 5/8" rod into a 5/8" bushing."

My first consideration was to drill out the bushing but there is nothing local that carries a 5/8" drill bit.

I figured I'd give this a try. Obviously not the best figuring I've ever done.

 

[zjrog]

I've had my 20 ton press bounce when things come apart. I've actually held a street sign between me and what was being pressed was reluctant to be pressed...

On a side note, I have tightened all the bolts on my press numerous times, and it still feels wobbly... Anyone else feel the same?

 

[Major Ramifications]

When buying bushings and shafts and such, you have to be really careful about actual OD's and ID's and their tolerances, which would give you the clearance (which I believe is the word you were looking for when you typed tolerance).

The clearance is the space between the parts, the tolerance is merely how tightly the part is held to the designed dimension. It used to drive me crazy when the electrical engineers would tell us, the mechanical guys, "Make sure you put a lot of tolerance on that dimension." I'd say, "How about if I add a bunch of clearance and keep the tolerance the same as all the others?"

 

[jimgood]

When buying bushings and shafts and such, you have to be really careful about actual OD's and ID's and their tolerances, which would give you the clearance (which I believe is the word you were looking for when you typed tolerance).

The clearance is the space between the parts, the tolerance is merely how tightly the part is held to the designed dimension. It used to drive me crazy when the electrical engineers would tell us, the mechanical guys, "Make sure you put a lot of tolerance on that dimension." I'd say, "How about if I add a bunch of clearance and keep the tolerance the same as all the others?"

Yep. Clearance was what I should have said.

Really, when you go to a place like TS to buy stuff like this, you should bring a set of calipers. Both sets of bushings I purchased said they were 5/8" ID. And that's basically all they give you; ID, OD and length.

The Hillman bushings, which are the ones that they keep in the hardware section, are packaged individually in plastic bags. I should have just busted one open and tried it on the shaft first. The ones in the tractor section only have little plastic loops holding the price tags on them. Even with that loop in the way, it was easy to tell that it was a slip fit.

Oh, well. I lived to tell about it.

 

[jimgood]

Here's where we are with the project now. Axle is on permanently. Made a folding handle. Next up are keepers for the anvil and some urethane padding to absorb shock and vibration.

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[bczygan]

Unfortunately, there's no training manual for DIY'ers that take home a hydraulic press. And I'm sure there isn't a training manual for every one-off situation that us DIY'ers find ourselves in. Certainly not this one. There's no caution on the internet or in the unintelligible user manual that says, "Thou shalt not attempt to press a 12" x 5/8" rod into a 5/8" bushing."

My first consideration was to drill out the bushing but there is nothing local that carries a 5/8" drill bit.

I figured I'd give this a try. Obviously not the best figuring I've ever done.

THIS! THIS! THIS!

What does a DIY homeowner do the first time he holds a new power tool? How do you even use a hand grinder? What moves do you NOT make when using it?

And so on.....

YouTube at least is a start in some cases. But you still have to sort out the wrong info there.

And GJ is a help.

Bill

 

[wrench409]

Today I would say. You are a lucky fellow!

20 years ago when I was a Service Manager. I would have ask you WTF were you thinking? Do you want to F'ing DIE?

Capt. Chrysler

The first time I heard the gun go off, I stopped and safety'd up.

And a street sign won't stop a bullet zjrog, so better armor is needed. I use a much thicker plate and a face shield I made from 1/4 thick clear on mine. (once in the * CAUTION GRAPHIC * thread is enough for me).

 

[jimgood]

THIS! THIS! THIS!

What does a DIY homeowner do the first time he holds a new power tool? How do you even use a hand grinder? What moves do you NOT make when using it?

And so on.....

YouTube at least is a start in some cases. But you still have to sort out the wrong info there.

And GJ is a help.

Bill

Maybe what I should have done was ask for help here BEFORE I tried to do anything.

 

[ovrrdrive]

This thread needs more beer and some video. lol

Maybe next time.