[TheForge] Hydraulic Press

[Andrew Vida]

Mark A. Pesetsky wrote:
> I was wondering if I could get away with making a press w/o a lot of
> height to it. It'll still be heavy, but I don't need a lot of work
> area like those monsters have.

You will have to accommodate the length of they cylinder in any event. 
If height is a concern, then toss that cylinder and get one with a 
shorter throw, like 5".

If you are going to go the full 100t with that cylinder, I would so very 
strongly recommend that you build a double frame press because if 
perchance something lets go, the other frame member will be there to 
hold the works together... more or less.  If you have never seen a press 
like that fail, you have no religion in these matters.  I was on a 130t 
press at the shop in Mesa, punching holes in some plate.  The press had 
a hinky die shoe and after punching a hole the die went out of line. 
The next operation got interesting as the punch failed  as it made 
contact with the now misaligned die - a very sharp chunk of D2 split off 
and went across the shop literally with the speed of a bullet and took 
an inch-deep divot out of the block wall about 40 feet away.  Anyone in 
its way would likely have been killed.  That experience got me some old 
timey religion that you just cannot get any other way.  Trust me when I 
say that you do NOT want a press coming apart like that.  Do the right 
thing and build it properly so you don't kill yourself.  That fragment 
could just have easily gone in another direction and passed through my 
chest.  It was a good 1/2 oz and sharp as hell.