Black Frog Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Wondering what you've seen the going rates for a decent shape H-frame fly press, big style like the Hopkins 20 ton (not sure of the rating)... Similar to this one, this is from Ron Reil's flypress page, the blue Hopkins:http://ronreil.abana.org/hopkins4.jpg I see them listed at $1600 - $2000+ on ebay, but I'm guessing that at places like the Quad State tailgate you might find better pricing. What have you seen for something similar to pictured above? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 I have that identical press; mine was US$50 at a factory auction in Columbus OH around 2003 (+15% buyers reaming + $35 rigger charge to load it) Auction was of an telephone systems circuit pack manufacturer and nobody else was interested in the old school screwpress back in the corner of the tool room. One similar to mine was bought by a friend for US$900; it had been originally used in the Packard plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted August 7, 2012 Author Share Posted August 7, 2012 I know one other person that landed a Hopkins and mentioned $800, but I'm not sure when that price was paid. Could've been in the last few years, or 10yrs ago, which is why I ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 ThomasP and anyone else, wondering if you could tell me the degrees of handwheel rotation to take up the leadscrew slop and move the ram when changing directions? I've been told that if that internal leadscrew nut gets too worn, it can be large $ to replace that internal double thread nut.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I'll check; but I don't recall much if any slop on mine---it had an easy life. I got to talk to an old retired Tool and Die guy at the auction who worked in the WeCo plant when they bought my screwpress new in 1959. Said it was never used much as they got a hydraulic press soon after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I'll check; but I don't recall much if any slop on mine---it had an easy life. I got to talk to an old retired Tool and Die guy at the auction who worked in the WeCo plant when they bought my screwpress new in 1959. Said it was never used much as they got a hydraulic press soon after. I have a couple of fly presses, a 4 and an 8 and my experience mirrors that of WeCo...the fly presses gather dust since I spent £300 on a 12 tonne HiTon single acting (spring return) C frame hydraulic press. The no. 8 had cost me £350 a few years before... Unless you have specific use that only the fly press could do, you may consider cutting out an historic stage of the development of our craft and learn by others experience! Go straight to hydraulics! A wise man learns by his mistakes...but a lucky man learns by the mistakes of others! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Frankly I don't like the hydraulics I have seen used in smithing shops and *prefer* my screwpress for my needs. Just glad I could buy one cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Intriguing. What have you seen that you did not like? I found that the single acting 12 ton press was much the same as the fly press in action and just used all my fly press tooling under that. So that was bending straightening, punching, bowl making, basically anything I wanted fast blows/squeezes for. The double acting ( 30 ton down 15 ton up) Ward Forsyth mainly does the punching and drifting, 20mm up to 120mm so far... The 100 ton horizontal Finlay does all the big heavy stuff The advantage over the flypress (apart from using the power company energy rather than mine!) is that both hands are free for tool and workpiece manipulation like with a foot operated hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 The noise of the hydraulic pump. Light bumping when doing ornamental work, speed of cycling when coining and perhaps the fact that I have an unpowered shop also factors in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 The noise of the hydraulic pump. Light bumping when doing ornamental work, speed of cycling when coining and perhaps the fact that I have an unpowered shop also factors in! Luddite...Though I can see why the attraction would pall! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Nope I have *2* powerhammers and a Bader waiting on power; but I may have to move to get my next job and so have put off spending the money to run power until I see if I need it for the *next* shop instead. Should have mentioned that I'm cheap as well. My large H frame screwpress ran me about US$100... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Sorry to the OP to be easing off topic now but @Thomas what is a Bader? My part built new shop does not have three phase power so I am toying with the idea of either a big generator run on cooking oil or direct driving the hammers with a donkey engine and shafting. A friend over here has a Goliath (Little Giant type) hammer which he runs from a stationary engine, the interesting extra is having speed control. He has it in the shed next door and just the shaft comes through, just in case you were about to mention the motor noise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Bader a line of professional belt grinders for knifemakers. Every once in a while I break down and haul it 5 miles over to a place I can plug it in and do a lot of grinding on blades that have built up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.