brian

Rough sketch Matt but I think you'll get the idea. Cam Press - Blacksmith Picture Gallery

I'll see if I can get a sketch up Matt.Might take me a while to figure out how to upload it.

Another thought(lot of thunkin' going on here) I get my trusty gas axe and angle grinder and carefully cut a cam out of 3/4 inch or so plate.Cam to go from 0 to 2 inches in one revolution, approximately same amount of travel as a flypress. Attach cam to shaft made of torsion bar to give it a bit of flex and put a fly wheel on the end of shaft . Make a ram with a roller on top end so cam won't jam (hopefully) when I spin the fly wheel.Bore a hole in the other end to take tools. Mount it on a two pillar frame with a substantial plate under the ram Reckon if I adjust the ram so the flywheel gets some speed up before it hits the steel it should give the same force as a fly press. You think this might work or would it just destroy itself?:cool:

You may be right Nuge. Much as I hate buying stuff,I like making it, but the cost of cutting a 4 start thread is more than buying a second hand press .Add to that the time spent making it plus the chance that it may not work and I may be better off buying one. Then again...... might phone a few of my old mates and see if I can find an old lathe or some other machine that has a thread of the right type on it,must be something that uses similar lying around somewhere. Just goes against the grain to buy stuff. ;)

OK Folks, Have located a couple of presses but the cost of freighting them from one side of Australia to the other is prohibitive. If I could get a 4 start thread cut internal and external, would it be possible to make the frame from some heavy pieces of steel,I've got some old axles made of 3" solid square stock that have a 90 degree bend on each end which I'm sure have been bent not welded. Would any of the learned gentlemen be able to calculate how thick the steel would need to be to withstand the force of the screw? Alternative would be a two post frame which I guess would be simpler to make though not as convenient to work with. Guess it all depends on the cost of the thread cutting?:confused:

Can ye learned gentlemen (or ladies) tell me how far the shaft would travel vertically on a fly press at one revolution of the screw. Know there are all sizes so not a huge industrial press just a one man press used for general blacksmithing.:confused:

Thank you, one and all for your input.

Hi People, I'm trying to find a fly press, Anyone know if there's a company in Australia that imports these? Thank's Brian

Hi, Been trying to make Renaissance Wax but can't find a source of polythene A wax in Australia. Does anyone know where I can find it here? Is there another name for the wax? It's probably in the hardware shops but may go by a different name in the land of Oz.