- Joined
- Feb 6, 2001
- Messages
- 3,621
About how big are the various dies for a press? I'm guessing I should leave about 4-6 inches between the anvil and slide? Sorry if this question is a bit odd but, hey....it's me.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Press dies
- Thread starter J. Neilson
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 28, 1999
- Messages
- 1,563
My Claiborne press has welding dies that are about 5.5" X 5.5" and the draw dies are about 4" X 2".
Probably about 6-10" on each side from the frame.
Probably about 6-10" on each side from the frame.
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2001
- Messages
- 3,623
J. 4" clearance between dies isn't enough. Its nothing to start and work a 4" or 5" billet from the start, and then if your doing mosaic tiles and would want to stack weld some so to not distort you'll need more then that. What's the stroke length on your cyclinder? If its 8", try to set your die sizes to where you can use the most of it, say 7 1/2" opening when useing a set of flat welding dies, these will probably be the ones you'll come to use the most. Squaring dies won't take near as much room, but if you don't have the clearance it will hinder you in the future, believe me. As for die sizes, we used 2" solid square stock on 1/2" plate for my welding dies and I made all my squaring dies from 3/4" up to 3" using solid square stock and cutting it in half, corner to corner with the band saw. I also made a set of fuller dies for side stretching flat stock using 1 1/4" round stock. you can really spread a bar out with theses and get very little elongating, really a good thing when you don't want to stretch out a pattern and just spread it out some too. E-mail me if I can help with any questions.
Bill
Bill
- Joined
- Feb 15, 1999
- Messages
- 11,566
J. I did the same as Bill, My cylinder has a 8" stroke. My dies are 4" X 6"
my composite die is the one that I use the most. It is for welding and drawing. Give me a call if you need any help.
my composite die is the one that I use the most. It is for welding and drawing. Give me a call if you need any help.
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2001
- Messages
- 3,621
Hey, that's a great help guys. Thanks a bunch. I'm actually posting this for Tess since she's building the press (I'm just doing the cutting and welding),{I know, I'm a lucky guy.} So she may be giving you guys a call. I'm hoping to have this big, probably purple (you know Tess) press set up soon. Do you have any photos of the different dies. Any pix and maybe a brief description would be a great help, if it's not too much trouble. Thanks again you guys.
- Joined
- Dec 2, 1999
- Messages
- 9,910
http://brucebumpknives.com/shoptour.html J Here are some shots of my press and a couple dies.
- Joined
- Dec 2, 1999
- Messages
- 9,910
The biggest billet I ever did I had to modify the forge door to get it in. It took forever to soak to welding heat! Welding a handle on is the best way to handle em.
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2002
- Messages
- 157
February 3, 2005
Dies Are the working of a press that most will overbuild ,and it relates to square inches the more square inches that you have the less movement will take place with a given amount of tons of pressure . It a trade off most of the time to get the most amount of work out of your press large flat dies will work great for welding , getting things back in line and most of the time the full plate are used in this manner , where most dies can cause trouble is when the plates are unsupported this can and will cause undue strain on the overhanging portion of the dies and try to pitch the press from center force to side force , in doing so it can cause things to break ,and when a break happens its fast and over with .
When building dies I have found that if I stay centered with the pressure and a smaller surface square inches ill get more movement ---- . Those of use that use a press will find out what surface square inches will translate in to work done soon after using it for a ver short time .
Large dies have there place I like to make the first weld with full flat dies one heat one press it over with due to surface square inches it will stop movement but it has moved all the peace`s together and translates to a good weld that is the same through out the billet if the billet is longer you slide the bar for the next welding press leaving a small part to serve as a stop and letting you get the same thickness as the first this keeps things even but the force is still centered because the center point touching higher surface till it gets to the small section witch is colder and harder .
Most of the time you will need a smaller die to stretch the bare with a cross section particular up to 2 inches a press moves things in all direction if the surface is flat if it has a dome the press will move the steel in two direction more so you need to keep this in mind when thinking of dies and what you want them to do.
I build drawing dies flat because I want to keep thing inside the bar even as I stretch it out .and build layer count s up, As a rule my dies are 4x2 or 4 x 1-1/2 the billet will be laid across the 2 inch section and pressed and advanced leaving a ½ to serve as a stop as with the larger dies it will slow or stop but you have a gage to see to help keep it even as you stretch it out .
