JPH Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Howdy!! Well after 11 some years I can squish things...FINALLY finished that 84 ton hydraulic press.. YeeeeHaaaaa!! I can see a whole lot of potential in this thing as well as a lot of danger. Well it's just like any other power tool. Get your head up your keester for a second and it'll bite ya... I can see how this is going to cut down on some time a troubles with several processes, namely fullers, centre ribs and "T" backs... This was an experience, I will say that. I still have some small stuff to do like clean up the wiring, remove the electrical tape and replace it with wiring nuts and stuff like that, install better on/off switches and well that'll be it..oh and grease the thing up... All in all it is done. JPH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Congradulations, please post photos when you get a chance so we and drull. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candidquality Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Blueprint to soon follow? Congrats. I hope to see some interesting things from that little toy of yours soon. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted January 5, 2006 Author Share Posted January 5, 2006 Blueprint??? Oh no...this is a "build as ya go" thing...I just slapped the frame together out of some really heavy I beam...welding the xxxxxxxxx out of it and built a big "O" with all sorts of re-enforcements and other goodies...This is more of a jigsaw puzzle than anything. All and all, it is done, it works so all I have left to do is leak stoppage and then figure it out as far as what to do with the thing. I do see a lot of potential...it is a lot of power... JPHEdit: words edited Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candidquality Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 forging new custom anvils? :shock: :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted January 6, 2006 Author Share Posted January 6, 2006 Well I got it all put together, greased up, topped off the hydraulic fluid and stopped all the leaks I could find and fired the puppy up. Ok..first impression is it is slow...but that is not a bad thing with this much raw power. The amount of control is to me amazing when comapred to my LG. My first thoughts about using this in conjunction with my LG for drawing I feel are correct. I think this will do a better job as a "final dimension" tool than my LG could be. This and the fact that using the limit switches and foot pedal I can pretty much "dial in" the size I want. Keeping the faggot straight is very easy as well as maintaining uniform thickness. Much easier than with my LG, which figures given the limit switches. I feel this is much more accurate than an air hammer. This should allow me even greater control as far as patterning. Now I am thinking out all sorts of dies for this thing. I see a lot of versatility in this beast. Over all...it works!! JPH Here's a pic (ok it's pretty grainy but what the heck) of my press that I just named Julius Squeezer.... Caption should read...after 11 years...it's done.Edit: photo posted on request. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan B Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Congratulations Jim. Do I see the possibility of a new book such as " More Damascus Patterns". Hope you have a good time with the new machine. How about some pics of the metal mangling monster for the rest of us to drool over. Alan Brazzel :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmusics Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Dear Jim your post sounds very interesting- indeed! Could you please send some pics so we could se your new "tool"? Thank you in advance and good luck! Regards, Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Jim That is indeed a nice press, but is it not a little narrow for most uses, like walnuts, bearing raceses, and the kid pressing his leaf collection? :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Gold Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Look at it this way Glenn... anything he can fit in there, he can SQUISH. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 Hello: Yeah I am squish things,,,boy can it...it's scarey all that power but now I have to make new dies and all..I was hoping that I would be able to use the dies I already have but no...seems that the regular "spring dies" that i use are not suitable for a press..it makes the impressions off center. Sigh Anywayone know where I could get a deal on some D-2 that's like 3" wide and 2" thick??? JPH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle7 Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 May be a bit of a silly question, but what can you use a hydraulic press for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 castle, jims press is a one use designated press. In a job shop they are used for pressing tight things apart, for straightening shafting and such, for pressing on bearings and collars, for putting many tons of pressure on hot and cold forming dies, for bending and shaping, for just about any thing you want apart or together that has or needs a tight fit. generally speaking a few ounces of pressure on the hydraulic valve will generat many tons of pressure on the item under the ram of the cylinder. the brakes in vehicles are hydraulic, power steering is hydraulic, hydraulic jacks are used to raise heavy items. a small amount of pressure will be multiplied many times by a hydraulic system Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candidquality Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 how about using as s7 or is it s6? something that's supposed to hold up to a shock. (i think it's S7) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted January 11, 2006 Author Share Posted January 11, 2006 Castle: What ever I want to use it for...All it is, well is shear, pure power/force. So far I have been puttering about with pattern flattening in laminate, fullering and centre ribs. enough puttering to know that my spring tooling will NOT work under it for several reasons, the big one is alaignment. So I will have to make dedicated dies for it. No big deal if I can FIND what I need. Candid: well, the reason I want D-2 is I "know" that steel and this is what I used for the die material for my spring dies I am using now...Methinks that I might have better luck trying a different steel The size I need is 3" x2" x 12"...this will give me enough material to make a top and bottom die that are identicle (mirror reverses) and if I design the plate correctly I can do sping laoded a captured die and well, have as close a tolerence as I can get...No off set cross sections... As for impact, these isn't any, the ram moves about 2" a second, it is more stress loading than impact. So I think I might look for H-13, 414X or something similar, as I am having no luck finding D-2 at a decent price or the size I need.. The first dies I will be making will be centre rib dies for spears, swords and daggers, followed by a 1/2" tennon die and then the fullering dies. The amount of control, even "free style" without the limit switches is amazing. Talk about an even surface... JPH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candidquality Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 how about 6x6x2 or do you really need the length? I'll see what I can find laying around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted January 11, 2006 Author Share Posted January 11, 2006 Candid: well the 12" would be ideal for what I have in mind as for a center rib die all I would have to do is run the end mill down the center lengthwise and I would have the proper alignment when I whack it into 2 6" pieces. Would be easier that way.. But if all I can find is 6" long pieces I could do it one at a time I guess. Depends upon what I can find..no luck as yet really..found one place that wants like $100.00 US for a piece that size..Sigh... JPH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted January 13, 2006 Author Share Posted January 13, 2006 Howdy!! I finally found some die steel (thanks to Jim Joyce from the CBA) and it is on the way!! Got two chunks of S-7 which should work ok I hope...that will be enough for two sets of dies.. Now I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas.. JPH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandpile Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 DR JIM Hello-- I have some 2" or so diameter shafting in 12" length. It probably is 4350 or 41 40 or some such number. I might be able to find out exactly what it is. It came out of a feed truck in the feedyard. You can have a couple of pieces, just for the freight. If you are interested. Glad to see JULIUS up and running. Chuck Bennett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted January 21, 2006 Author Share Posted January 21, 2006 Sandpile: Thank you for the offer, but on something like this I want to know exactly what I am dealing with. I for one, when I am dealing with this much force, well..voodoo metallurgy is not my idea of safe. All in all I will be making dies this next week, had a few pieces to get out to pay the usual tariffs around this place. On the press, I have found that the bark on the faggots is, well nastier than the usual mill scale. This stuff is more tenacious than a terrier. Eats fresh belts for breakfast. Still even with the added PITA of the more stubborn bark, old Julius is still saving me about 1 hour a blade so far and I have yet to tap into the "mainline" as they say in using this thing to its fullest potential. This press makes dimensional forging a snap, all I do is set the limit switches and hit the pedal and a squeeze later, there it is. Smooth as pond water on a calm day... So the first matter of busines will be centre rib dies, after that some dies to make my warhammer and axe heads a bit easier to forge out. I am starting to have some fun with the beast.. JPH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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