Need help with forging press build.

PoorestBoy said:
I believe that 300F- 400F is the desired preheat temperature for welding thick stock. Of course if you talk to a welder they will tell you that many factors are involved, but im not welding on the space shuttle, or a battleship, so maybe my skill and knowledge will be adequate.
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You are welding a project that could kill or seriously maim you, or anyone near this project should it fail. Take that seriously.
 
Willie71 said:
I thought your welder is 110 amps. That's fine for thinner steel. You need more juice for this project.

Have you considered using your money for some good hammers and just hammering your stock?

I have $1800 to $2000 budgeted to build a press. I could get it done for $1500 if I limit myself to 25tons. I don't want to buy twice here, so spend once, cry once.
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Sorry for my confusion. The 110 amp welder is my old welder. It needs a new torch so i dont use it anymore. I also have a 225 amp AC stick welder which i use for welding anything thick. I also have a cheap imported 180 amp mig welder. I use that on anything that isnt super thick. Im just trying to build a cheap and simple press. 16 tons seems good now that i watched that video. I also will most likely make my press frame much smaller and much less complicated than the one in the video. I just need something simple that wont require me to get stressed over engineering questions and solutions. Small and simple, its what i need for my skill level.
 
PoorestBoy said:
Sorry for my confusion. The 110 amp welder is my old welder. It needs a new torch so i dont use it anymore. I also have a 225 amp AC stick welder which i use for welding anything thick. I also have a cheap imported 180 amp mig welder. I use that on anything that isnt super thick. Im just trying to build a cheap and simple press. 16 tons seems good now that i watched that video. I also will most likely make my press frame much smaller and much less complicated than the one in the video. I just need something simple that wont require me to get stressed over engineering questions and solutions. Small and simple, its what i need for my skill level.
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225 amp stick would probably work, with proper prep. :thumbup: I'm no expert, so get a second opinion on that.
 
Willie71 said:
225 amp stick would probably work, with proper prep. :thumbup: I'm no expert, so get a second opinion on that.
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You are right that an expert opinion is good. After seeing the weld jobs on some of these DIY youtube presses, i think my welding will work. My plan is to add more plate steel over the joints after i weld the joints themselves. No one has done this that i know of, and all they do is weld the joints themselves. Their welds are not the prettiest either, but i suppose that depends on what they welded it with too. Either way, their DIY presses give me confidence that perhaps my welding will be ok. I do plan on taking great care to do a good job though, and making it stronger than i think is necessary. The last thing i want to do is have it fly apart in my face.
 
Does anyone know about testing a new shop built press? How would you go about testing it for the first time, to see whether it will hold up or not?
 
PoorestBoy said:
Does anyone know about testing a new shop built press? How would you go about testing it for the first time, to see whether it will hold up or not?
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Start using it !
You could just bottom it out & see what happens.
Of course you fitted a pressure gauge to observe and an over pressure relief to protect the prime mover...
 
Lieblad said:
Start using it !
You could just bottom it out & see what happens.
Of course you fitted a pressure gauge to observe and an over pressure relief to protect the prime mover...
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Yes! (no :eagerness: i dont even know what that is )An over the pressure relief to protect the prime mover. Where do you connect this relief (valve i assume), and what is the prime mover? Im going to go google these things but if you have time please explain. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
 
PoorestBoy said:
... so i would probably weld plate steel over the joints after i welded the joints themselves. That would add a lot of strength i think...
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Possibly, but it could also hide a joint that is starting to fail, preventing you from seeing any warning signs of catastrophic failure. Speed with heed.
 
After googling the term "prime mover hydraulics", i see that a prime mover is the motor which drives the pump, i.e. electric motor or gasoline engine. I have an old forklift pump that i was going to try using. I have no way of knowing whether it will produce more pressure than i need but this is something i need to educate myself on. I dont want to destroy my equipment or create a hazardous situation.

Im watching this video below and im wondering, do you need a pressure compensated pump, like this video shows? Is just having a pressure relief valve all that is needed? If i use this forklift pump, what do i need in order to ensure that it operates safely, without worrying about excessive pressure blowing out my hoses? I thought that hoses were rated for the pump and there was no need to worry about such things. Perhaps this safety valve is used just in case a hose is damaged?

If anyone would like to weigh in, please feel free to do so. I will be educating myself about this more, but your understanding is valuable in that. Thank you.

https://youtu.be/81nzCdIX1aw
 
Here is a video i found on pressure relief valves. I haven't watched it all yet but thought i would share it anyway. So far it seem to be very educational, and it may just fill the gap in my ignorance of hydraulic safety components.

https://youtu.be/f-LLyaxqsQo
 
Fwiw, Small slow moving hydraulic appliances are fairly safe if a housing breaks or hose lets go.
Usually a housing failure is abrupt & startling but does not throw chunks of metal flying about.
Of course your hoses are secured against flailing about & fitted simple shielding to prevent hydraulic oil squirting all over the place.

One of the bigger hazards is a spraying leak what catches fire. Especially so in proximity of red hot steel & forge.
Also injection into the skin hazard.
I mentioned shielding did I ???
 
Willie71 said:
You are welding a project that could kill or seriously maim you, or anyone near this project should it fail. Take that seriously.
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Sorry Willie. I failed to see your reply before. I agree. You're right. I do need to take it seriously. Maybe i'll just buy a cheap shop press from harbor freight and build my own hydraulic power unit. I can get a 20 ton press cheap, and then add a 16 ton cylinder to it. I dont know, but i do need to think about it all a bit more. Thank you.
 
Lieblad said:
Fwiw, Small slow moving hydraulic appliances are fairly safe if a housing breaks or hose lets go.
Usually a housing failure is abrupt & startling but does not throw chunks of metal flying about.
Of course your hoses are secured against flailing about & fitted simple shielding to prevent hydraulic oil squirting all over the place.

One of the bigger hazards is a spraying leak what catches fire. Especially so in proximity of red hot steel & forge.
Also injection into the skin hazard.
I mentioned shielding did I ???
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No you didn't mention shielding that i remember. Its another important safety issue though. I'll make that another top priority when designing this press. Thank you. I need to consider a strong press frame , a safety relieve valve for the hydraulic system, and proper shielding of hoses to avoid any potential fire hazards if a leak should occur. These are all very good points to consider and design for.
 
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