[TheForge] RE: Hydraulic Forging Press

[Ralph Sproul]

        Thanks Chris, I was looking on the upload page........ so I went and
just started a new Hydraulic Forging album and it has seven pictures to
check out.  This ram guide system is the one Batson has in his book.  It
works well, the open anvil you'll notice on my press comes in really handy.
The other pictures are pretty self explainatory.  The straightening die is
amazing how well it works.  Add wood if you don't want to damage already
created textures.  *Be careful puting wood on hot metal in a
press.........the flames will shoot three feet to eithe side when you do
this.......it works well, but you must be aware of this.  Once thru that and
you'll know what I mean.  :-)   (spoken with less hair on one arm!)
        Batson's book is invaluable for information on how to figure your
piston travel speed.  The two stage pumps run low pressure yielding higher
speed than the high pressure end of the pump that yields about 1/4 of the
ram speed as the low pressure side of the pump.  This is nice to get in and
out of the heated object, and have the ram go to a really controlable speed
when getting into the actual work.  You don't see things about to happen
with hydraulics like you do with other mechanical devices........when a tool
or die is subjected to 20-50 tons......there is no difference in appearance
until a tool comes apart or something shoots across the room(hopefully not
hitting you).  This is why a die lock in system is important, the slow
controlable speed of a ram is advised with the two section pumps, and having
a pressure guage makes you aware of how much pressure your exerting on an
object.  As you press something the heat is absorbed into the dies, the
material becomes less workable, and tool stress can become extremely high.
Using a lot of common sense around these tools is mandatory (especially with
cold work).

        I'd like to see other H frame and die ideas, as well as hand held
tools if folks have pictures of them.   I'll try to take pictures of my hand
held press tools.  They are just like power hammer tools, but four times the
size to absorb the heat transfer.

Ralph



----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Worsley" <worsley@erols.com>
To: <theforge@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 7:27 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] RE: Hydraulic Forging Press


> Ralph,
> When you get to the site, click on the "organize & share" tab, then click
on the
> "new" icon on the right hand side of the panel.
>
> Chris
> Alexandria VA
>
> Ralph Sproul wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> >         I tried to start a new album and can't figure out how to do
> > that......any help appreciated.  Figured it would be Hydraulic Press as
a
> > title.
> >
> > Ralph
>
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