Welding the 10-ton HF press?

[lotsoftools]

I got a 10-ton press from HF quite a few years ago. It is kind of wobbly, even with all of the bolts tightened down. I was thinking of welding it all together. Has anyone done this? Anything to look out for? Thanks in advance! (Oh, and I'll be sure not to weld the parts that are supposed to move)

 

[ra42mario]

I don't know what the 10 ton looks like, but the 12 ton guys weld their frames to stiffen them. I doubt it will hurt.

 

[lotsoftools]

Just had to look at it again, it is a 12 ton. I don't know why I was thinking 10. I was thinking it wouldn't hurt anything to weld it, and it will give me some more practice.

 

[bad_idea]

and it will give me some more practice.

That line concerns me. Steel can be weakened by incorrect welding. Considering a press is a tool that is testing the strength of the steel, I wouldn't suggest you weld it unless you are a skilled welder.

 

[lotsoftools]

That line concerns me. Steel can be weakened by incorrect welding. Considering a press is a tool that is testing the strength of the steel, I wouldn't suggest you weld it unless you are a skilled welder.

No worries, I'm good and certified, just haven't had anything to weld on lately.

 

[2mJps]

I would look for some other way than welding it. I allso have some paper work.

 

[welder4956]

If you keep the existing bolts and weld it, you will not do any harm at all by welding the frame joints together and/or adding stiffeners. The frame is mild steel and it takes a lot to degrade the mechanical properties (e.g. fire damage or sustained heating over 800 F for days at a time). My papers are a bachelors degree in materials engineering and 30 years of metallurgical failure analysis experience.

 

[Classic car nut]

I welded mine and use it a lot and so far no problem. Stiffened it up nicely.

 

[trbomax]

Only doom,gloom,death, and destruction can possibly result from doing this!!!! Welding an unknown alloy with an unknown filler and a weldor that hasnt done it in a while????What?? No xray facilitys on site either?? Are you crazy? It will fail catastrophically and blow the roof off of your shop!Just think of all the legal problems your survivors will have!! Send it back to HopSing Waco and have the properly certified chinese gradeschool age kids that built it in the first place weld it as a project! Always consult a professional when altering such a complicated design!

 

[welder4956]

...and you'll shoot your eye out!!

 

[Murphy4570]

Just use some 6011 rod and and burn that steel together. I find 115-130 amps to be the sweet spot.

 

[trbomax]

...and you'll shoot your eye out!!

yeah,that too!!!

 

[alan camby]

If you keep the existing bolts and weld it, you will not do any harm at all by welding the frame joints together and/or adding stiffeners. The frame is mild steel and it takes a lot to degrade the mechanical properties (e.g. fire damage or sustained heating over 800 F for days at a time). My papers are a bachelors degree in materials engineering and 30 years of metallurgical failure analysis experience.

I am a nobody....But I am pretty sure that welding the points were the brackets meet will be near a bolt, and this will weaken the hardened bolts. Probably won't fail though. You are just adding welds to supplement the bolts... right??
I have always heard that the max temperature for grade 8 is 450 degrees F.

I am assuming that you will leave the bolts in while welding??
If i have to weld near a bolt in a strength critical joint, thinking automotive suspension, .... after it cools, I like to change out the bolt with a new one.

 

[fordbroncodave]

I would add metal to it to stiffen its looseness rather then weld the seems and existing bolt pattern.

I just bought a japan built 20 ton press on craigslist for $160, its very stiff but I can tell it was very well used and the frame is not 100% straight anymore from sitting on uneven ground. thinking about adding wheels

 

[lotsoftools]

I am a nobody....But I am pretty sure that welding the points were the brackets meet will be near a bolt, and this will weaken the hardened bolts. Probably won't fail though. You are just adding welds to supplement the bolts... right??
I have always heard that the max temperature for grade 8 is 450 degrees F.

I am assuming that you will leave the bolts in while welding??
If i have to weld near a bolt in a strength critical joint, thinking automotive suspension, .... after it cools, I like to change out the bolt with a new one.

I am planning on welding seams near the bolts, might need to add some extra metal here and there. The bolts are metric grade 8.8, roughly SAE grade 5 equivalent, so I will probably change those anyways.

 

[goodysgotacuda]

Welded my HF 20ton [and bolted] as soon as I assembled. No death or destruction as of yet.

 

[2mJps]

It was built to work with out welds. Thier is a bigger chance of it breaking next to a weld. I could be wrong is it made of usa steel or steel of ??? steel.I not looking for a argument. Just giveing my 2 cents. 24000 pounds is alot to be standing next to when things go wrong.

 

[welder4956]

I am a nobody....But I am pretty sure that welding the points were the brackets meet will be near a bolt, and this will weaken the hardened bolts. Probably won't fail though. You are just adding welds to supplement the bolts... right??
I have always heard that the max temperature for grade 8 is 450 degrees F.

I am assuming that you will leave the bolts in while welding??
If i have to weld near a bolt in a strength critical joint, thinking automotive suspension, .... after it cools, I like to change out the bolt with a new one.

Grade 8 bolts are quenched and tempered medium carbon or alloy steel (4140 or 4340) depending on whether they are SAE J429 Grade 8 or ASTM A354 Grade BD. As long as the bots are not heated above their tempering temperature, there will be no degradation of properties. Tempering is typically performed at 900 degrees F or above for these steels. It's not hard to keep the welds far enough from the bolts to keep them from having their properties affected.

 

[56rpm]

Weld the damn thing. They made it to be bolted together for shipping purposes.

 

[broinkrist]

My 12 Ton HF press auto-tilts when I press things too! My plan was to weld the bolted beams together when I get my welder up and running. Also I think a color change is necessary.

