[TheForge] Upside down press - followup

[Bruce Freeman]

Steve,
I've been following this half-heartedly, since a press is something I'm not likely to get involved with any time soon.
I, too, reacted negatively to the idea of an upside-down press.  Seems awkward to me.  So, have you considered the possibility of a double-inversion?  Let me explain.  Make your upside-down press.  Now build an outer frame that holds the I-beams of the press and allows them to slide up and down.  With the hydraulic cylinder at full extension, fix the lower die-holder to the outer frame so that the lower die will remain statiionary and the upper die (and the complete I-beam assembly) will move up and down.  This outer frame need not be very rigid - it need only support the weight of the I-beam assembly (including the cylinder).
Just another weird idea from
Bruce
NJ

>>> smith at blacksmithing.org 8/25/2005 3:50:18 PM >>>
I appreciate the comments -- the major points were the essential nature of
the beast, i.e., upside down, and the narrownest of the system.  There were
also comments about Jim Batson's book (which I own).  --and I did mess up
the directions of the slashes in the URL
(http://www.ironflower.com/plans/press.htm).  That had nothing to do with
the direction of the horn on my anvil, since I have one of Chuck's
knife-makers units which is hornless <grin>.

Part of the story which I neglected to post, was I already own the
hydraulics (a 5" cylinder of the dimensions in the plan), a 5HP motor, a
control value set, filter, pressure guage, reservoir, and hoses I wouldn't
trust (when the rubber flakes off in your hands...) - all of which set me
$200.  I figure if I can weld up a frame from what I have lying around (the
I-beams,etc), then have new hoses made, I'll have a "learner" press for
relatively few bucks.  I intend to use it for Damascus production and give
my 50lb Little Giant a break (before it breaks!).  I like the idea of the
upside-down nature since it drops the center of gravity, shortens hose
lengths, and makes an overall unit more compact and more "portable".
However, since I've never used a press, I have no real idea if the
lift-to-crush aspect is a problem (it does seem wierd given the years I've
spent in front of the power hammer, but maybe someone can address this issue
if they have actually used an upside-down press).  Eventually, I'll move to
a two-speed press, made by someone who knows what they're doing, but in the
meantime, I may be able to defray the costs of that press with this one.

In any event, I do appreciate the feedback and will post whatever happens
down the road.

Steve Bloom
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