Using a shop press - tips & tricks

[BigBlue1]

Seeing presses discussed in Big Barn's thread it got me thinking about all the things you could possibly do with a shop press. I've got a pretty nice 45t hydraulic press but pretty limited understanding of what can be done with it besides the typical 'push this out of that' or bend something straight use cases. I have used it to put a radius in pieces of bar stock that I needed for building some brackets by using two support blocks and a piece of DOM tubing repeatedly along the length of it, but not much more.

So, what types of things can you accomplish with a shop press? What tricks do you have for using them? What accessories (arbors, attachments, plates, etc.) do you find useful or "must-have"?

I know there are tons of folks around here with this type of knowledge so I'm looking forward to the comments!

Rob

 

[jthibodeau89]

Can use the press for broaching square or hex holes, and embossing or flanging thin plates and panels. I also have a Scag Offroad press brake fixture for bending plate.

 

[GLyford]

Broaching keyways...

 

[BigBlue1]

Do you guys have pictures of the adapters of these activities? Are they complicated?

 

[BravoXray]

I bought an Eastwood brake accessory, and after I made some modifications to it, it's a very handy thing to have for bending bar stock and sheets up to a foot wide, In fact I just used it yesterday ro make a mounting bracket for a battery maintainer on my Yanmar generator project.
It originally came with a die with a 90° V for bending, but I had a local machine shop make one with 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° angles. I really like that.

 

[jjeff]

Made a homemade press brake with some scrap I had lying around, it's one of those things you don't think you'll use it enough to justify buying one but but once you have one, you wonder how you did stuff without it. Mine works great using a 20 ton press w/ air over hydraulic jack.

 

[BigBlue1]

Interesting. I could certainly build something like that last one easy enough. Two pieces of stout angle iron and two pieces of DOM tube.

The Eastwood one looks nice too. Having multiple profiles would be useful.

This is the type of thing I'm looking forward to seeing. Thanks!

 

[jjeff]

Underneath the angle iron for the base is two pieces of c channel on the ends and a small I beam running down the middle I don't have measurements on them. But I tend to overbuild stuff. Imo if your going to be bending a lot of steel with your press a air over hydraulic jack is the way to go.

 

[BigBlue1]

Thanks. I saw that but forgot to mention it.

My press is a 45t air over hydraulic press. Not that I would bend a lot, but nice to have the capability. This one is 50t but same thing:

 

[Big Barn]

BigBlue here is a pic of using my press as a pipe bender.

In this photo I am bending up a set of handle bars for a Penny Farthing bike.

I will try to take pics of other setups and post when I can.