August 14, 201213 yr Thinking about getting a press for my knife making for folding steel etc... Thinking about gettting a 30 ton for cause I couldn't find a 25 ton. Is a hydraulic press ($429) much better than a pneumatic press($385) or would a pneumatic/hydraulic combo ($539)be better.All in australian dollars.
August 14, 201213 yr We need a bit more info... I have my doubts that any press that is under 600 bucks will be fast enough to be a "good" forging press....
August 14, 201213 yr Speed and force is what you are trying to maximize; none of your information covers 1/2 of that equation. More details please!
August 15, 201213 yr Sounds like you are talking about the shop presses, those are very different than a forging press.
August 15, 201213 yr Author Have come across hydraulic presses doing damascus billets etc... Want to use it for general stuff around the house as well. Don't have to much to spend at the moment as I am still getting set up at home, have a forge that I have to get a blower for, Need a workbench, vises and a bigger anvil, tongs. So take a while. Only 19 so don't have a lot to spend and still learning about a lot of the tools and equipment. Have drills, saws and just got a bench grinder with linisher attachment. Here are the presses I am looking at http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/Hydraulic-Press-Manual.
August 15, 201213 yr OK *NONE* of them are suitable. You might look on the net for homebuilt presses for forging. As I mentioned they need quite a bit of speed to be useful so you are looking at a pretty hefty hydraulic pump to produce the GPM needed. Those presses are general light duty items spec'd for things like pressing bearings.
August 15, 201213 yr I don't like to be discouraging but you're a long way from knowing enough to even ask the right questions about a forging press. Heck, as it stands you'd do much better buying a log splitter, making the dies and using it in the off time to split firewood for sale. To be fast enough you need a dual action set up. The ram moves fast till it hits resistance, then it puts the grunt to it. 30tons? Awful darned wimpy for forging, minimum in fact. I could generate more useful force with a long lever and drop weight at the end. Slide the piece between the dies and pull the rope, BANG the weight lands on the lever and you have some big down squashen. Pull the rope again the weight falls on the floor and a spring lifts the lever. NO, I'm not suggesting you build such a gizmo. My most serious suggestion is to learn the craft, heck before you start making blades. Bladesmithing is a pretty specialized arena of blacksmithing. It isn't some super specialized thing but it does require more than your beginner can usually bring to the game. It's a fine goal, nothing at all wrong with wanting to make blades, it's just a lot trickier and demanding than most folk think at first. Don't worry, at 19 you have plenty of time to get it all going for you AND you have this bunch of grimy old farts behind you. With a line up like that how can you fall short? Frosty The Lucky.
August 17, 201213 yr Aden get in touch with Drewy, he lives in Tamworth, and is a trade served blacksmith, talk to him about what you want to do and what you are thinking of getting. You could PM him from here, or look in the phone book, he teaches Ind Arts at a high school further north than tamworth that starts with a U. Phil
August 17, 201213 yr Aden please talk to me before you go buying equipment, don't go buying a log spliter as this can be dangerous if not modified and used correctly. :( :( :( Cheers John.
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