Your press

[Mumbles]

My alternative, if it may compromise the integrity, would be to use a secondary blast shield in front of my hand. It wouldn't have to be clear, oak or some other wood would be fine I would imagine.

 

I've never had a problem pressing rockets, you're actually the first person I've heard of having a rocket blow up on a press. Way way way back when, a good friend of mine did have a mishap, and was not as lucky as you were with only a burn on his leg. I've been a little uneasy with rockets since.

 

My primarily pressing needs of BP pucks, and comets really shouldn't require a shield, but just planning some things out for when I do make the step to rockets.

[Bonny]

Do you think it would compromise the integrity of Lexan to cut a groove like that in it for a pump? IF not I may just be pumping with my left hand.

Lexan is a soft material so even with a slot cut or whatever it should be fine. It may crack,most likely near the slot, but will not shatter. My family owns a plastic shop, and my parents once replaced a basement window (that we had broken to get in after losing keys) with lexan. The next time we lost the key, we needed a hammer and a hockey stick to break it and get it out, and it was only 1/16" or 1/8" thick.

When I built my press, I used a blast shield of 1/2" lexan that is held out about 6" and is several inches wider than the press frame. The jack handle extends out past the shield on an angle, protecting the hand from any possible explosion. The design is far from perfect,but it does the job. I'd like to tune it up some ,but my welding shop is at the cabin, so I may have to wait until spring. I'll put a pic up later and I'll get some more info for you about the lexan.

[deadman]

Would the slot in the shield itself be a concern if you were to put a guard on your jack's handle. Something like a wrist guard on swords. Or is that the secondary shield you were talking about Mumbles?

[cplmac]

I was just thinking along those lines Deadman. Mumbles I've got some quarter inch steel plate in the shop, I might be able to weld up a little side shield. I'm looking forward to seeing that press Bonny.

[Bonny]

I was just thinking along those lines Deadman. Mumbles I've got some quarter inch steel plate in the shop, I might be able to weld up a little side shield. I'm looking forward to seeing that press Bonny.

Yikes... getting shy now. Press works great, but is probably the ugliest around, but it wasn't a fashion show last time I checked! Although I've seen some very nice presses on here.

 

@deadman, the guard on the handle sounds like a good idea.

[tentacles]

cplmac: by the way, how do you like that press? They sell the same model up here (virutally the same at least) for $350, possibly less on sale. The ones here come with a force gauge as well, 0-20T. I like that you could convert to a power pack just by moving the hydraulic hose, and it seems to be quite well built. Does it flex or twist or any of the other weird shit that some presses do?

[Bonny]

Here she is! Maybe a special prize for ugliness? Blast shield is 1/2" lexan approx 22"x22".As you can tell was built entirely from scrap steel.The total cost was about $20 for the jack. Sides are 1/2x2 and 3/8x2 flat bar, top and bottom are 2" heavy wall sq. tube. You can see where original top bar was torched out so I could press longer stuff (fountains). The blast shield is about 6" away from frame and with pump on the side of jack, the angle allows hand to be pretty much behind the shield.

 

When weather warms up here in the spring I'll add an adjustable top on 1" threaded rods.

 

If I start doing rockets I'll increase the number of shield braces and I'll probably make a handle that is bent around the shield to the front with a 'T' handle across the end or something so it won't twist. That will free up the current jack handle for activating the release only.

 

Anyway, works for me.

[cplmac]

Bonny that thing looks pretty solid, I don't think you are going to have any trouble with rockets, at least up to 4 pound. You might want to think about welding in a diagonal brace to stiffen it up. I think my uprights and crossbeams are 3/8" I-beams and they hold up pretty well. The half inch is obviousely stronger but being a straight piece some angle bracing should help. Tentacles my press came with the power pack cylinder, all I had to do was hook up air. It also came with that 0-20T guage you are talking about, but it took a dump on me the first time I went over 8 tons and completely crapped out the first time I hit 20. I installed an aftermarket 0-15,000 PSI guage and just did the math, it works great but at 6000PSI the frame starts to really change shape. I've been thinking about up-grading to the 50 ton press. The big rockets I press are only at 3500 PSI loading pressure because that is where my old guage topped out and where the press really starts to flex to the point I'm not entirely comfortable with it. I might just weld in some half inch reinforcements. Every time I press a big rocket I have to flip over the cross beam to bend it back into shape. I think this winter I might do some stress tests, see what kind of pressure it can handle. If I can find the tubing I'm going to try and press 4" rockets. On the other hand I did just get some more 3" rocket tubes delivered today, thinner walls so I can use the thick walled tubes for salute headers. Mumbles you are gonna like these come spring shoot.

[FrankRizzo]

You guys should check-out Dan Williams' new press:

 

The Big Brother Hydraulic Press

[Bonny]

You guys should check-out Dan Williams' new press:

 

The Big Brother Hydraulic Press

Yeah, that's a beauty. A press similar to that is "on my list". Probably be built a little different depending on available materials, and will still likely be powered by my 12ton jack. I should be posting a (hopefully awesome) new press this spring.

[cplmac]

He did a nice job with that. He should put a muffler on that air pack though, they are pretty loud and obnoxious. I like the large type guage, small numbers are a pain to read.

