[TheForge] 15Ton Press

Mon Jan 7 15:13:24 2002

Hey Ed, Ralph, Steve,
I'll send separately, pics of my original 35 T press and one I helped Ben
Ferguson build.
The press design has gone thru a long and almost continual evolution. I
first discussed my design concept with Jim Batson while he was writing his
hydraulics primer. He incorporated some of my concepts into an H frame press
that he built and sold to" Uncle AL the Knifemakers Pal". Uncle Al modified
the design some, and produced a unit, that I think he still sells.
I saw a version of this unit at a BBS conference about 6 years ago and
incorporated some of Uncle AL's improvements in my later designs. One of the
best is the use of the rail 2" square stock to also make the slide bearing
surfaces.
 Ralph if you are worried about the lateral force resulting from upsetting
metal stock, you can make the guides 20" long and weld guide bars across the
front and back bottom faces of the guides. Just make sure that you wrap the
slide with some shim stock before welding the guides in position. This will
give you enough clearance to minimize rail friction. I used machined bronze
bearings for my first press, that used 2" round stock, but I found that it
was overkill.
Ed, my design called for using 2 hydraulic cylinders, the main reason being,
to leave the area below the bottom die open so that I could drive drifts
completely thru the handle holes in the blade forging hammers I make. I
didn't make this version yet because I wasn't certain about balancing the
cylinder force, and the rail throat has to be about 20" to provide enough
working clearance between cylinders.
Another idea that Len Landrum had was to make the unit using 3" or 4" heavy
wall square tubing. It promises to be an inexpensive way to increase the die
base support and also lighten the weight of the total package.
Since you are aware of  the pros and cons of the VFD motor option I think
you should try it. I'm hoping that we all can learn something about VFD
motors thru your experience. None of us have all the answers.
Chuck

----- Original Message -----
From: Ed Fasula <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2002 6:39 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] 15Ton Press

>
> >Echoing Chuck with added emphasis, doubling the speed on the pump (to
3600rpm)
> >will *dramatically* increase the noise. I find it hard to believe that
the
> >pumps
> >last very long with the noise level I had on mine at 3600 rpm.
>
> It depends on how long is long.  My neighbor has a wood splitter that has
> an ailing pump, on the other hand others I know lend their splitter out to
> all their friend and they last for years.  Most gas motors turn at 3600 I
> understand.  I don't know what other reasonable options I have for
> splitting wood - maybe run it off the tractor's system.  But that damn old
> Farmall M is a project onto itself and it guzzles gas like sailor drinks
> fine ale on shore leave.
>
> >Your comment about Northern's expertise on their own equipment sounds
> >familiar. My
> >valve bypasses came set for about 1200 psi (I figured out later). They
> >swore up
> >and down on the phone that they were set for a lot higher, and that my
> >setup must
> >have a problem. I checked a bunch of stuff before raising the pressure.
> >Bad enough
> >that they don't have a clue, worse that they act like they do!
>
> Yah, I don't give Northern "technical" support much weight anymore.  When
I
> was putting up a shed I had to get the roof penetration in before I got my
> double barrel stove from Northern in the mail.  I called up to find out
> what diameter stove pipe to use.  8" the guy said.  I made sure, "that's
> not the OD of the insulated pipe is it, 8" is pretty uncommon."  No,
> standard 8" stove pipe.  He was SURE.  Well, insulated pipe and the
> hardware is quite a bit more for 8" versus the 6" that the stove
*actually*
> takes, as I was so happy to see when I got the stove in the mail after the
> roof was done.  Don't expect much, you won't be disappointed.
>
> Ed
>
>
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