[TheForge] flypress & QuadState update

Sun Sep 28 19:45:00 2003

Last couple years Dr. Rick Redden of Ky Blacksmith Supply had sorely abused
a double axle trailer with anvils, swage blocks and flypresses he brought
back from England/Europe and had them for sale at the QuadState.  He wasn't
there this year.  But there were a few.  I've seen some on the 'web doing a
search when I got mine and was fishing for tooling/use ideas.

Just to make you all green, I last heard there were 940 +- registered for
this years QuadState Roundup.  Demonstrations were GREAT!  I watched Doug
Wilson of Maine, Jody Best of Penn, and James Viste of Mich. do some
amazingly innovative things.  Remarkable how genius looks so simple on
relflection sometimes.  Admirable creativity and skill.

And the tailgate sales area just gets bigger every year.  Geesh, it's
amazing to see how it's grown the 14 years I've been going, there's more
anvils, forges, swages, top/bottom tools, drills (electric and crank), bits,
hydraulics, motors, books, lathes (small ones ~5"x 15"), treadle hammers,
coal, wrought iron, stainless bars, henrob torches, and a few flypresses :)

There are 3 main isles with about 15 vendors/sellers on each side, with
spill overs on the periphery, so there has to be at least 120 (best
guess)folks selling anything metal working related (as noted).

I was cajoled into entering the forging competition on Sat. night with a
fellow that's a friend of a friend, and was reminded of how much fun it is
to get into the thick of things.  And made a new friend to boot, and that's
the gravy on the ice cream, ha!  There were 16 teams of two forging 1/8"
plate into bowls with water volume and aesthetics weighing equally in the
judging.  Let's just say Daryl and I had a great time.

The U-forge and basic demo have merged and many young and old beginner
smiths were able to see and try their hand at mangling hot iron.  What a
blast.

Kevin Donahoe
Flying Pig Forge
Morrow, OH
[email protected]

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is
dressed in overalls, and looks like work.
                 -Thomas A. Edison

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Steve Smith
Sent: Saturday, 27 September, 2003 9:23 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [TheForge] flypress

I find the travel pretty useful, I'd worry a bit about giving half of it
up. My opinion is shaped by both what I do and the tool I have; maybe it
would be different if I had a screw press.

How I got mine--a friend's work took him to England for a year. When it
came time to move back (company paid), he wasn't given a weight maximum.
He'd bought a motorcycle among other things. So he bought three
flypresses and brought them back, one for him, one for me, one to sell
(long gone). Flypresses seem to be as common as dirt in England. For
instance, auto shops use them in preference to hydraulic presses for
putting bearings on shafts. I think I paid $300 for my #3 at a used
machinery dealer (top dollar)--if you can wait to find one at a rumble
(yard sale), you can get them far cheaper. But you have to be in England.

Maybe some enterprising soul will ship a container full back to the states?

 From what (little) I've seen of the imports and what I've heard from
people, the currently available new machines are fairly nice.

Steve

Bob Smolen wrote:
> Steve,
> If you had to double the length of the bump or give up some travel, would
> you still find the press useful? Obviously, I am on the fence about buying
a
> screwpress. I wonder if it would be satisfactory. I have never seen a
> flypress for sale so figure a screwpress is the next best thing short of
> buying a new  import from India. How did you find your press?
> Thanks,
> Bob.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steve Smith" <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Friday, September 26, 2003 6:23 AM
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] flypress
>
>
>
>>My flypress moves about 5/16" for a typical swing where you keep your
>>hand on the handle (you don't "let fly"). This amounts to about one foot
>>of travel around the perimiter. So mine moves roughly 3" if you move the
>>handle in a full revolution.
>>
>>I never end up using it that way, I use short blows repeated, such as
>>you would do in splitting a groove.
>>
>>Steve Smith
>>
>>Bob Smolen wrote:
>>
>>
>>>David,
>>>Thanks for the info.
>>>The difference in the screw was my understanding as well. How much
>>>difference does the extra travel of a flypress make in the use of
>
> tooling? A
>
>>>3 start 3tpi (as on a flypress) will move the ram 1" per rev of
>
> handwheel. A
>
>>>single start will move it 1/3 of an inch. If a full turn of a screwpress
>>>goes 1/3inch, that would push a punch or splitter nicely .Is that too
>
> much
>
>>>effort for using tooling?There aren't many times when 1/3 in. movement
>
> in
>
>>>one stroke  is obtained thru other means. I have seen the pictures of
>
> guys
>
>>>forging tenons with a flypress.  I am not as interested in forging with
>
> a
>
>>>press, more interested in quiet use of tooling. Can somone comment based
>
> on
>
>>>their experience?
>>>Thanks,
>>>Bob
>>>
>>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "David E. Smucker" <[email protected]>
>>>To: <[email protected]>
>>>Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 6:21 AM
>>>Subject: Re: [TheForge] flypress
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>One major difference is the screws.  Most screw presses or tryout
>
> presses
>
>>>>used in a die shop are built with a single tread on the screw (screw
>
> tread
>
>>>>starts at on point.)  This is slower acting but produces high force or
>>>>tonnage.  The flypress now being sold for blacksmithing have  mutli
>
> tread
>
>>>>screws.  Some up to four treads starting at the same point.  They have 4
>>>>time the lead for the same pitch of thread.  This means that the screw
>>>>advances 4 times as fast as a single screw.  Still a lot of force but
>
> not
>
>>>as
>>>
>>>
>>>>much as a single tread -- but 4 times the speed.  Said to be "better"
>
> for
>
>>>>forging.  Really depends on what you are doing.
>>>>
>>>>Dave Smucker
>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>From: "Bob Smolen" <[email protected]>
>>>>To: <[email protected]>
>>>>Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 10:39 PM
>>>>Subject: [TheForge] flypress
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Can someone explain the difference between  the popular flypress used
>
> by
>
>>>>>blacksmiths and the screw press or tryout press used in die shops. How
>>>
>>>are
>>>
>>>
>>>>>they different?
>>>>>Thanks,
>>>>>Bob
>>>>>
>>>>>_______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
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>>
>
>
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