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I Forge Iron

Cheating FP throat depth


Dave Clarke

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Hi all,

I have recently decided that I shall find myself a fly press. Having seen one in action, and (not) hearing it operate, I think it is an amazing machine.I like the flypress because of its accuracy, versatility, and it is so amazingly quiet I can use it in the evenings, even in suburbia. And, it can hit much harder than I ever could with a hammer in hand.

What I will mostly be using it for is making armour. Rarely thicker than 2mm (14g) sheet, usually mild, usually 1.5mm (16g) or 1.2mm (18g).

A 6" throst on a C frame is pretty right for almost all of the tasks I'd be asking of it. Unfortunately, some of the components, such as the breastplate, are much larger than double the throat of nearly every press I've seen. The largest single piece of armour has a greatest span of about 24 inches. These components are most usually 1.5mm thick.

I saw something similar to the below picture as a solution to being able to do bowls in an H frame.

Pressidea.jpg

I've been thinking it through, trying to find al the problems with the idea. Here's what I came up with:

1: The bar A-C need to be sufficiently strong not to bend and absorb the force that should be going into the sheet steel. No problem really, a bit of 2" square bar should be stiff enough.

2: If the ratio of AB:BC is too great, then too much force will be directed into point C than the hammer face. Solution would be to possibly have the tool turned 90 gegrees to it goes out the side of the press rather than out the front, so that the ratio is close to 1:1.

3: The bottom bar would need to be bolted down. No brainer.

4: The bottom bar and the 'hammer arm' would need a spring to return the arm to the 'up' position. No brainer.

5: The junction at C would need some thought so as not to fail mechanically.

Can anyone think of anything else? Indeed, has anyone ever done anything similar, or even different to overcome the same problem?

Cheers,

Dave

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They're no where near as common over here as the normal throat ones and generally go for a lot more, somewhere around £300-£400 on e bay compared to say £50 to £200 for normal ones. They are WELL worth the extra. Photo shows another rare type. I'd say if you've got the space and the price is right get both as soon as you see one. They're so versatile and having both types means you can do SO much more thatn the "normal" ones. There's also a tall throat variant I'm going to get one day. Flypresses are definitely in my top ten favourite tools.

I could see this type being VERY useful for armour

post-11205-072387100 1281790466_thumb.jp

post-11205-036042200 1281790469_thumb.jp

post-11205-079683000 1281790471_thumb.jp

post-11205-033401600 1281790474_thumb.jp

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Can anyone think of anything else? Indeed, has anyone ever done anything similar, or even different to overcome the same problem?
Dave,
The press will wish to lift and tilt back on its hind legs under pressure so maybe bolt the press and new outer anvil to the same baseplate.
But you may have covered this in the above list and I did not notice.

Maybe these guys could help?
http://www.factoryhu...es&TabID=202700

Ric
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John Little in East Dover NS uses a similar tool in a 50ton H frame hydraulic press to tie knots in 1.5" round bar and lots of other jobs. His is very simple, but it is a long time since I saw it. There are two bars on the bottom and I think the top bar hinges just with a fuller in the top bar resting on a round bar.

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John Little in East Dover NS uses a similar tool in a 50ton H frame hydraulic press to tie knots in 1.5" round bar and lots of other jobs. His is very simple, but it is a long time since I saw it. There are two bars on the bottom and I think the top bar hinges just with a fuller in the top bar resting on a round bar.



Tie knots in round bar with a press? Id like to see a photo sequence of that! one of my standing projects for my dad is to tie a knot in some 1" pipe.... I haven't got it dont satisfactorily yet, but I have tried a few times
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If you can, try finding a "deepthroat" flypress. I'd be lost without mine

post-11205-020865700 1281778436_thumb.jp post-11205-079525800 1281778793_thumb.jp


I don't mean to hi-jack this tread but just want say you have great ideas with what to do with all your presses. I have seen your posts here and other sites. Have you given any thought to do a book or DVD? Thanks for all your great ideas!
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I don't mean to hi-jack this tread but just want say you have great ideas with what to do with all your presses. I have seen your posts here and other sites. Have you given any thought to do a book or DVD? Thanks for all your great ideas!


Thanks Harold, great compliment there but to be honest I'm really not qualified and would be totally put in the shadows by some off the people here and elsewhere. Nothing I do is really very innovatitve, I just hoover up ideas, usually from others and I'm still on the steep part of the learning curve. Maybe in 10 or 15 years!!! I do however know another expert on this site who knows bucket loads about powerhammers and forging etc and I keep saying he HAS to right a book.

PS, I just find flypresses wonderfully adaptable tools.
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Tie knots in round bar with a press? Id like to see a photo sequence of that! one of my standing projects for my dad is to tie a knot in some 1" pipe.... I haven't got it dont satisfactorily yet, but I have tried a few times

Larry,
Fill the pipe with dry sand and weld up the ends leaving a little weep hole...just in case it ain't real dry sand (steam=pipebomb)..should move a bit more like solid.Thick wall tube works better.

Ric
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If the base for your press is large enough and the press is bolted down solid you could make bar a-c into a fork on the c end letting it extend to the sides then to the rear of the press frame. This would allow to to get a positive ratio working for you. If you can extend the ends of the fork past the piviot point C you could counter weight the back end to keep the center of the bar at point B againts the ram of the press on the upstroke. Please understand I have not done this on my flypress but I have used a similiar set up on my hydraulic press. Really just helping you brainstorm. Phil

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Tie knots in round bar with a press? Id like to see a photo sequence of that! one of my standing projects for my dad is to tie a knot in some 1" pipe.... I haven't got it dont satisfactorily yet, but I have tried a few times

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures. I know he demoed it at Caniron 3 in Saskatchewan, and I saw the tool in his shop a year later.
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