I have placed an order for a flypress today and I've been searching the archives for tooling and have not come across much of a consensus when it comes to steel to use for the tooling.  Some people are using 5160, others are using H13 or S7 even though they may be hard to forge to shape.

 

I'd love to find something that air or water hardens, but is a bit more forgiving on the forging side.  As far as tool steel goes I really only have experience with W1 for cold chisels, etc.

 

What do you all use / recommend?

What kind of tooling will you be needing? Punching slitting deep incising does profit from using the high alloy steels Like H13, S7.

Bending, fullering, etc will probably do fine with medium carbon steels

What kind of tooling will you be needing? Punching slitting deep incising does profit from using the high alloy steels Like H13, S7.

Bending, fullering, etc will probably do fine with medium carbon steels

 

For starters I will probably be experimenting with hot work including punching, slitting, possibly some texturing.  As time goes on I will move onto cold bending of sheet steel; maybe some dishing.

Greetings Dan,

 

Their is no general answer for your question...   I probably have more tooling for the flypress and use it in ways that require various tool steels..   For most hot work I use H-13...  Smooth die work  4140...   S 7 some cold operations and other low carbon steels for bending and forming...  Welcome to the wonderful world of flypress and special tooling...  Which flypress did you order ?  I assume you ordered it from OWA..  You will need to make some basics first before you can even start with impression tooling..  If I can help ring me up...   I have made several post in the past on my tooling ...

 

Forge on and make beautiful things

Jim

Thanks Jim. I was looking at the #5, but after talking to Terry it sounded like the #4 does virtually the same amount of work, but doesn't have as much depth. So I ordered the #4 because I'm looking to do mostly bar stock and smaller things.

I know that there is a bit to do before I start getting fancy, I was just hoping there was a common way of doing things like what you said about H13 for hot, S7 for cold, etc. More of a general guideline.

I've had the press for a few weeks now, but just finally got around to building a stand for it. Made from 1/4" angle for the legs and 1/4" flat for the braces. Came together fairly well, had to shuffle things around in the shop to make room.



Now to make some tooling.

what size is the throat for tooling shaft to lock into??  I have a No 6 flypress and it takes 1" round shafts, yours should be smaller so I recommend getting some H13 rod of the correct size and make it into whatever tool you want.  Alternatively, use mild steel of the correct size for the shaft and weld larger H13 for a tool to it.  To get   what you need for tooling, the amount of H13 isn't that much.....pay for it and be happy in the long run.

The throat is 1" as well. I had them throw in an adapter for 3/4" as well. I picked up a bunch of 1" bolts that I'm thinking of using as the shanks for the tooling.

Greetings again Dan,

 

Just a few suggestions ....   You will need a beefier stand for your press..  You could also weld a 1in plate to the bottom for weight and strength.  I prefer an old machinery base with some beef to it....  I suggest when making your tooling you design it like mine with thrust plates so that the stress is on the face rather than tools bottoming out ...  You will find that the handle is a pain and I have designed a much better user friendly one that works well..  Next base plates ... one flat and one with a hardie hole for bottom tooling..   Lots to do ..  If I can help in any way let me know...

 

Forge on and make beautiful things

Jim

Welcome to the world of fly pressalogy!! I use mine all the time! Great tools! I agree, your stand is nice but it may be a bit on the light side. I have mine set on an old type setting table that I attach to the wall to keep it from shifting as I use the press. I use a 1" thick steel bolster plate that Is attached with "T" nuts and counter sunk allen bolts so the whole surface is open. The bolster plate has threaded holes for strippers to be bolted to and bottom tooling to bolt to. It also has a 1' hole drilled in line with the top shaft. Repurposed 1" bolts are great for shafts. I found some grade 8 at the scrap yard. The heads can be used for a number of tooling blanks. I use 4140 for fullering and such. I made a few slitters from H-13 but find they tend to "drive" if not ground perfectly on both side. Slot punches work best for me. Spend the time to make good tooling and I wouldn't make tooling just to make it. I would make what you need for the task at hand. As you learn more about how the press works, you likely will adjust how you make your tooling.

What about the stand is small? I tried to mimic Ron Reil's stand and I think I came pretty close, but so far there are two of you saying it is too small. I definitely would like to fix any issues sooner than later.

