15 Tons adequate forging press?

JC in SC

JC in SC

Joined
Feb 28, 2009
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It looks like I might have an opportunity to pick up a 15 ton Dennison C frame style press. If this comes to fruition, it might even be FREE! The caveat is that I will have to move the thing about 60 miles to my dad's shop. I don't have a firm number, but it has been estimated to weigh about 3 tons. Certainly doable, but not as simple as throwing it in the back of a pick-up. The question is whether or not this would be an adequate forging press for relatively small, mostly folder-sized damascus billets. I'm typically of the opinion that most things that are both operable and FREE are probably worth picking up, so if it is truly available, I'll most likely take it. I can probably find something to do with it even if it is just to sell it later on. I'm just curious if it will be usable for making damascus. I certainly don't expect it to be a high production press. As always, comments and suggestions are appreciated.
 
Force isn't the main factor ( but it is a good thing). A 2 pound hammer can forge damascus.

What ,matters most a press is ram speed. How fast is the unit you are getting? Pump sGFPH, motor speed and HP, cylinder size ( size matters more than length, but that is a discussion for another post).
 
I'm hoping to go look at it tomorrow, so hopefully at a minimum I can get some model information.
 
the smaller the surface area of your dies/fullers, etc. the less force will be required for a given workpiece dimension.

i've often wondered whether - for small bar stock - something like an arbor press, but with a camming lever instead of a rack and pinion would work. a guy my size [not a big guy] could probably put over 2 tons / square inch of force into a ram with a 4' lever. ah, daydreaming.
 
That is basically how a flywheel pres works. The problem is they are not really suitable for blade forging or damascus work. If there was no need for ram speed, any HF bottle jack could be made into a press. Many have tried, but few have worked suitably.

Now, as to your question:
As a practical rule, 20 tons is the norm. A 10HP gas wood splitter can be converted into a press fairly simply. 5HP electric will run it quieter. Jim Batson published a booklet on building your own hydraulic press. It is available from the ABS, and on ebay. The book is full of tables and how-to stuff.
http://www.americanbladesmith.com/index.php?section=product&subsection=product_details&product_id=30

Depending on your abilities and how good you scrounge, a good press can be built for $500-$1000.

Don't pass up on the commercial units too fast. The price tag seems high, but they are made to run day-in day-out with little problem. The Big Blue Hammer, Clairborn press, and the Iron Kiss ( and others) are worth every penny of their cost.
 
I wasn't able to make it by to examine this press today, but I did call the Denison factory to inquire based on the serial number. I'll confirm on Tuesday afternoon, but if the serial number is legit, it is only a 6 ton press (built in 1955) according to their records. It was previously used to actuate trim dies in a die casting operation, so 6 tons makes more sense than 15. A little disappointing, but I'm still going to check it out just in case.
 
i've seen an example of an old press like that [manually opperated flywheel] in use on youtube at some point. it seemed to move fast enough for the user
 
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