Shop press

[Dftodd]

The piece I was pressing shifted slightly at around 18 tons. Had some bearings that were a bear to press off. Giving them some mojo and the press blocks and shaft shifted. That bit of an angle caused the guide tubes to bend. At the same time the shaft shot out into the wall. Guide tubes were around a 22 degree angle when things settled down.

Think the one we had was purchased from Grainger, and the return springs road the guide tubes.

We replaced it with a 30 ton air over hydraulic. I beam is a little narrower but still able to fit the 3" od shafts. The way the piston mounts is much more stabil as well.

Had a 100 ton electric hydraulic st the last shop I worked for. That thing was insane. But it also came with a ballistic enclosure. Used to press bearings in and out for idler sprockets on a 24 ft trencher. Think ditch witch on mega steroids

Getting the old bearings out used to make that 100 ton press grunt used to get everything lined up with the ram holding tension on the the piece. Then would lower the ballistic shield and stand behind a cabinet.

 

[SPYDERLK]

The piece I was pressing shifted slightly at around 18 tons. Had some bearings that were a bear to press off. Giving them some mojo and the press blocks and shaft shifted. That bit of an angle caused the guide tubes to bend. At the same time the shaft shot out into the wall. Guide tubes were around a 22 degree angle when things settled down.

Think the one we had was purchased from Grainger, and the return springs road the guide tubes.

We replaced it with a 30 ton air over hydraulic. I beam is a little narrower but still able to fit the 3" od shafts. The way the piston mounts is much more stabil as well.

Had a 100 ton electric hydraulic st the last shop I worked for. That thing was insane. But it also came with a ballistic enclosure. Used to press bearings in and out for idler sprockets on a 24 ft trencher. Think ditch witch on mega steroids

Getting the old bearings out used to make that 100 ton press grunt used to get everything lined up with the ram holding tension on the the piece. Then would lower the ballistic shield and stand behind a cabinet.

Lack of rigidity + high tonnage + misalignment = Chain reaction.

 

[flingwing1969]

Still use my splitter for pressing- in addition to the new press.

about a week ago decided to straighten a bumper pull utility trailer's axle that I built out of an old boat trailer.

It was much easier to use the log splitter with add on push plate and a rail road rail for the axle to sit against for pressing the bend out of it caused by PO using the axle as a (jack) point.

The log splitters work great -but a deft hand is needed due to the hydraulics being under engine power.

It can be easy to (overdue) it in just a second -even feathering the spool valve

You removed your press plate photos. Could you repost them? I'd like to see how you did it.

 

[AWSubie]

The Harbor Freight 20 ton goes on sale with a coupon for $149 four or five times each year. Wait for the sale and get the 20 ton.

 

[dfkrug]

The piece I was pressing shifted slightly at around 18 tons. Had some bearings that were a bear to press off. Giving them some mojo and the press blocks and shaft shifted. That bit of an angle caused the guide tubes to bend. At the same time the shaft shot out into the wall. Guide tubes were around a 22 degree angle when things settled down.

Yeah, that sounds dangerous!

Even before I bought my 20T press, I bought the 12T HF pipe bender. I find that tool to be almost
useless. It may be able to bend pipe, but it flattens and dents it, too.

 

[BigBlue1]

I found a 45 ton Big Red shop press on CL about 2 years ago and got it for a song. An older guy used it for a retirement hobby business pressing plastic pieces through dies into custom cases in his basement. He was mainly just happy that someone would come and disassemble it and take it out of his basement. I'm sure it's way overkill for anything I might want to do but I'm OK with overkill. I really do need to read up on best practices for how to use one of these things because this has the potential to throw crap out with a lot of force if things go bad. If you were closer to me I'd be happy to let you do your tie rod fix with it.

Mine looks just like this current model 50T version but is 45T:

Rob

 

[Dftodd]

Yeah, that sounds dangerous!

Even before I bought my 20T press, I bought the 12T HF pipe bender. I find that tool to be almost
useless. It may be able to bend pipe, but it flattens and dents it, too.

I was eyeballing the pipe bender and was wondering how well it actually worked. Guess I'll save my money.

I checked out uTube and found this. I see what your talking about.

Harbor Freight Pipe Bender - YouTube

 

[newbury]

The Harbor Freight 20 ton goes on sale with a coupon for $149 four or five times each year. Wait for the sale and get the 20 ton.

Like now
Harbor Freight Tools Coupon Database - Free coupons, 25 percent off coupons, toolbox coupons - 20 TON SHOP PRESS

 

[sd455dan]

You removed your press plate photos. Could you repost them? I'd like to see how you did it.

yeah i was a bit embarrassed at the quality of my work-
the old HF mig was giving me some feeding problems when i welded it up years ago.
also the design could be better to minimize the chance of pressure put on the splitter blades edge, I maxxed out the splitter on some bushings that were stuck and IIRC it did dull the edge that day.

mine just grips the wedge by compression of the 5/16 bolts and lock nuts

anyway here are the pics again



also the inside - used a bi-metal blade and saws all to give a little clearance to the wedge edge

 

[flingwing1969]

I was eyeballing the pipe bender and was wondering how well it actually worked. Guess I'll save my money.

I checked out uTube and found this. I see what your talking about.

Harbor Freight Pipe Bender - YouTube

Mine works very well. I bought a HF engine stand and welded the bender to the stand so I would be at waist height and easier to use.