Upgrade my press or build something new?

[Bren Leach]

So at the end of last year I couldnt take it any longer forging damascus by hand and decided to make myself a forge press. However I was on a serious budget at the time and ended up just ordering a 20 bottle jack from amazon that could function off my air compressor for $100. When it showed up I busted out the welder and some extra steel tubing I had laying around and built this little monster.

So far its done an admirable job of moving steel far more quickly than I ever could by hand but as you might guess its not nearly as strong as I'd like and its insanely slow causing the steel to lose far too much heat too quickly. So my question to you guys is should I try to upgrade this thing with a faster/stronger hydraulic system or perhaps spend the money making a power hammer (always been eyeing the new style kinyon design) and keep this little guy as he is just for solid welds.

 

[TJ Smith]

Up grading to a air assist hyd jack would speed up you work a lot . However your steel still cools a lot with that setup. Go hyd all the way. I did. Had a 20 ton air assist Hyd jack but built a 20 ton hyd press. We have made several Damascus knives, chain knives, and just made our best feather Damascus.

 

[Bren Leach]

It is air assisted actually, dunno that using a manual jack would be much better than the hammer. Actually feather damascus is what I'd like to try doing next. Need to make something for splitting the billet in the press though, and I worry that I'll have to split it over a couple heats with the current jack's speed. Though I've yet to try so I could be wrong.

 

[TJ Smith]

It is air assisted actually, dunno that using a manual jack would be much better than the hammer. Actually feather damascus is what I'd like to try doing next. Need to make something for splitting the billet in the press though, and I worry that I'll have to split it over a couple heats with the current jack's speed. Though I've yet to try so I could be wrong.

Yeah I see it's air assit. Don't know if you could make feather with it. there are several wood splitting wedges that will work for feather. Dull them up a little.Plan on more than 1 cut with a re-heat in between other wise the welds will pull loose. I've had more come apart than I've had stay together. Have had enough good ones to keep me interested though.

 

[kuraki]

I would convert that to a rolling mill and build a new, heavier hydraulic press.