Chris Pook Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 just as the title states, I friend has a older good shape, fly press that he is willing to sell, he figures a its a #6, but I just wanna make sure so I can judge the price compared to the new ones. if its a #5 or #6 its a good deal.but any smaller and its gets questionable when for a bit more you can buy new. I was looking at weight of the press but this one is a bit different of a style, there is no table cast out under the head its made to be bolted to a heavy plate with what looks like 4- 1" bolts and has a 3" x 4" bar that slides in and out of the c frame under the head that has a built in tool holder for setting rivet heads or holding tools. It also has 2 cast balls for weights instead of the flywheel. standing up without the handle the top of the press is at least 3' of the ground. The screw is at least 2" in diameter. Any ideas or places with photo's older presses too I can compare ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 How many leads does the screw have? Can you post a picture somewhere? The "bolts to a table" sounds a bit strange as flypresses create tremendous forces as they bottom out and reverse and bolts sound like a point of failure. Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Pook Posted August 23, 2006 Author Share Posted August 23, 2006 The lead screw appears to be a 4 start thread, I know it is a flypress for sure...in that aspect of it, when I moved the handle the ram moved down very quickly with no effort and barely any handle movement. The part that bolts to the table is 4" + thick and solid. by looking at the press it seems it was intended to set rivets on larger items, possibly rings, because you could set it up on the edge of a table and have the tool bar that slides out sticking out with a setting tool in its holder, letting you set rivets on large items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Pook Posted August 23, 2006 Author Share Posted August 23, 2006 Its a Sweeney flypress made in england, trying to find more info on it.from what I gathered you are suppose to work off the slide out and swappable tool holder. looks like it wouldbe very versatile to use, for riveting scroll work and stuff together along with all the other work normally done. ok found a pic of one its bigger than this one. Karner & Co / GoIndustry - International Auctioneers and Valuers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Thomas Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Chris: I don't know that particular flypress model, but it sounds like it is a #4 or larger. The number is supposed to reflect the force which the press is designed to develop in tons, the same way hydraulic presses are rated. The current crop of new imports are nice; just be aware that their numbering is a bit on the optimistic side. A new #6 flypress is about an old #4. Usually you can find a number cast somewhere on the press that reflects it's rating. Things to look for: 1) Make sure that it turns easily the entire height. It should literally float from the highest position to bottom by itself... or at least with minimal prodding. 2) Make sure that it doesn't bind when bottomed out vigorously. This can be a sign of bad/broken threads. 3) Check that the screw has no play or slop inside the casting. 4) Chips or cracks. These can be indicative of abuse. A broken casting is worthless. I know of no inherent advantage to buying an older flypress over a new one, so if the price is close, go for the new one. I have an older one with the handle and ball arrangement. The 360 degree wheel would be SO much easier. Enough so that I might try to change mine out some day. Hidden costs: New ones don't come with a table. You must make or buy that, which is not a trivial cost. Shipping and/or tax: Unless you connect with a vendor at a big meet (such as SOFA coming up) you will pay a big chunk in shipping for a new one. And a vendor is supposed to collect tax if you buy on site at an event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Pook Posted August 24, 2006 Author Share Posted August 24, 2006 Thanks Ed, its seems to be in decent shape, the ram is a bit dirty and gets a bit sticky near the bottom but I sprayed some wd40 on it to clean it up and it got better. Its been sitting in a shop for sometime now so it has dirt and grit all in the threads and guides. The owner said I can take it home for a week and try it out, he's a friend of mine, its not set up though so I'd need the time to rig up a base for it and some quick tooling to try it out. I'm guessing its around a #5 if the weights of the new press's are used for comparison. The cast balls a probably around 40lbs a piece maybe more (seemed heavier than my 6 year old and she weighs 45lbs) plus the weight of the handle/crossbar is at least 20lbs so that'd be 100lb of weight up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Thomas Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Chris: You can't ask for more than that... a trial run. It is probably better to use a thin machine oil than WD-40. To free the press up completely, you might have to take the screw all the way out and clean/degunk the internal threads. If it's not too much trouble to you, it is probably worth the time because you can inspect them for damage. If that feels like too much trouble, then just generously douse the threads with lightweight machine oil (even that household 3 in 1 oil should be fine... though machine oil is usually available in a hardware store). Keep working the screw while dribbling oil down each of the threads. Eventually, it should feel friction-free and float up and down. When you get it to as near that point as it will get, then drive it fairly vigorously into something. Put a blunt top tool in it and run it into a bar of steel, for instance. Not like you're trying to destroy it, but pretty aggressively. Now check the feel of it again. If the internal threads are broken anywhere, they will compress against the screw and act like a brake. If the screw turns as freely as it did before you bottomed out, then the threads are probably fine. If not, it is probably not worth buying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Pook Posted August 25, 2006 Author Share Posted August 25, 2006 Thanks for the tip on how to test the threads. the wd40 was just what we had right on hand at his shop. I'll pull it all apart and clean it all up, I never had the weights on just the handle when I was spinning the screw, I was being cautious as it was not bolted down just sitting on the floor, and it seems to be more the guides sticking than the threads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 WD40 works great as a *cleaner* to get old grease/oil/dirt out and then you lube with a real lubricant. Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Pook Posted August 25, 2006 Author Share Posted August 25, 2006 WD40 works great as a *cleaner* to get old grease/oil/dirt out and then you lube with a real lubricant. Thomas yep good old grease/oil/dirt remover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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