LawnJockey Posted May 19, 2016 Share Posted May 19, 2016 I have a Norton #6 coming in and I have to build a bench for it in the next few days. I would greatly appreciate seeing what others have done so post some photos. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakesshop Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Here's a picture on my #4 just after I refurbished it. A #6 might be to big to go on a table with wheels like mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted May 20, 2016 Author Share Posted May 20, 2016 Nice. I have 4 36" 6"x 6"x 3/8" square tube drops from a project a while back that would be perfect for legs. I agree about the wheels. Yours is a beauty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Greetings Jake,/ Lawn Jockey Super nice restoration., Now lots of tools to make.. It's cool to use your fly press to make tools for your press.. You will find the wheels are great for transport but you will have to anchor it to the floor or the wall.. Lots of energy ! Forge on and make beautiful things Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wroughtnharv Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 The table was picked up at an old Southwestern Bell surplus sell in Dallas for $250.00 if I remember right. It was a working pallet jack that moved up to ten thousand lb reels of telephone cable in the factory in St Louis. When I was done with making a cable reel trailer that was a self loader I had this chunk of iron left over. It became a catchall. Any flat surface 28" X 46" around me becomes a catchall. The deck was machined 1 1/2" plate with 1" X 2" bracing a hundred percent welded underneath. 800lbs of great table when things need to be shaped with hammers, leverage, and heat. It is the perfect base for the P-5 from Kane and Sons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 I have table envy. I got a 3'x4' piece of 1/2 plate for my top. The legs are 6"x6"x3/8" square tube. Additional bracing is 2"x2"x1/4" angle. I assembled it upside down so tomorrow I will flip it over with the loader and weld the few spots that are better accessed from above. Then it is time to drill some holes. Then it is fun time getting it in my temporary shop and even funner (I will always be grateful to W for increasing my vocabulary) will be getting the press on top of the table. I haven't measured it yet but I believe if I take the roll bar off the tractor I can get everything in place using the forklift tines on the loader bucket. If that doesn't work I will have to get creative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevan Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 I got it in the temporary shop using the tractor. As expected I had to remove the roll bar to get the tractor to fit. Excuse the mess, we were just stuffing things from one side to the other trying to get it in. I will work on bolting it down tomorrow and then setting up a plate for tooling over the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy k Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 What is the height of the table of the fly press before adding an additional tooling plate? I'm guessing 36-40"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 The table top is currently 29 1/2" but will be 30" when the pads under the legs are installed. The base of the press is 4" thick. So that will be 34". The tooling plate will be 1/2" thick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 You may want to put a hole through the plate before securing flypress to it so any bits/slugs that go through the centre hole (particularly if punching) do not build up and cause problems, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted June 3, 2016 Author Share Posted June 3, 2016 Yes, a 3" center hole is in the plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wroughtnharv Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 2 hours ago, John B said: You may want to put a hole through the plate before securing flypress to it so any bits/slugs that go through the centre hole (particularly if punching) do not build up and cause problems, Uh, great idea. I had a punch fall into the hole when changing it out and it took some real work to get it out. I barely fit going in and didn't want to fit coming out. I was ready to get the tractor to lift the press when I tried one more time with the .035 mig wire noose with success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted June 3, 2016 Author Share Posted June 3, 2016 At 850 pounds I don't want to lift it any more than I have to. How are you guys fastening the tool plate? I have been thinking about two different approaches. The first is to get some large flathead machine screws, counter sink them and sleeve them so as to fit the t slot snugly. Then for the nuts make something up like a unistrut nut. The other thought is to use large allen screws. I would drill the plate with two holes large enough to clear the screw heads. Then I would plug weld a steel strip the width ot the t slot across the plate underside. Then drill clearance holes for the allen screws. Again, make some nuts up like unistrut nuts. There are several variations of the two approaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 I remember moving into my shop out here by chaining the pallets to the trailer hitch of my pickup and pulling them across the desert and into the shop one by one. Luckily I could still drive out the other end at that point...My screwpress is on the factory table and that is bolted to 4"x4" skids with the ends trimmed to make runners. (and that is currently on round stock rollers. Doesn't move much in use, surprisingly.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 8 hours ago, LawnJockey said: How are you guys fastening the tool plate? I have been thinking about two different approaches. The first is to get some large flathead machine screws, counter sink them and sleeve them so as to fit the t slot snugly. Then for the nuts make something up like a unistrut nut. The other thought is to use large allen screws. I would drill the plate with two holes large enough to clear the screw heads. Then I would plug weld a steel strip the width ot the t slot across the plate underside. Then drill clearance holes for the allen screws. Again, make some nuts up like unistrut nuts. There are several variations of the two approaches. I used strips of steel the width of the T slot and as thick as would fit and move smoothly in and out, by a couple of inches long, drilled and tapped them for screwthreaded rod, and had various lengths of said rod for different tooling, Cheap version of T nuts and studs, you can use more to set up length stops etc or add extra clamps, you will need nuts for the threaded rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted June 3, 2016 Author Share Posted June 3, 2016 Great minds think alike. The upper portion of the T slot is a little over 3/4" the lower portion (The top to the T) is 1 1/2". I am going to weld two pieces of 3/4 square bar together in a cross. One piece will be 1 1/2" long and the other maybe 3". Then I will drill and tap them where they cross. Simple almost instant T nuts. My main concern it that I may knock the tooling plate out of alignment when loading heavier pieces and thus there could be some troublesome variation, like with railing parts. If the T nuts alone don't make it stout enough I can always clamp on additional 3/4 material to the bottom of the plate, remove the plate and weld them on on the ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeeko Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Made mine with 3" thick-wall tubing legs and I-beam top frame. 1/2" plate top with tapped holes for jigs - haven't seemed to use any of them so far. I left a wide hole under the center and added an adjustable platform underneath to use it as a traditional press. Has been great for pressing hammer handles, bearings, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caotropheus Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 I got the stand together with the press. The stand is made out of flimsy angle iron that I reinforce a bit with flat and square stock. It is bolted to the concrete. I made the stand top out of wood because I had no money to buy a metal plate. The "fly wheel" bar of this press is 1.5 metres long. Stand metal frame is 90 cm tall x 90 cm long x 56 cm wide. The stand top was made with 5 cm thick boards I had available. Since I am a small guy (only 1,60 m tall) I am ok with the press height. But my sons are 1.82 m tall and have problems with the height of the weights (that I am changing now to lead weights to make them a bit more compact). If I knew that today, I would have added 10 cm more to the total stand height. 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.