Knife Press Here!!!

Bailey Knives

Bailey Knives

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2004
Messages
3,818
I ordered a knife press from Uncle Al. It arrived today. I am actually keeping it at a friends shop because mine is crowded and not wired for 220.

First of all, I cant believe how nice it is. The pictures on his website make it difficult to see details, but it is really nice and well made. It makes about 24 tons and really squishes out the steel. I am planning on taking saturday and flattening out some of Don's W2.

I dont have pictues of it yet, but will on Saturday.

I am just excited to have this machine. I havent been this giddy since the KMG came in.
 
So you are one of the guys I have been waiting on. I ordered one not long ago as well and still have 3 guys in front of me that have to get there's before I get mine. Enjoy it.
 
They are fun to operate. He really builds them good and with the bottom set up really makes a nice package.
 
Knive press ? What is that? Do you mean power hammer? Or is this another tool I am going to lusk for? Pic!!

Dave
 
mine just came today, real beauty huh matt. gonna be a fun winter now!!! i been smashing every thing i could find this afternoon.
 
Is it just me or would a press be far more controllable/need less skill for a forging newb than say a power hammer??
 
john0270 Is it just me or would a press be far more controllable/need less skill for a forging newb than say a power hammer??
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For me, it was. I got to try both out at the ABS school. A newb can destroy the edge of a piece of steel in about a second with a power hammer. (I did). It was hard, at least for me, to learn to control the speed of the hammer. But I had the press going in no time. And if I remember, the press at the school in one of Uncle Al's.

I ended up buying a press from Tommy McNabb last summer. I love it.
 
Congratulations Matt, we want pictures!

john0270 said:
Is it just me or would a press be far more controllable/need less skill for a forging newb than say a power hammer??
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Yes and no. With a good power hammer you have more control on drawing the bar out evenly and minor adjustments to the bar, but with a press you can use stop blocks to make the bar perfectly even. A press requires less strength to work with since with a large hammer the bar of steel can be kicked away from the dies since the ram moves so fast. Dies are easier to make for a press than a hammer.

Personally I prefer my 150lb hammer but a good 24 ton press is cheaper than a good small hammer and does more work; unless you can find a hammer at 100lb or more I would suggest the press.
 
I promised pictures so here they are.

By the way, I love this thing. It just squishes steel like nobody's business. I wanted it mostly to mash out Don's W2, but it works well for damascus also, which I took a crack at today for the first time.

THANKS UNCLE AL!

Over all shot
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It was decorated with a cat face before shipping.
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Here is a shot from under the protective shield that shows the piston and you might be able to make out the motor in the background (5 horse)
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Here are the drawing and ladder pattern dies. It came with flat dies.
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Have I mentioned that I love this thing?
 

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Bailey Knives said:
I promised pictures so here they are.

By the way, I love this thing. It just squishes steel like nobody's business. I wanted it mostly to mash out Don's W2, but it works well for damascus also, which I took a crack at today for the first time.

THANKS UNCLE AL!


Have I mentioned that I love this thing?
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So the thing runs off 110/120(or is that a 30amp 240)? Do you have any links that we could find out more information on this unit?? Must be quick as hell with 5hp powering it.

Strangely enough I also tried some forge welding this evening. I didn't think my venturi propane forge would get hot enough, but I cranked it up to 8psi and It seems to have worked. Just a small billet probably 1.5X1X2 a mix of 5160 and I think 1010(lower than 1018 anyway, its off old massy ag equiptment) Anyway it took me 4 hours to weld and fold it 6 times(should have done more but it seemed to be shrinking each time), and then forge the blank,(wich is 9" long). To my surprise it seems to be ok, I will know for sure later this week when I get files/grinder to it.

Anyway make sure you post pictures of your welding projects, or better yet vid's of the thing in action!
 
I've had mine set up for about three weeks now and know that you will enjoy yours as much as I have. I just got some v-blocks from Al that I'm anxious to use next.

:grumpy:Mine didn't have the cat face.

Gary
 
I'm not sure I'm perceiving this right. Does it push up from the bottom with the top die stationary? Or is the bottom die stationary and the pushing comes down from the top? If that is the case, is the hydraulic force pulling the top die down with the retraction stroke of the piston then?
 
Phil,
IIRC, the ram moves down, pulling the top die down. Sort of like opening and closing a matchbox.
Imagine a big match box. Cut the bottom of the box out ( leaving the sleeve as is). Mount the cylinder inside. The top of the cylinder is pinned through the sleve front and back. The ram is attached to the box bottom. The box moves in and out as the ram moves. Put the dies in the place where the box opens and closes.
Stacy
 
Yep, Stacy has it right. I was trying to think of how to describe it, but he did a much better job than I would have.
 
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