ewest Posted January 17, 2007 Posted January 17, 2007 We have the other thread on Hydraulic presses but we really don't talk Arbor presses in there. I don't have one yet but I'm getting ready to get one and I'd like some input from everyone. What size do you use or recommend? Should I look for a certain height requirement? Have you set up a blast shield for it, and if so how?
h&k machineguns Posted January 17, 2007 Posted January 17, 2007 I was actually considering an Arbor press also a few days ago. I had always seen them down at Harbor freight the 1/2 and 1 ton version. The size is what turned me on to them,and the prices followed.HOWEVER... I remembered my Wolter gage the other day when I went down to HF,and tried their one ton version,and I can honestly say, I hated it. I pressed that bar down pretty damn hard and got my gage to read 1K on the 2K arbor. I didn't even bother trying the 1/2 ton out. With one ton I can't even press 4 oz whistle rockets with it. I need 1600 PSI on the gage to do those. Even if I could pull off that press at only 1K,my arm would probably feel really tired within a few rockets. I have heard of peaple putting long bars on there's,but I don't see that making an anormous differance.I have a friend that has the 2 ton version,and he's got a cheater bar on his and he claimes he can only get 3600PSI from his. He also says there is no need to go to the gym after using it a few times.I do love the simplicity,size of them and of course the price is appealing. I suppose if I had to press only 4 oz whistle rockets a 2 ton press would be to bad. Here are a few I have gathered over the net that are modified for rockets if your still wanting one. http://www.creagan.net/fireworks/rockets/presses.html http://pyrodan.privatedata.com/fireworks/arbor_press.htm
Mumbles Posted January 17, 2007 Posted January 17, 2007 It seems that the general consensus on arbor presses is they they are great for comets(up to 1 1/4" or so), and inserts, and small rockets, spolettes, and the like. Decent rockets not so much. If you're a rocket guy, an arbor press is more than likely not for you. If you're a shell guy, one would probably be a lot more useful. As far as the "cheater bar" they do work. Say the rod was 18" long, and you were able to get the 1000PSI from it. Doubling the length would give you double the force, theoretically. There would probably be some mechanical loss, but it'd be close to double. Too much force could damage the arbor press though, so don't use a 10 foot cheater bar. I am thinking about getting one to speed up comet pressing and such. Vice is way too slow, and I don't really want to be ramming crossettes for fear of tool damage. If I had to get one, this is what it would be. http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=...0&PMPXNO=951710 Shipping will indeed be a bitch. I would suggest looking around that site, big sale right now. 1 ton arbor presses for $28 I think, and they can go by common shipper like UPS. The one I want goes my truck, yay me.
ewest Posted January 17, 2007 Author Posted January 17, 2007 That's kind of what I want one for too, small whistle inserts, hummers, spoolettes, cracking walnuts, smashing my brothers thumb next time he leans over a bowl of star comp. soaking in acetone with a cigar in his mouth......moron That kind of stuff. For my rockets I'll stick to the hydraulic press, but I want something smaller for the quick things. h&k I DO like the links you posted, especially how they made some extenders for the presses for rockets if you want a set up like that. Heck they're even bolt on so you could take it off if you want, very nice, I haven't seen that idea anywhere else. I'm also planning on attaching a torque wrench like Kyle on passfire did so my pressing is more consistent. I also envision that as being a way of getting the handle farther away from the press so that I could mount some small blast shield for it.
FrankRizzo Posted January 17, 2007 Posted January 17, 2007 I've found that the easiest way to add a torque wrench to the press is to have a stubby impact socket of the correct drive size welded to the end of the handle assembly. The advantage is that you can still thread a long bolt through the socket and into the original pinning mechanism for the factor lever if you decide to disconnect the torque wrench.
Mumbles Posted January 18, 2007 Posted January 18, 2007 Just for me, the torque wrench thing is only neccesary if I was seriously trying to win a PGI competition, and I needed my crossettes to break at the EXACT same time, or comets to burn out simultaniously or something like that. I would also employ exactly 15.65g of comp, wet it the night before to make sure everything was equally wetted, clean my pump after every press, check for the smallest fragment of comp, and measure everything with a caliper. I have literally heard of people grinding those last .002" of comp off with an electric sander.
cplmac Posted January 18, 2007 Posted January 18, 2007 I have a two ton arbor press. It is great for pressing crossettes, comets, tail pucks, etc...The most important thing I think is to make sure you can get the widest throat you can so you can fit your tooling in there.
Givat Posted January 20, 2007 Posted January 20, 2007 I'm looking for arbor press in my country and just can;'t find where to buy it.What does arbor press is used for? metal warking? jewellery?If I will know what it's used for it will be much easier to find where to buy it.
ewest Posted January 20, 2007 Author Posted January 20, 2007 I think they're also used for stamping metal and popping out bearings. Try places that sell machinery for metal shops or automotive machinery. Some place that sells metal lathes or mills would have them. You could also search for places that sell the larger hydraulic presses, they would sell arbor presses also.
al93535 Posted January 26, 2007 Posted January 26, 2007 I think you underestimate arbor presses. I pressed my 1 lb red rocket in a 1/2 ton press. However it was not quite enough force to press 1 lb black powder rockets. Whistles up to 3/4" ID are good, comets and other pyro. My 1/2 ton arbor could wrinkle good hard home rolled tubes as I pressed. I just upgraded my 1/2 ton to a 4 ton arbor press! Now I can press some rockets!! BTW, we get 4000 PSI on a 2 ton at work. My new 4 ton compard to the 1/2 ton http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/al93535/arbor4.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/al93535/arbor41.jpg
cplmac Posted January 26, 2007 Posted January 26, 2007 I think I said this to you already, but that is one ass kicking arbor.
ewest Posted February 6, 2007 Author Posted February 6, 2007 Ok, FINALLY, I've got me an Arbor press. I got the 1 ton press from Harbor Freight and I also picked up a 3/8" drive Micrometer Torque Wrench for it. Drilled and tapped the shaft for a 1/2" bolt and put some threaded rod extension legs and base plate on it for adjustment. I'm fairly happy with it except for the fact that the first bolt I drilled and tapped sheared off in the hole so I had to drill it back out Then I had to get a Grade 8 bolt instead of the regular cheap ones. AND I burned up the motor in my good Makita drill trying to drill 1/2" holes in the 1/4" base plate. Total cost for the press was about $500 after I replaced all my tools, but whatever. Nobody ever said this hobby was cheap.
fredjr Posted February 6, 2007 Posted February 6, 2007 Just ordered this arbor press with free shipping today. I had to buy a few more things to get over $150. But considering shipping would have been about $60 it was worth it. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/sto...970_35086_35086
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