Making A Press. NEED HELP!!!!

bladsmth said:
Some advise;

Use the biggest cylinder you can get for the specs desired - Especially for making billets.

You want the largest shaft possible. A 5" cylinder should be the minimum for pressing billets, as the side load can bend a smaller size piston shaft. 6" would be better.

Use a 16GPM pump at the minimum...or better, a 22GPM. Run it on a 5HP electric motor or a 10+ HP gas motor.
Decide how heavy the frame should be and double that. I'm not kidding when I say the people bend the frames on home built presses regularly. 8X6 I-beam with 1/2" thick webs is on the light side when doing 20-30 tons. 1" thick is better.
An H frame is stronger than a C frame.
Check that the ram and anvil are as close to parallel as possible.
Use a foot control to run the up and down. You need both hands to do billets.


A press isn't as fast as a power hammer, but it can hurt you just as bad. If you are not experienced with using one, get someone to show you how. At the minimum, watch four hours of good quality videos on using a forging press.


Skimp on anything when building a press....and you will be spending your money foolishly.
Click to expand...

"You want the largest shaft possible. A 5" cylinder should be the minimum for pressing billets, as the side load can bend a smaller size piston shaft. 6" would be better."

Absolutely, when you order a cylinder to be made to your specs, you can choose from different ram diameter sizes.
Don't just pick one of the premades out of the catalogue if it's not what you need.

That's why I asked about using 2 cylinders in parallel last week to reduce side load


I agree with a big pump, the costs are even no different.


"8X6 I-beam with 1/2" thick webs is on the light side when doing 20-30 tons. 1" thick is better."
Is a 1" thick web available in those sizes?

I use these charts
Maybe I have to look into special order.
http://www.huntersteel.ca/?op=products&id=16
 
Dezmond said:
SOunds good.. I will make sure that the frame is done right.. I plan to get al the materials then send it to a fab shop to make sure all the welds are done right.. I can weld.. BUT!!! This is something I don't want to mess with.

As for foot switches... What do you search for and where? Also this will require additional wiring as well correct??

Thanks all
Click to expand...


Have a closer look at Eric's build, you're almost all the way there anyway

2 ways
Mechanical attachment to normal valves
electric solenoid valves like Eric used.- also available in PA



Kyle Royer has a nice press setup- much larger than 20 T
He uses foot pedals on mechanical linkages, but sits on a stool & has both hands free.
at 2:34 you can see the foot pedals, I think electric valves seem tidier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FPu-ZIDKkc



I like the round rods it slides on- alignment is important
http://www.youtube.com/user/KyleRoyerKnives#p/u/17/Hjlh9uY2XHA

Footswitches - can be industrial made, metal housings and very expensive
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/LINEMASTER-Foot-Switch-2W807?Pid=search

The actual switches are inexpensive.
the housing is expensive

You can find industrial surplus, or if you can weld, you can makeup your own.
the hood over the switch is an important safety feature.
 
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I was mostly stating that the frame has to be really rigid. 1/2" metal, be it I-beam or welded plate, will be the minimum. You wouldn't want the frame members any smaller than 8X6. Welded up 1" plate, or a BIG I-beam will be even better.

A simple foot switch system is to weld a mount for the "log-splitter valve" onto a piece of 12X12X14 plate. Make it so the valve can be stepped on to move the ram down, and lifted with the toe to run the ram up. In the down position, you want the lever to just max out on the base plate.
Run the hydraulic hoses to the assembly, and set the plate on the floor by the press, where your foot can easily control it. A metal sheath on the hoses is a good idea.
This is a $30-50 mod to simulate a $300 hydraulic foot valve.
 
Good advice Stacy.. I have a 12 hp Briggs I could use, but being basically indoors I think I'll look for a 220V motor when the time comes. Also good to know how much frame rigidity is needed.. I probably wouldn't have gone that heavy before reading that.
 
Alright! Planning begins for the parts list.. I think I will keep a full log and probably video this build.. Even when the frame goes to the fab shop for structual welding....
Will keep you all posted on the progress.. Thanks for all the hellp!!!!

Dezi
 
One option for using a gas motor is to get one with electric start and put it in a small, ventillated shed outside. Run the hydraulic lines through the wall.
 
My 2 cents.
At first I f&*#ed everybody with the questions and dug all I can from the Internet. Than draw few dozens of sketches. Than dove in the math and mechanics and learned thow to calculate EVERYTHING myself. Than compared with the info found on the Web... Than I congratulated myself that i learned how to calculate.

After that I decided about the tonnage. Than found the cylinder and all the components (surpluscenter). Recalculated press again. Corrected the BOM several times as well as the list for required structural steel.
Than ordered.
The accembly took me about a month or two. And I figured out what was wrong with the components that I got. Reordered the proper components. Finished the press.

Than I FINALLY realized where my estimations were wrong. The press works fine. But I had to adjust the pressures to my liking and twicked few other things.

Mention please that I gave NO numbers or direct advise. If you build the press by somebodies drawings you will have what SOMEBODY designed. With his mistakes, problems etc. If you design it yourself you know what you do and how to change or to fix it.

I have 5" cylinder, 16GPM pump and 3450RPM\5HP motor. The pressure is tuned down to 2000PSI. The tank holds 10 gallons of oil.
 
Sweet... Thanks I am starting to source out material today.. I am going to get my cylinder this weekend.. I found out that one of my buddies that owns a few NAPA stores does hydraulic hoses so I will be getting them cheap!! woohoo.. Already saving $$$$
 
Found some I-Beam.. MAN THATS EXPENSIVE!!!!! $29/ ft.

PRetty Crazy but needed.. I will get my cylinder first before anything...

Then the fun begins
 
There are several good reasons a commercial forging press costs what it does,...... and the biggest is that the materials cost a lot.
 
true... but at 300.00 for all the i-beam needed thats not too bad.....

Got some neat mods I hope to incorporate into this build as well.....
 
Check scrap yards for the material you need. I was able to get all the material I needed for ~$100 including cuts to size! This was new material that was cut offs from a large job. Yes it was 200 miles from where I live but i had business that way one weekend and it all worked out.
 
hahaha scrap yards in Ontario DON'T let you in.. As much as I would love to it's hard.. I will try though.... Checked out the sketch up and I got what I needed off there...

Thanks Eric!!!!
 
efleming said:
Check scrap yards for the material you need. I was able to get all the material I needed for ~$100 including cuts to size! This was new material that was cut offs from a large job. Yes it was 200 miles from where I live but i had business that way one weekend and it all worked out.
Click to expand...

Do you find that the 8" 35#/foot H Beam is good enough?
Do you see any flex?
 
Ok so I got a message from this guy

Hi Ii have a hoist power unit. These work well in a press with a 5in cyl it will be a 50 ton press

Hydraulic Power Unit 1.8 gpm @ 3,000 psi 110/220 1hp single phase

6456a97_20.jpg


Let me know what you think about this? Can get it pretty cheap.... Like 100.00 bux cheap
 
That's the same unit you asked about in post #1
It hasn't changed since then.


It would be great in a 50 ton shop press.

In a forging press that needs 1 or 2 inches per second ram speed, no.

With a 5 inch cylinder, it has less than 3/8" per second ram travel speed.
It's 3 to 6 times too slow.

Even with a 4" cylinder & 3000 psi to hit the 20 tons, it's still only 1/2" per second.
 
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gotcha.. thanks.... Just wanted to show you what it was... I am waiting for the PA catalog to come in soon. I may make a trip there this weekend... Also found out that a local metal scrapper may have what I need for I-Beam and plate.. $$$$ Savings again. Happy about that...
 
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