[TheForge] heavy metal math/c frame press

Sun Nov 23 17:42:59 2003

As Chuck says an area of real risk for blacksmiths and bladesmiths that work
with hydraulic press is that danger from high pressure hydraulics.

There is real risk to your person from a small high pressure jet of fluid
that would come in contact with you or someone near you press.  Just as high
pressure water jets can be used for cutting metal a high pressure hydraulic
leak can cause great harm even if it is only to blow up (fill up) a hand or
limb.  Used of correctly rated hoses and fittings is very important to lower
risk in this area.  (Look on the web for safety information about high
pressure paint systems for details.)

I do believe that the greatest risk for blacksmith / bladesmith  is the
combination of hot metal and a hydraulic leak and the resulting fire /
explosion of the oil cloud.  It can burn your shop down too.  The fine mist
from a leak is of greater risk that a large flow that may only burn to a
limited extent.  There have been a number of fatal industrial fires that
have resulted from the combination of oil hydraulics and hot metal.  In even
more cases there has been major fire damage.  Most of these cases occurred
because of a lack of maintenance of pipe, hose and fittings.  The risk can
be reduced by good design and careful regular inspection for damage.  I
can't design your set up for you but think long and hard how you shield
hoses and pipes so that a possible leak will not spray directly on the hot
metal.

For this reason I think that the "pull down" or "push up" design presses
with the cylinder on the bottom are much safer that the "push down" presses
with the cylinder located on the top.  The AFC press that will be won in a
raffle at the AFC bladesmith conference this next spring is of the "pull
down" type.  I don't know who did the design but it well done.

Understand that I am not against the use of hydraulic press -- I spent many
years working with the design of  and construction of rolling mills using
oil base hydraulic systems -- but just think about the what ifs as you desig
n and build.

Dave Smucker

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chuck Robinson" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2003 4:27 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] heavy metal math/c frame press

> Separating the power pack is an excellent idea.
> My hair stands on end when I see some one operate a press with an integral
> pump located a foot or so from the operators head.
>  If the hydraulics let go a foot or so away from you, you have a good
chance
> of being maimed or killed.
> If it lets go 10 feet away you just get an oily shower.
> A high tonnage "H" frame works much better for me, than a low tonnage "C"
> frame.
> The higher the tonnage, the larger the die surfaces can be, allowing much
> more work per heat.
> Chuck
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Emmerling" <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2003 1:10 PM
> Subject: [TheForge] heavy metal math/c frame press
>
>
> > Thanks for the responses. I don't really need a cylinder this large, but
> > I paid next to nothing for it and it has had little use. So considering
> > the stress level of a 60 ton push/pull, it sounds as though an "H" frame
> > is the better route.  I just liked the idea of having the work space
> > around the "C" throat. I have been thinking about making the hydraulics
> > as a power pack on castors and being able to use more than one tool with
> > the unit...maybe a smaller cylinder on a "C" frame.
> > Again, thanks.
> > John
> >
> >
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