Keeping dies clean on a press

DanGraves

DanGraves

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
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I just got the press from Riverside machine. Did some upgrades on it before I ran it such as hydraulic fluid filters and a air breather filter. Then a better on and off switch as it came wired with a 120 on and off switch that just turns off one 110 supply on the 220 motor (leaving one power line hot at all times). Than I started running it. Great power but the dies are mild steel and they get very built up with scale. Does anybody have any good tips on getting less scale on them. I replaced the dies on my power hammer with 4140 steel and I never have scale build up. is it the mild steel or is it just that presses do this?
 
DanGraves said:
I just got the press from Riverside machine. Did some upgrades on it before I ran it such as hydraulic fluid filters and a air breather filter. Then a better on and off switch as it came wired with a 120 on and off switch that just turns off one 110 supply on the 220 motor (leaving one power line hot at all times). Than I started running it. Great power but the dies are mild steel and they get very built up with scale. Does anybody have any good tips on getting less scale on them. I replaced the dies on my power hammer with 4140 steel and I never have scale build up. is it the mild steel or is it just that presses do this?
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I don't think that your hammer dies are in contact for long enough to cake up as bad as the press dies. The steel and flux cool pretty rapidly when you press it. I use a little welding hammer/brush combo.
 
Brushing off the hot billet before placing it on the dies helps,too.
Brushing as you work is also important ( just as you would on your anvil). Once it cools down, it is hard stuff.
 
Well it looks like a fact of life that you just learn to live with. I will just keep cleaning as I go. Thanks.
 
Hey Dan,

A trick I picked up on that seems to help a bit (not 100% preventative though) is to spray down the dies with some WD40 in-between heats. The WD40 will burn off the dies as you press which essentially coats the dies with some excess carbon that seems to greatly cut down on the flux adhearing to the die surfaces, and also seems to help get rid of the bits that do stick. Knocking off the excess flux will also help. And you don't have this issue when doing regular forging without flux.
 
Dan-

I use the edge of my press table as a scraper blade and just push/pull the billet against it. That knocks 90% of the scale off and prevents the problem in the first place.

You'll still get some....just the nature of the beast. A wide chisel type scraper made from fairly thin stock works well to scrape off what does stick.

And a word to the wise... if you see some sticking... STOP AND GET IT OFF THE DIES. Or you will be imparting that texture into your billet... FOR SURE.
 
Get a chunk of beeswax, and coat the dies when they get warm. Something about the burned beeswax keeps the flux from fusing with the steel dies. If you do get some flux buildup, just tap with a hammer and it flies right off. It will require recoating a few times before the wax soaks into the pores of the steel dies, it works for me.

Peter
 
We had a discussion here a while back about using kerosene as "flux" instead of borax when forge welding. That would solve part of the problem I would think.
 
+1 for the bees' wax. Gary house showed this trick to me a few years ago and it works good. We just keep rubbing it on the hot dies during the forging sessions.
 
i spray mine with store brand non stick cooking spray such as pam, works,cheap and doesnt stink like other oil sprays works better than nothing
 
Great ideas guy,s. Will be trying all. Thanks.
 
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