I'm thinking the top may flex a little and the legs could twist like a spring when working the press hard. My table weighs somewhere around 150-200 pounds  with a 275 pound fly press on it and it moves quit a bit (twists and flexes) if not bolted to the wall. I made my base from 1.5"x3.5"x1/8" wall tube.

 

I would use it and see how it works out. It may be just fine the way it is.

A heavy stand also keeps them from "walking" while you work (especially on a concrete slab). My flypress came with its original stand and it had a tendency to walk under heavy work until it finally settled into my dirt floor.

I would break the sharp corners on the top plate. Its no fun getting stuck by a sharp corner when moving around the shop.

The throat is 1" as well. I had them throw in an adapter for 3/4" as well. I picked up a bunch of 1" bolts that I'm thinking of using as the shanks for the tooling.

I make my high alloy punches and chisels directly from grade 8 bolts. They work very well and I have them in stock. 

Most bending and forming tools can be made from A-36 unless high volume of use is expected.

I use 6 or 8mm rubber under the legs, Any twist or movement will return to the original position.My Fly Press has been in the same position for 30 years and is not bolted down, however, it is a solid base/ table weighing nearly as much as the large press.

 Does  any one have a quick fix for making the collars to go around the 1" shaft to take the weight and stop the shaft mushrooming in its hole, or do I have to keep on making rings out of square stock and welding them on?

I am in the process of designing my tooling for a quick change between my fly press with 1" socket and my hyd. press with 40mm socket in the ram.

Greetings David,

I have been using simple machinery shaft locks for years on my tooling.. They are available from many suppliers and are quite reasonable.. Just taper the ID and weld to the shank... Check out the tools I posted.
Forge on and make beautiful things
Jim

Jim C:

Good moveable handle adaptation!

Jim C.

Could you please repost your pictures of your moveable handle adaptation for the fly press and some of your flippers tooling. The images seem to have got lost since the IFI upgrade.  I just ordered a #4 from OWA and would like to see the handle modification that you use

 

Thanks

Mark

My brother in law had a shop with about 30 "Fly Presses" of assorted sizes up to a 75 ton one.  they all set on rubber pads and never moved, he had one moved in by Riggers and they didn't put the pads in and that thing would wonder all over the place.  Jacked it up slid in the pads and it never moved again.  Some had set there Since WWII!  These were not all that thick either maybe 3/4" to start.  Wish I had kept a few when we cleaned out the shop and scrapped most of the machines.  Nothing was ever bolted as he told me they would snap the bolts even on rubber, but rubber alone they  were fine. 

I would think that the original "Cast" adjustable bases would work best all around.    

"cleaned out the shop and scrapped most of the machines"

Oh the pain! Oh the pain! Oh the terrible terrible pain!

It hurts a bitter much to read such sacrilege.

I don't even think about what happened to the tooling and machinery that was in Dad's shop when he got closed down. One too many employees and literally over night he owed back taxes for every employee he had for a decade. The shop and everything in it got auctioned.

End angry rant about revenuers.

Frosty The Lucky.

I once worked in a custom woodshop where the owner strictly held to "one person under the number that required OSHA inspections".  He had a lot of EXTREMELY beautiful, heavy duty industrial woodworking equipment---most of which was about 100 years old and so would give OSHA palpitations just to see it.  Funny the only lost time accident they had the couple of years I was there was from the most modern piece of equipment in the shop the brand new tech 10 HP 37" belt sander---with the most modern worker too.  I was in my late 20's but even then I knew that safety is in the worker's *head*; not bells and whistles on the machines. The early 20's dude had a learning experience in that field. (and soon an invitation to seek work he might be better at---bleeding on the wood was a no-no...)  My boss was big on safety as it directly impacted his bottom line as owner and boss;  so the day I came in after spending all night helping with the birth of my first child he told me my job that day was to sit in a corner and NOT TOUCH ANYTHING; so I would get paid but not cost any money in accident recovery.

Edited July 9, 201510 yr by ThomasPowers

IIRC, Cal. changed the allowable number of employees and Dad didn't know it till it was too late. I think the newest piece of equipment Dad had was his pickup truck and the Sears Robuck buzz box welder. Everything else was made pre-1935 and I got to learn at a young age how to start one and keep the flat belt on the pully. OSHA would've just locked it up.

Frosty The Lucky.