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Converting an inverted hydraulic press into a light-duty forging press


JHCC

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11 hours ago, Fowllife said:

I would also think lock tight would be a good idea on both the nuts holding the cylinder together.

You can see from the photo a couple of comments up that some previous user applied some two-pound loctite to the ends of the tie rods to keep the nuts in place. 

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Update on Parker: my local supplier got back to me with a quote of $28.97 for a set of four rods, which is ten bucks cheaper than getting two 3' lengths of 5/8-18 all-thread in B7 from McMaster-Carr (although six bucks more than the same all-thread from Tacoma Screw Products). However, they want $4.14 for each nut, whereas McM-C wants $8.49 for a pack of 25 nuts in Grade 8 and Fastenal wants $0.98 each.

When I spoke with Parker, I had specified that the threaded section be longer at one end, to accommodate the "bolt on the head cap, then bolt to the table" arrangement. I've emailed my guy at Parker HQ about how long that section is, and then I will probably order the tie rods from my local supplier and get the nuts either from Fastenal or McMaster-Carr.

The work continues.

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Further update from Parker: the extended threaded portion will have about 2-3/4” of usable thread. I’ll need 1/2” (for the top nut) + 1-1/4” (to pass through the top) + 1/2” (for the nut holding on the head cap) = 2-1/4”. 

From the top of the head to the bottom of the cap is 12-3/8”, so 12-3/8” + 2-1/4” + 1/2” for the bottom nut = 15-1/8”. The tie rods are 15-1/2”, so that gives me 3/8” extra, or 3/16” on either end. 

I grabbed a 5/8-18 nut at my local hardware store, and it fit the tie rod perfectly. Thread pitch confirmed.

I think I’m good. I’ll place the order tomorrow. 

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Okay, I’m going to start right out and say that Fowllife/Tom was incredibly generous with his time, skill, and supplies today. He torched out the center hole: 

04887415-C2BF-40B9-9743-EFAD0BEBAE33.jpeg

Drilled out the cylinder mounting holes:

732DE82C-F635-4262-BFDE-AE06A99F4576.jpeg

Welded the top joints of the frame:

766C2188-A22B-4AD9-8EA5-512A31476F6E.jpeg

And the frame to the table:

A2770DF8-9CAD-48F2-A809-619D5212C84B.jpeg

With great success!

68F7C8B7-F435-450F-A4E0-E8E86635E2DE.jpeg

A grand time was had by all (and there is no way I could have gotten any of this done on my own).

A6C29D8F-F69F-4E68-BB36-84928A1E09D7.jpeg

For those who are interested, the welds were a root pass with 6011 and then 1-2 passes with 7014. 

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Switching out the old bolts for the all-thread that arrived yesterday from McMaster-Carr. The doubled nut on the one rod is for spinning it down into the lower cap with a speeder wrench. 

602D0EC2-A433-40F3-AD4F-B37B0204B509.jpeg

We’ve got clearance, Clarence!

4743320E-005F-4F26-90D8-9D5DDC460DF2.jpeg

Next step: fettling the center hole and making sure the mounting holes line up with the bolts. 

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I'm getting excited John. While you're fettling everything I'd probably degrease, scuff and paint the ram in my shop colors. I know it's cosmetic but with all the work you've put into that beauty she deserves a NEW DO for the new job. Don't you think? Ask the missus. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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On 6/24/2019 at 10:14 PM, Frosty said:

But the grade is the grade and all screws fail at the threads in tension. I'll rest on this one.

I wouldn't. The way I see it, the manufactured part has irregularities, and a proportion of these are at the weakest point, the ID of the thread. The longer length of product at this ID the greater chance these defects occur there, making a chance to fail at a lower than expected tension.

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