I've started construction of a hydraulic forging press of about 24 ton.......5" dual action cylinder, 11 gpm pump, 5 hp 220v motor. Control valve is a Prince 4 way center open that I'll attach to foot pedals instead of the regular handle for operation. 10 gallon oil reservoir tank has a 10 micron suction filter to be inside and an outside return line filter. A pressure gauge attaches to the control valve on the high pressure input side from the pump. High pressure hoses, 1/2", connect the control valve to the two in ports on the cylinder and the valve to the pump. Low pressure hoses connect the tank to the suction side of the pump and the out port of the valve to the tank. All this came from Northern Tool for $1134.15 delivered by freight truck the other day. I bought the wire, switch, plug, etc for the motor at Home Depot for $40. This morning I went hunting for the hydraulic fittings to make all this hook together properly. Grainger didn't have the stuff in stock, but they referred me to another shop who referred me to a third place locally. That place had everything I needed and fit each piece to the parts I had to make sure they were correct. Another $207 (including motor/pump couplers and 5 gal of hydraulic oil), but that was over $100 less than Grainger or Tractor Supply Co catalog prices. Lucky I got sent there. The frame material I had already, left over from other projects or got for free so I don't count any cost for that. Welding materials and other stuff will bring the total cost to less than $1500 it looks like. I'm using the manual by Jim Batson as the primary plan along with the youtube video by Randy McDaniel for the design. I decided on having the cylinder on the bottom to push up to save on frame material and to keep the weight low for balance. The framework is 4" square tube, angle iron, and 3" I-beam, with quick change die setup. Photos will be forthcoming.

Couple of things jump out at me. 1/2 inch pipe is way too small for 11GPM. Use 3/4 minimum. And 10 micron suction filter? Way too fine for the suction side. Suction screens are usually rated by mesh size.

Check out this thread at Don Foggs:
Help! Hydraulic Press Explosion - Bladesmith's Forum Board

Thanks for the link about the other guy's press. The low pressure return line from valve to filter to tank is 3/4", the valve ports are 1/2" so Batson recommended 1/2" hose. I was wrong about the suction strainer...it is in fact 100 mesh.

I checked my figures and 11GPM is right at the top end recommended for 1/2". Part of the problem is that with 1/2 inch pipe there are always restrictions that are smaller in the system, 3/4 would be better and would cause less heating of the fluid. But 3/4 inch components are more expensive.

To get a visual of just what 11 gallons per minute is, put a garden hose in a 5 gallon bucket. Mine fills up in about 1 minute, that's five gallons per minute. 11 is more than twice that. Now imagine it going through a 1/2 inch pipe plus restrictions. Yeah, it's really moving.

Started assembling the frame of the press

Richard ,, goin' for a bottom push instead of the top push i see


Dale Russell

Nice job Richard! Great piece of equipment to have.

Dale, either that or I'd have to turn it the other way around.....:)

thanks for the post richard and thank you nakedanvil for the other info. I am in the planning stages of building a press using equipment that was salvaged from a forklift. I am not sure how much I will be able to get done with it but I want to build it so a future retrofit to bigger pump and hydraulic cylinder will be an easy job. working on a limited budget now so I have to use what is here already the ol lady is still crying about the 700 bucks I spent on a set of yater blocks.

One thing to keep in mind about the two-stage pumps is that their gpm rating is typically at 3500 rpm and not 1750. So an 11 gpm pump yields 5.5 gpm at 1750 rpm and the 16 gpm pumps yield 8 gpm at 1750. This permits gradations. For example if the motor you're using is the lower rpm, and you find the 5.5 gpm too little, you can probably change to a bigger pump cheaper than a faster motor. I have an old K R Wilson press with a 5" cylinder that is sunning just fine with a 3 hp 1750 motor running a so-called 16 gpm pump through relatively small steel lines quite effectively. But I dare not install a 6 hp 3500 rpm motor without enlarged steel lines. And my 3 hp 3500 rpm motor on the shelf might work with an 11 gpm pump with the K R Wilson lines, but I really doubt it.

Just like when developing a power hammer, I'm finding that developing a press takes a good set of notes about combinations.

John, I have a 5 hp 3450 rpm motor to run the 11 gpm pump.

I fabbed up the cart for the press assembly and set the press frame up on it. Then I spent the rest of the evening getting the motor and pump shafts lined up...shoulda just got that mounting adapter frame thingy for the motor. Progress is slower than I anticipated but it's coming together.

Notes??...like in music?

Edited November 8, 200916 yr by rthibeau
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rt be sure to cage the love joy coupling...i hope it is stout enough, we used chain and cog drives on hyd. units....be carefull buddy, jimmy

I have had presses with the chain connectors and now use the lovejoys because log splitters use them and my farm store stocks them. They sure seem to work. As for the "notes", humor accepted. :-) I have many notebooks filled with my ramblings and sketches; find it very helpful to keep design notes and evaluations.

The bottom platen on your press may need some longer guides on the sides, IMHO. I've had to learn that the hard way on my own machines. Off-center pressing will quickly inform you if its needed. On Randy McDanial's video you can see the movement.

Edited November 8, 200916 yr by John Larson

Good point on the guides, I planned to watch that carefully and add to it if necessary. I've still got a lot of welding to do yet so maybe I will do that now.......also add on the reinforcing angle iron, rails for the tank to sit on, cover for the motor/pump, etc.

Final assembly and test start.....it works!!!!!!!!!!! Gotta finish attaching the switch and finish the pin striping, but next step is a test squish........tomorrow!!

great rt, your eather a very sick man or color blind.....but we love ya any way....jimmy, have fun buddy!!!

Good job Richard, nice and neat!

Bill

well done and a quick build.

Richard love the color, can you get it in Purple?
I would really like you to post your results from using the press. I have trouble with the concept of the work piece rising with bottom die during the pressing phase, or am I just seeing monsters in the closet?

nah, mate..no monsters in the closet, just Dale..... The press IS purple, with pink pin striping. When in use the bottom die is a couple inches from the top die so no real difference there in going up or going down..you get used to it in about two minutes. A benefit of having the cylinder on the bottom to push up is that the weight (and there is a lot of weight) of the whole thing is centered low for better balance and the frame is shorter thereby using less material. Also, hoses are shorter and neater.

Alrighty then. That's one mean looking squasher. Love the color. Congrats. :D :D

First item out of the press....a hammer billet by steve sells.....squared up and eye evened out. It needs more etching to bring out the pattern so work continues on it.

Slick!!!!..........................................................................

What is that dark streak in the face? Pink pin strips? Yellow goes with purple, everyone knows that. By the way do you know how Steve's son is doing?

Bentiron - That face is a checkerboard of billets - Steve put lots of work into the pattern of the hammer billet - hard to tell without actually seeing it. - Richard - WoW that looks lots better than the last time I seen it - looks good !!!! oh so does the press - now I better get mine in the works - JK

Edited May 24, 201115 yr by jeremy k