7 replies to this topic

[Fe-Wood]

Ok, So its a long process lots to learn and do.
I have found some great remnants that I can turn into 2 presses for what I thought 1 would cost.
I have 2 different jobs, one for each press.

I'm thinking about tooling and how to set it up. 1 press will be only for punchin holes. I would like to have quick change capabilities so if I wanted to slit and drift one piece, bit changing would be a mater of seconds.
What have you guys found that is easy to work with?
I learn better by seeing than reading so pictures if you have them

Thanks!

[kcrucible]

Fe-Wood, on 02 September 2010 - 10:56 PM, said:

Ok, So its a long process lots to learn and do.
I have found some great remnants that I can turn into 2 presses for what I thought 1 would cost.
I have 2 different jobs, one for each press.

I'm thinking about tooling and how to set it up. 1 press will be only for punchin holes. I would like to have quick change capabilities so if I wanted to slit and drift one piece, bit changing would be a mater of seconds.
What have you guys found that is easy to work with?
I learn better by seeing than reading so pictures if you have them

Thanks!

Not that I have any experiance with hydraulic presses, but it seems to me that what you want is a basically an upside-down Hardy Hole socket with thinner walls than an anvil (1/4"? 1/2"?) and a bottom to push against the tool you've inserted. Insert your tool FULLY into the socket (so that it's pressing against the top plate) and drill straight through it from one side to the opposite. Insert a strong rod into the hole, and maybe put a ring on one end to tie a chain to and to grab. This key now serves to keep the punch from sliding out of your socket. Pull the key, pull out the tool, insert a different tool, re-insert key.


It seems like it'd work great. Low-tech, but reliable.

[ianinsa]

I have a press with a simple quick change system copied from a hand operated punch like Mubea.
Chek out your local tool suply place because if you use a tried and tested system you can also buy their ready made up tooling for some aplications. Regards Ian

[Randy]

I have a two cylinder, 60 ton press. I can either use flat plates that drop in and lock in place or flat plates with angle iron welded to then that allow 1/2" plates to slide in and out with what ever tooling I want to attach. You can check out my youtube videos to see how it works. Just do a search for "hydraulic forging press". This works well. Only problem I have is that I have so much tooling that I need two more racks to put them on.

[Fe-Wood]

Thanks for the ideas

Randy-
I have watched your videos more times than I care to admit... How do you index punching, slitting and drifting tools? Your use of plate based dies will be what I base my "h" frame press on. I'm also building a "c" frame press dedicated to joinery type work. I'm wondering if I want to go with a collar type setup with a side set screw. The base fixtures are also something I want to be able to index easily with plumb piercing as well as angle piercing.

If you have tooling that deals in these areas, I'd love to see it

[Randy]

I haven't had any jobs that required punching through or drifting, but have had items that had to be squished at the same place on each revolution or position. I just made a slider bar on the front of the press. It's a solid bar on the front with a bar at 90 degrees that slides over it and locks in place. I have one slider that is just straight and another one that is shaped into a V that the work slides into. This way I can move the slider back and forth for positioning on center and the work slides right into the V. I see some other videos on youtube with punching holes so I'd study them for more detail in that area.

Check out this site: http://blacksmith.or...ers-and-Presses Grant and Larry have some great info, photos and videos of presses in action!

[poleframer]

Since you are designing, and building from scratch mostly, why not incorporate some ironworker type aspects to your plans? A couple stout levers (perhaps removable) could increase pressure at some points, speed in others, maybe a shear?

[Fe-Wood]

poleframer, on 05 September 2010 - 03:52 PM, said:

Since you are designing, and building from scratch mostly, why not incorporate some ironworker type aspects to your plans? A couple stout levers (perhaps removable) could increase pressure at some points, speed in others, maybe a shear?

There's some food for thought.... I have found a junk yard that could supply this kind of stuff.... If I talk to them on the "right" day