JHCC Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 The industrial surplus warehouse near me has a couple of hydraulic presses listed under the name of "inverted press". They look like they have fairly complete hydraulic systems with pumps, controls, etc all complete, and for the price (about $150) look like they might be a reasonably affordable entry point into hydraulic pressing. It looks like they push/pull a shaft up through a hole in the center of their top, but I have no idea how this was used originally or for what. I won't post the commercial links here, but here are a couple of images: My thought is either to flip one of these upside down (invert the inverted, as it were), or to cannibalize the cylinder and the works and make up a new frame to hold them in a more conventional arrangement. Any thoughts about what I should be thinking or looking for? Or indeed, running away screaming? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 I've thought about those too John and think they'd be good if for nothing else than experimenting. I've always wondered how a horizontal forge press would work in a practical sense. I wish I lived close enough to go on a walking tour, the guys taking pics aren't interested in what I want to see. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianc Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 Those are typically used for pulling bushings into bores. Part on table, run ram up thru hole and bushing, split ring driver and keeper on top of bushing and pull it home. Much safer since stuff cant fly with a rod thru the hole. I've designed a few over the years. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 21, 2019 Author Share Posted March 21, 2019 I suspected it was for something like that. In other words, when the press is under load, the connection between the top and the frame is under compression. So, even if the mechanics are good, there’s a decent chance that I’d have to make up a new frame that would be strong enough to withstand the tensile forces that might tear it apart. Or make some kind of setup that goes on top of this, to pull the top die down from below, rather than pushing it down from above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 How fast and how powerful? As for horizontal presses; a bunch of them have been made from log splitters; Horizontal presses are often referred to as "bulldozer" presses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 21, 2019 Author Share Posted March 21, 2019 12 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: How fast and how powerful? No clue, other than to note that the gray one has a 1hp 115v motor, and the blue one has a 1.5hp 115/230v motor. (They're both also single phase, which works with my wiring.) Can't see the cylinder sizes in the pictures. brianc, any thoughts on typical sizes/speeds/powers for these beasties? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fowllife Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 It looks like they have a 4 ton multi press for the same cost (actually $160), although it's 3 phase I would think that would be a better option for you. With either a phase converter or a new motor it would still be pretty cheap. A "pull" type press would take a lot of work to make useful. You could do some calculation based on motor size and guessing on cylinder size. I would guess they are in the 1-2 ton range? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 How well do "bulldozer" forging presses work? You see used log splitters for pretty reasonable up here and heck a new one is a couple few grand. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 bulldozer press site:iforgeiron.com had 16 hits; might "hit" one of them up to see. I think a lot of it would be what you plan to use it for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 24, 2019 Share Posted March 24, 2019 But if I look it up myself, it'll be a setback for my efforts to modernize my research techniques. <sigh> I'll have to look deeper but not seeing anything about converting log splitters but I've only spend an hour or so and have to do dog stuff. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 24, 2019 Share Posted March 24, 2019 So you are saying you own your own dog; but do your own barking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted March 24, 2019 Share Posted March 24, 2019 My dogs think they own me, especially around dinner time or when Axle the puppy brings me his squeaky toy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 On 3/21/2019 at 11:13 AM, Fowllife said: It looks like they have a 4 ton multi press for the same cost (actually $160), although it's 3 phase I would think that would be a better option for you. With either a phase converter or a new motor it would still be pretty cheap. Knowing how things work at this place, $160 for a Denison Multipress means there's something significantly wrong with it. Presses of that size routinely go for $900 or more. On the other hand, this 110-ton beastie is on sale for a mere $31,999! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerryd Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 (edited) On 3/20/2019 at 7:07 PM, Frosty said: I've thought about those too John and think they'd be good if for nothing else than experimenting. I've always wondered how a horizontal forge press would work in a practical sense. I wish I lived close enough to go on a walking tour, the guys taking pics aren't interested in what I want to see. Frosty The Lucky. Horizontal forge press? This one works for me so far: Edited April 1, 2019 by kerryd another pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy k Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 On 3/23/2019 at 9:23 PM, JHCC said: On the other hand, this 110-ton beastie is on sale for a mere $31,999! You would probably be pressed to get a good forging speed out of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 Update: the first of those forges sold fairly quickly, but the second stuck around long enough to get marked down below $50. I've been in touch with the seller, and I'm picking it up tomorrow. I will probably start a new thread about its modification, which I will link here once that project is underway. As Frosty said to me in a PM discussion, "It'd be worth it just for the motor and pump. A slow hyd forge press will still do an amazing amount of work." I'm hoping he's right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 I've acquired the press and started a new thread about its modification: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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