[lnstantkarma]

I want to make nicer rockets so I'm looking to build a cheap press, I like this design with a 5 ton bottle jack but the wood makes me think it's not strong enough. The 3 decks are only 4cm thick, 1.6 inches, assuming I'll round that up to 2 inches will that be strong enough? and how does 2 sheets of .25 plexiglas for a .5in sheet sound?

 

here's the link for the plans http://www.wfvisser.dds.nl/EN/press_EN.html

[asilentbob]

While plexiglass is nice, just using a good wooden shield and watching the actual pressing with a mirror is a easy safe solution.

[Mumbles]

I don't know if I would call plexi-glass nice. Nice for a blast shield would generally include some form of shatter resistance, which plexiglass(Acrylic) does not have. If you want a clear blast shield, do yourself a favor and get lexan(polycarbonate). I would likely also go to 3/4" total thickness. It is more expensive than acrylic, but you should be able to find some scrap pieces reasonably cheap on ebay or otherwise.

 

As far as the overall design, I also don't like it. Yes, it may work, but I wouldn't trust it to give proper resistance. If you're interested in a wood frame, vs a metal frame, you might want to get a passfire membership. They have an excellent wooden press plan on there. It is very strong, and inexpensive to build. You may cringe at the idea of paying for passfire, but it is well worth every penny for the information and forums. It may be seemingly rather expensive, but I assure you it's cheaper than most of the good pyro books you will want to have later, and still contains much of the good information.

[lnstantkarma]

I have a passfire account, I guess I forgot about the wooden press. I think I'll print that off and start working on it soon.

 

oh and I meant to say the strong one, I mix up acrylic with polycarbonate because I just started looking into this.

 

thanks

[psymon]

Dans press is nice but the holes drilled everywhere with bolts mean a lot of extra work in building.

I just bought my self a mig welder. Just what I need to modify my arbor press to take longer rocket tools. Maybe Dan could do with a welder...

[Frozentech]

Dans press is nice but the holes drilled everywhere with bolts mean a lot of extra work in building.

I just bought my self a mig welder. Just what I need to modify my arbor press to take longer rocket tools. Maybe Dan could do with a welder...

Well for his purposes, I think Dan WIlliams has one damn fine press there. Remember he isn't limiting himself the way way an arbor press does, he presses rockets that only Cplmac out-sizes

 

One thing to watch out, when welding a press together, vice bolting it. You may want to make larger/longer, etc... devices someday. More than one person has welded together an awesome press, and found that they needed more working height later, and will have to cut it apart and start over.

[pudidotdk]

I've thought pretty hard of making a shop press like this:

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/2113/dscf1669jpgtp4.jpg

 

I'll need some channel iron and the skills to weld... but my biggest problem is probably finding the right dimensions for this press, so if anyone have a similar I'd appreciate a PM

[marks265]

I bought one of those from northern tool on sale for $99(not on sale now).

 

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/sto...26415_200326415

 

The cross brace for ramming needs to have the sides shimed. Too much float for me. If pressing on a small diameter it will cock easily. I just pressed 1-1/2" diameter pucks last night and had a density of 1.9 on average with 10 % wet. But that is another post I'm working on!

 

By the time you buy a jack, get the iron, weld it all up, drill holes, paint it, and find some pins to press against I called it a pretty good buy! Even if it needs a tune up.

[pudidotdk]

As much as I'd like to buy it for that price or even the double of that, Denmark is a pretty bad place for finding machines and tools for a reasonable price.

 

I have to give around 260 $ for a 2 ton arbor press here, and if I had to order a cheaper one from US, shipping was around 800$

 

Damn...

[oskarchem]

Wow! 800$ for the shipping?! Well, I think I'm going to buy myself a press here, maybe a 2T.

[pudidotdk]

Actually, forget the shop press and arbor press i talked about, I'm buying this :

http://powerplustools.dk/images/PPT0302_DK-t.jpg

 

20 ton press, 3,445DKK (713$) for the press and 524DKK (108$) for shipping.

 

This one would be a killer to have in the shop, let's see what the parents say

[lnstantkarma]

Has anyone ever tapped their jack for a gauge? do you have any tips?

 

After changing my design a few times, I'm finally putting my press together.

I'm basically building this: the press Except I have an 8 ton jack, it was a dollar more than the 6, couldn't resist, and the flat bar I obtained is only 1/2in instead of 3/4in thick.

The current problem is I want to put a gauge on my jack like on passfire. I get most of it but I don't know where or why I need to drill the holes. and there's an issue on how to attach the gauge but I can figure that out probably.

[Stinger]

Hey

 

I finished my press today, although it only lasts for

pressing 3 silver comets

And why?

Because I learned not to use cheap wood from the hardware store,

I think it was spruce, because it cracked even as I screwed the screws in the wood.

So far, I cant use any steel, because I havent got the proper tools to

saw steel in the desired size.

 

As I was pressing the comet, the bottom of the frame cracked, because

the piston jack pushed down WAY too hard.

The frame is cracked now, inclusive the screws.

Maybe I should get some massive oak wood, to finish my press.

This is how I want to make my press:

 

http://pyroforum.nl/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=242

 

Updates coming soon.

 

Stinger

[Mumbles]

Is your press built like the one in the picture, but with wood instead of steel?