Mini Hydraulic Press

[Ken Kelley]

This is my version of a mini hydraulic forging press first introduced in Don Fogg's Bladesmith Forum by T.A. Toler. T.A. had a wonderful idea and several of us have built various take offs on his original concept. It's motivated by a Harbor Freight 20 ton air over hydraulic jack. Does a bang up job of smashing billets of pattern welded steel, as long as you keep the size within reason. My first effort was an 11 layer billet of 1/8" x 1&1/4" x 5" 1084 and .058 15n20. The machine easily handled the 1+" billet so I could probably get away with 13 or maybe 15 layers. Sure beats swinging a heavy hammer all to pieces!

[Bentiron1946]

I like that. Looks pretty simple to make.

[ApprenticeMan]

Ken that is awesome, great work how fast does it work?

[hammerkid]

you should do a bp? I really like that

[Ken Kelley]

Originally Posted by ApprenticeMan

Ken that is awesome, great work how fast does it work?

Sam,

I can get 5 or 6 good squeezes in every heat, sometimes more if I'm lucky. I keep the dies adjusted close to the work so I can maximize the "speed of squeeze". I use a 5 hp 26 gallon Sears Craftsman compressor to power the jack. It has an air flow rate of about 5 cfm at 120 psi with this jack. Might be able to get more speed if I had a bigger air compressor. However, it works a xxxx of a lot faster than I do with a 4-pound hammer and the tendonitis in my old feeble shoulder is doing just fine.

ken

[LarryM]

Ken,
That's good looking press you build, nice work. What kind of steel are the dies? I like to the scale sheild that you have to protect the jack ram seals, great idea. I've wanting build one these also for quite sometime. I think with the proper dies you could do forging, and maybe light punching.

Thanks for sharing.
Larry

[Ken Kelley]

Originally Posted by LarryM

Ken,
That's good looking press you build, nice work. What kind of steel are the dies? I like to the scale sheild that you have to protect the jack ram seals, great idea. I've wanting build one these also for quite sometime. I think with the proper dies you could do forging, and maybe light punching.

Thanks for sharing.
Larry

Thanks, Larry. The dies are mild steel I had laying around the shop. I will eventually try to track down a little tougher steel for the drawing dies because I think the mild steel will wear rapidly in use. Yes, it can do forging easily and that's why I built the beast. I'm starting to make pattern welded steel and that is impossible for me just using a hammer. The types of dies you can use in the design is limited only by your imagination and the physical size limitations of the machine. The 20 ton jack provides a lot of power. It is certainly not a replacement for a full size hydraulic forging press but it does a heck of a job on this first billet of 1084/15n20 I welded up. I think I could even go larger than the 11 layers I started with.

Where's Clifton? I grew up in Monte Vista down in the San Luis Valley. Went to Adams State College in Alamosa and UNC in Greeley.

Ken

[bipolarandy]

I dont get it , how did you hook up a air compressor to a jack ram? could you explain?

[Ken Kelley]

Originally Posted by bipolarandy

I dont get it , how did you hook up a air compressor to a jack ram? could you explain?

In the picture of the back of the mini press you'll see a silver cylinder attached to the back of the jack. This is an air motor which has a piston that drives the hydraulic fluid. The air motor does the same thing the jack handle does in the manual mode only much quicker and with far less effort than doing it by hand. Harbor Freight and Northern Tools sell the air over hydraulic jacks for about $70 when you catch them on sale. If this one wears out I'll get another one just like it.

[Finnr]

The jack is an air assisted hydraulic available at HF. HAndy little items.
Finnr