there's this cherry deal on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/WATERBURY-FARREL-Screw-Press-Fly-Press-20-TON-/150487543488?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2309c1aec0

i have a smaller Farrel fly press, and think highly of it . Now.. here's it's big brother !!

Can anyone tell me what the second flywheel directly above the handle is there for? Got me stumped.

Weight,as in inertia would be my guess.
It would perform the same function as those balls you see on most other fly presses.

It's used to tighten/loosen the clamp at the top of the handle allowing you to position it anywhere around the rim of the flywheel.

I have a guess that it is for adjusting the handle location? Another flywheel, that doesn't turn, as a weight seems kind of strange. A cast iron ball would be easier from a design/manufacture standpoint.

I`m guessin` it`s an add on as it doesn`t look to be consistent with the other flywheel.Looks more like a flat belt pulley someone pressed into service so they wouldn`t have to search for a wrench.
Those cast iron balls are hard to come by as we all know.Takes years of experience and much hard work to find never mind own a matched pair of cast iron balls.I speak from experience.

And no,I ain`t givin` mine up,not for any price.

Does that flypress on ebay look like it has too high of a TPI count to be really effective for forging? From what I understand, you would probably want the quicker speed that a lower tpi would give you.

Sask, that was my thought too. More of a screwpress than a flypress. OTOH I have really enjoyed my screwpress in my shop!

I have one exactly like it other than the following exceptions: Mine has the original cast iron legs. However it does not have the nice fly wheel . it has a single cross bar with cyllndrical weights.

Go to Google Books and search Waterbury Farrel ( Foundry) . On page 139 of their 1896 catalogue ( I think that date is correct) you will find this press with a short description.

My Waterbury Farrel is a die test screw press. This screw press was designed for tool room use to test dies to be used in fly presses. The screw is 2 3/4" in Diameter and is a two start screw with a pitch of 1 1/2" . As it turned out this machine works just fine for me even without the faster pitched screw. I actually think This press is a better match to the way I work than a faster screw would be. It is a bit more sedate in it's action while still having a very powerful stoke. The master die makers for whom this machine was designed were probably much more deliberate in their work than fellow production workers, and probably often worked alone, but still needed a strong fast press action. Mine weighs 1,700 pounds.

I am uncertain when a screw press becomes a fly press. Perhaps someone can enlighten us on that point. But the catalogue calls it a tool room screw press. I think that it is a good compromise between power and speed . However press rating is not given in the catalogue , I have seen no literature supporting the the 20 ton rating claim . Having said that: If there is hard data I would like to know about it. Any way you look at it this press is no wimp. I suspect that the fly wheel would make it even more effective than mine.

ever since i've seen this press.... i've been wondering about making a powered fly press out of it.
It would be a nice project to try... as most of the "stuff" is already provided. (ie: that big flywheel has nice surfaces for the "add-ons"..... )
Hmmmm..

My Waterbury Farrel is a die test screw press. This screw press was designed for tool room use to test dies to be used in fly presses. The screw is 2 3/4" in Diameter and is a two start screw with a pitch of 1 1/2" .

Just to pick a nit here: We all know what you are saying, but I just wanted to nit pick the terminology a little. "Pitch" is the distance from one peak to the next. "Lead" is how far it will travel in one revolution. I presume you actually have 1-1/2" lead and 3/4" pitch with your two-start thread.

Just to pick a nit here: We all know what you are saying, but I just wanted to nit pick the terminology a little. "Pitch" is the distance from one peak to the next. "Lead" is how far it will travel in one revolution. I presume you actually have 1-1/2" lead and 3/4" pitch with your two-start thread.

Grant, a worthy nit picked,

Just to pick a nit here: We all know what you are saying, but I just wanted to nit pick the terminology a little. "Pitch" is the distance from one peak to the next. "Lead" is how far it will travel in one revolution. I presume you actually have 1-1/2" lead and 3/4" pitch with your two-start thread.

"
Thanks Grant. Yes "Lead".