[TheForge] Arbor Press

[Bob Ehrenberger]

Tom,

I wouldn't want to forge with an arbor press, but I have one that I use to
form hot collars and it is great.  I have a collar fixture that I patterned
from a design in the Blacksmith journal,  I then make a top die that matches
the bars that I'm going to collar together. Once I figure out the precise
lenth of the strap I cut them, get them hot, lay across the fixture, and run
the ram down.  It comes out as a U with equal sides and nice clean bends.  I
then reheat, put over my mandral and make the last two bends by hand at the
anvil. I can keep several pieces hot and make hundreds of collar in an
afternoon.

Robert Ehrenberger
Shelbyville, Mo.


----Original Message------
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 23:47:39 -0500
From: "Thomas A. Troszak" <tom at tomtroszak.com>
Subject: [TheForge] Re: TheForge Digest, Vol 12, Issue 74
To: theforge at mailman.qth.net


On Jan 21, 2005, at 12:00 AM, theforge-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:

> why
> a *fly* press? To me they look like a little obsolete. . Can someone
> enlighten me?

Dear Justin,

I used to do forging with an arbor press, and it is a great way to
destroy your arms, if you don't want to take my word for it, go ahead
and try it. I made thousands of parts, but the jarring of the handle is
injurious to the body over time. By the way, I see broken arbor presses
in the scrapyard every couple of months.

A fly press has weights which provide momentum energy to do the nasty
work of the forging, (instead of your arms) and they are designed for
the work. They also have great feel without the sudden jolt at the end
of the stroke, in other words, they rock!

By all means, by yourself a cheap chinese arbor press, break it and
your wrists, and learn from the experience.

Tom Troszak