 

[aka Larry]

Only doom,gloom,death, and destruction can possibly result from doing this!!!! Welding an unknown alloy with an unknown filler and a weldor that hasnt done it in a while????What?? No xray facilitys on site either?? Are you crazy? It will fail catastrophically and blow the roof off of your shop!Just think of all the legal problems your survivors will have!! Send it back to HopSing Waco and have the properly certified chinese gradeschool age kids that built it in the first place weld it as a project! Always consult a professional when altering such a complicated design!

GJ is the internet version of OSHA. Anything you might do could possibly, maybe kill you, or the next person that comes along after you are dead.

 

[sk farmer]

Only doom,gloom,death, and destruction can possibly result from doing this!!!! Welding an unknown alloy with an unknown filler and a weldor that hasnt done it in a while????What?? No xray facilitys on site either?? Are you crazy? It will fail catastrophically and blow the roof off of your shop!Just think of all the legal problems your survivors will have!! Send it back to HopSing Waco and have the properly certified chinese gradeschool age kids that built it in the first place weld it as a project! Always consult a professional when altering such a complicated design!

while they are at it, have them drill those vent holes in plastic gas cans also. far too dangerous of work to be done on this continent.

 

[1953mercury]

Weld away, stiffer is always better. That's what she said anyway. Mike

 

[lotsoftools]

Well, I survived. Everything went well until the end. I welded all the joints I had originally planned on and it was great, really stable. Then I thought man, I should run an extra bead where the uprights attach to the feet (the H frame looking parts on the floor). Well anyways, that caused some warpage so now it rocks front to back slightly. At least it rocks as one piece now.

 

[brownbagg]

cant believe somebody told you not to weld it, its not going hurt anything, its not going blow up, or damage you, its only 12 tons, its not a nuclear sub. 12 tons aint ****

you did good by welding, I would even let my brother weld and he has never weld

 

[brianh]

Weld it. I can remember the compressor tank welding thread, that one had some legitimate concerns but it was fun to listen to all the "EXPERTS"

 

[trbomax]

I really hope you guys understand satire and that a good share of my responces are just that.I try to make it obvious but I guess some people just have no sense of humor.

btw,my whole press is welded,not a bolt in it,never was,but since I designed it and built it myself I will shurly suffer dire concequences when it explodes uncrontrolably and kills the nieghbors wife. Oh well, she wasnt that good in the rack anyway.....................

 

[fourkrings]

OMG! You just turned your 12 ton press to a 10 ton. What were you thinking.

 

[Brad54]

Well, I survived. Everything went well until the end. I welded all the joints I had originally planned on and it was great, really stable. Then I thought man, I should run an extra bead where the uprights attach to the feet (the H frame looking parts on the floor). Well anyways, that caused some warpage so now it rocks front to back slightly. At least it rocks as one piece now.

I have another brand of press, and it was welded together except for the feet, which were angle iron bolted on.
I got rid of them, and welded some 2x4 box tubing to the bottom of the uprights. I put a slim pie-cut in the outboard sides so that the ends of the feet were then wider than the footprint of the uprights.
Then I put adjustable leveling pads/feet at the four corners.

The increased height (about 6 inches taller) makes it much more comfortable for me to use, and the thing is rock-steady.

-Brad

 

[41ratrod]

If you want to make everyone happy drill all the bolt holes out to the next
larger bolt size and bolt it back together
I can't see anything wrong with welding it.
Good job . .

 

[cnc-me]

Weld the damn thing. They made it to be bolted together for shipping purposes.

X2
Finally, someone with some straight talk.

 

[56rpm]

Thank you cnc-me.

 

[lotsoftools]

I have another brand of press, and it was welded together except for the feet, which were angle iron bolted on.
I got rid of them, and welded some 2x4 box tubing to the bottom of the uprights. I put a slim pie-cut in the outboard sides so that the ends of the feet were then wider than the footprint of the uprights.
Then I put adjustable leveling pads/feet at the four corners.

The increased height (about 6 inches taller) makes it much more comfortable for me to use, and the thing is rock-steady.

-Brad

Thanks for the good idea. I have a stick of 1"x2" in the shop right now, I might use that.

 

[ezzzzzzz]

You guys crack me up. The freaking welds only affect strength between the top plate and the adjustable load bearing bridge. If anyone thinks that welding the legs to the top plate is somehow weaker than the cheap **** chinese bolts you're only fooling yourself. If the welds are only joining the legs to the floor braces it's is a total none issue. A 12 ton press is relatively light in a shop. I'd be far more concerned about the subject part getting spit out during a press than the frame failing. With my 25 ton unit I set my fixture and even place a sheet metal shield in place (safety glasses too) when forcing something requiring crazy pressure. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that cast steel or iron in a press, whether the item is the fixture or the working item, is a definate no-no. That **** can shatter spewing shards like a 'bouncing betty'.

 

[BMW Rider]

Only doom,gloom,death, and destruction can possibly result from doing this!!!! Welding an unknown alloy with an unknown filler and a weldor that hasnt done it in a while????What?? No xray facilitys on site either?? Are you crazy? It will fail catastrophically and blow the roof off of your shop!Just think of all the legal problems your survivors will have!! Send it back to HopSing Waco and have the properly certified chinese gradeschool age kids that built it in the first place weld it as a project! Always consult a professional when altering such a complicated design!

You forgot to mention his insurance company will refuse all claims now and in the future, plus they will come after him to recoup any past claims made even if there is no direct relationship to this action as it simply demonstrates he is a risky person and not worthy of coverage then, now or ever.