I have used domed dies , this will cause the bare to move in one direction more than the other it also was a 2" up to 3" die 4 wide But I kept going back to the flat die to get thinks flat anyway so I stopped using it but it will do the job of moving steel forward
A die can be built to do lots of things and I have a lot that are for just one job and is fun and fast to use that will develop a certain movement in the hot steel to create a particular pattern
just to mention a few ---- latter pattern rain drop X~s --randomfullers dies to cut the accordion cuts in a billet .
Bill Buxton mentioned dies to widen a bare if it getting to narrow its unlimited to what you can and will do and the longer im into this the more I see and add to my collection it take a while to build but its fun to have at hand when and if you need it .
also was noted that you want to have as much room between the dies and anvil as ram will permits if you have a 8 " ram lay it out to have 7-!/2 workings space ---never bottom out your press not good for it
Most that use a press for a while can forge a lot of things with it blades to shape -hawks very complex patterns that cant be forged any other way, powder or caned steel , very large billet with ease , but you all know this. I need to get bak to die design ,
I can add more later if you need more help
the working of Dies are to be used in or as close to center as possible that needs to be in the thinking as you build
iIthink it is important to understand what a die does to build it .
Well its late I have drank a few cups and I hope I have helped in some small way I like talking about press, ways to build a new pattern and knives
thanks for reading Sorry did not mean to wight a book its 5;45 i need to get another cup of coffee and head to the shop and build press and dies have a good build and day
Bowie 4 days Damascus free
Dies Are the working of a press that most will overbuild ,and it relates to square inches the more square inches that you have the less movement will take place with a given amount of tons of pressure . It a trade off most of the time to get the most amount of work out of your press large flat dies will work great for welding , getting things back in line and most of the time the full plate are used in this manner , where most dies can cause trouble is when the plates are unsupported this can and will cause undue strain on the overhanging portion of the dies and try to pitch the press from center force to side force , in doing so it can cause things to break ,and when a break happens its fast and over with .
When building dies I have found that if I stay centered with the pressure and a smaller surface square inches ill get more movement ---- . Those of use that use a press will find out what surface square inches will translate in to work done soon after using it for a ver short time .
Large dies have there place I like to make the first weld with full flat dies one heat one press it over with due to surface square inches it will stop movement but it has moved all the peace`s together and translates to a good weld that is the same through out the billet if the billet is longer you slide the bar for the next welding press leaving a small part to serve as a stop and letting you get the same thickness as the first this keeps things even but the force is still centered because the center point touching higher surface till it gets to the small section witch is colder and harder .
Most of the time you will need a smaller die to stretch the bare with a cross section particular up to 2 inches a press moves things in all direction if the surface is flat if it has a dome the press will move the steel in two direction more so you need to keep this in mind when thinking of dies and what you want them to do.
I build drawing dies flat because I want to keep thing inside the bar even as I stretch it out .and build layer count s up, As a rule my dies are 4x2 or 4 x 1-1/2 the billet will be laid across the 2 inch section and pressed and advanced leaving a ½ to serve as a stop as with the larger dies it will slow or stop but you have a gage to see to help keep it even as you stretch it out .
I have used domed dies , this will cause the bare to move in one direction more than the other it also was a 2" up to 3" die 4 wide But I kept going back to the flat die to get thinks flat anyway so I stopped using it but it will do the job of moving steel forward
A die can be built to do lots of things and I have a lot that are for just one job and is fun and fast to use that will develop a certain movement in the hot steel to create a particular pattern
just to mention a few ---- latter pattern rain drop X~s --randomfullers dies to cut the accordion cuts in a billet .
Bill Buxton mentioned dies to widen a bare if it getting to narrow its unlimited to what you can and will do and the longer im into this the more I see and add to my collection it take a while to build but its fun to have at hand when and if you need it .
also was noted that you want to have as much room between the dies and anvil as ram will permits if you have a 8 " ram lay it out to have 7-!/2 workings space ---never bottom out your press not good for it
Most that use a press for a while can forge a lot of things with it blades to shape -hawks very complex patterns that cant be forged any other way, powder or caned steel , very large billet with ease , but you all know this. I need to get bak to die design ,
I can add more later if you need more help
the working of Dies are to be used in or as close to center as possible that needs to be in the thinking as you build
iIthink it is important to understand what a die does to build it .
Well its late I have drank a few cups and I hope I have helped in some small way I like talking about press, ways to build a new pattern and knives
thanks for reading Sorry did not mean to wight a book its 5;45 i need to get another cup of coffee and head to the shop and build press and dies have a good build and day
Bowie 4 days Damascus free
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2001
- Messages
- 3,621
Wow, thanks for the great info!!!