[tackit]

I built this press in 04 or 05, please don't hold me to the year... I got the steel for $240 back then.

The legs are 1" X 5", the 7" channel iron used to build the platens is .318 I think? it's heavy channel anyway.

The side plates at the top and on the sides of the black platen are 3/8 plate.

I cut in half a piece of the same 7" channel iron I used to make the platen to make the feet, you can see how thick the channel is by looking at the feet. it's heavy stuff, I bought the 50ton hydraulic cylinder and pump from a sister company of Carolina Industries. I think I paid around $360 for it.

I still have some things I want to do to it but it' works fine the way it is for what I get into, someday I'll finish it... The biggest job so far was to push out a frozen pulley spindle from it's housing assembly on my Snapper's deck, when she broke loose it sounded like a howizer went off.

After the spindle scare I won't go 10 tons with it without me first building a properly designed cage and put a piece of plate steel between me and the press. For now I use HF quilted furiture mats. The cage is on the to do list also. if and when I get the time. :morning2:

 

[Uncle Wayne]

Very nice. That would be very handy in any shop.

 

[RandyM]

Now that is a beast. I would not want to be the one to adjust the platens up and down manually. How do you do it?

 

[tackit]

I don't use it that often but like Uncle Wayne says a press is an important and usefull tool to have in the shop.

Randy it is a beast. I can't move it by hand. It takes a comelaong and the tractor to move it about.

I slide the cylinder out of the way and hang a comealong to lower and raise the platen... I have plans to install a wench on it but something either breaks or more important comes along.

I'm re-doing my sandblaster now, I'll have pictures when I get further along with it. I need to add an air-regulator for the tank's air and redo the bottom of the tank's plumbing so when I crack the valve the media doesn't plug the hose. I took off the tee and plummbed a 3/4" wye and street ell to the ball valve coming off the bottom of the tank but in-so doing I added length to the tank and now it's necessary to build new legs for it also.

It makes short work out of bending and straighening things, for most jobs I get by with using just the low pressure fast side of the pump. I have 1" plates I use for arbor plates.



It can be a very dangerous tool, I respect it, I take safety precausions when using it. :morning2:

 

[tackit]

I found more pictures

 

[RandyM]

Hey Jim, I just noticed that shop of yours doesn't look that old. Looks like you have plenty of room. Hope you don't out grow it too quickly with all the projects you are doing?