46 replies to this topic

[Pepsi]

Hi Guy's
Have just finished building a press, using a 6000Kg Bottle Jack from Supercheap Auto, the Press is one discussed in great detail on Dan Williams Website.

All up cost was around $200.00 the most expensive part was the 20MM Clear Polycarbonate Blast Screen..
All the Steel was from a scrap yard and everything else from Bunnings...
The threaded rods are 24 MM. Springs are Trampoline springs..


Finished press below..

http://img76.imagesh...30medium1lr.jpg

Crushed Nuts anyone.... :-)

Regards
Pepsi

Edited by Pepsi, 29 March 2006 - 10:25 AM.

[fishy1]

that's a nice looking press,

what's that, about ?85? how much did you pay for the blast sheild? it's alot neater than mine, but mine cost less.

[Pepsi]

that's a nice looking press,

what's that, about ?85? how much did you pay for the blast sheild? it's alot neater than mine, but mine cost less.

Hi Fishy,
I guess in GBP it would be around GBP80.00 The blast shield was AU$80.00 Which is GBP32.00,
Expensive yeah, but so are my eyes.. and it is 20MM Thick..
Thanks for the kind words
regards
Pepsi

[fishy1]

Expensive yeah, but so are my eyes.. and it is 20MM Thick..

Reminds me of the mastercard advert.

Blast Shield: ?30
Car Jack: ?20
Your Eyes: Priceless

[Pieman]

Very professional looking! my friends dad is supposed to be sorting out a press for me, following the same tutorial. I can get everying sorted except the horizontal strips of metal, including getting them drilled. However once I get the press i'm still going to have to sort out a blast screen. How did you locate yours?

[FrankRizzo]

Be sure to include the blast shield as it plays an indispensable roll in stiffening the frame. If it's not used, the threaded rod will bow if the pressing force is not perfectly centered.

Very professional looking! my friends dad is supposed to be sorting out a press for me, following the same tutorial. I can get everying sorted except the horizontal strips of metal, including getting them drilled. However once I get the press i'm still going to have to sort out a blast screen. How did you locate yours?

[Pepsi]

Very professional looking! my friends dad is supposed to be sorting out a press for me, following the same tutorial. I can get everying sorted except the horizontal strips of metal, including getting them drilled. However once I get the press i'm still going to have to sort out a blast screen. How did you locate yours?

Just let your fingers do the walking... yellow pages under plastics...retail/wholesale..
Regards
Pepsi

Reminds me of the mastercard advert.

Blast Shield: ?30
Car Jack: ?20
Your Eyes: Priceless

Sheeeesh......
Wonder wot's the Credit Limit on a 20mm thick Mastercard.. !!
Pepsi

[fishy1]

i was playing around with one of those guns that you get for squeezing stuff out of tubes(e.g. silicon, wood glue paste), and i happened to notice when i got my hand stuck in it i was easily able to crush my hand hard enough that i couldn't bear it. i think this is an option for new pyros unwilling to shell out ?60 on a car jack press. obviously, you should not press compositions in it without a blast shield. i thought of this, and it should be possible to build a wall of (sandbags/etc) with a small hole for the handle to protrude out of so that you would be protected. wearing a glove should make it about as safe as any other press.

i know the guns won't be able to press 6 tons, but they can push pretty hard.

Comments?

[damocov]

The mastic gun I have only works on a friction basis of a metal gate catching a smooth rod at an angle and when you pull the trigger this has the effect of squeezing the mastic out only because it is easier to push, if I try an unopened tube or just my fist the pressure required is too great and the pole slides through the gate.
I doubt if this will exert much pressure at all - unless you have a seriously industrial gun.

As a "cheap" small scale press I'm using a "G" clamp as it is threaded it is capable of being tightened up way beyond hand pressure with a 4 foot steel tube as a lever.
(also has the advantage that you can "clamp" the clamp in a bench vice and be 4 foot away from your blast shield whilst tightening it.)
Disadvantage - you need a 4 foot semi circle around your work bench!

[fishy1]

The mastic gun I have only works on a friction basis of a metal gate catching a smooth rod at an angle and when you pull the trigger this has the effect of squeezing the mastic out only because it is easier to push, if I try an unopened tube or just my fist the pressure required is too great and the pole slides through the gate.
I doubt if this will exert much pressure at all - unless you have a seriously industrial gun.

As a "cheap" small scale press I'm using a "G" clamp as it is threaded it is capable of being tightened up way beyond hand pressure with a 4 foot steel tube as a lever.
(also has the advantage that you can "clamp" the clamp in a bench vice and be 4 foot away from your blast shield whilst tightening it.)
Disadvantage - you need a 4 foot semi circle around your work bench!

a preliminary test making a bentoite nozzel seems to show it pressing hard enough. maybe yours and mine are different designs, but i doubt it.

[damocov]

I'll give it a go - mine cost about a tenner from B+Q a few years ago.

Are you pressing cakes for corning or just ramming into a tube?
I think (but will probably be corrected) that the latter requires less pressure than the former.
I use the G clamp press for making cakes before crushing and sifting, but just use a hammer to ram the powder into the tube.

[Frozentech]

i was playing around with one of those guns that you get for squeezing stuff out of tubes(e.g. silicon, wood glue paste), and i happened to notice when i got my hand stuck in it i was easily able to crush my hand hard enough that i couldn't bear it. i think this is an option for new pyros unwilling to shell out ?60 on a car jack press. obviously, you should not press compositions in it without a blast shield. i thought of this, and it should be possible to build a wall of (sandbags/etc) with a small hole for the handle to protrude out of so that you would be protected. wearing a glove should make it about as safe as any other press.

i know the guns won't be able to press 6 tons, but they can push pretty hard.

Comments?

Well, if you can press 6,500 pounds per square inch by squeezing on that thing, remind me *never* to shake hands with you !

[fishy1]

Well, if you can press 6,500 pounds per square inch by squeezing on that thing, remind me *never* to shake hands with you !

that would be pretty easy if you used a small enough thing to press on.(small area of whatever you press.)


now pressing with 6500 pounds of force, that would be hard.

[m0sul]

Supercheap Auto also sells a 6000kg press using that exact bottle jack for $140! (minus the blast shield) Very heavy duty and sturdy construction. I should know I work there and thats where I got mine! But half price... There is also a 10,000kg variant around for the $200 mark. But hey well done with the press thats a tight job!

[sasman]

My next project is to build a New Hydraulic press.. i bulit a very heavy press about 12 years ago it had 2 rams 70 ton and 150 ton, i have used it to press small rockets and press 4" Diameter BP pucks but it has very limited height and i cant use standard 1 lb rocket tooling there is just not enough height ..

I have read on the passfire forum about ladykate converting his press into a electro-hydraulic press..and i have decided to go the same route.

Does anyone know of a good surplus store in the UK that sells cheap Hydraulic pumps?. I have phoned a few companys and the price are scary 4 x more than what you can pay in the USA?..

Also i dont like the sound of the Flexing that appears to happen with these 10 ton H frame presses..is it a real problem? when pressing a 1 lb rocket?

Thanks