Hydraulic Forging Press: Part 2

[Rhandahl]

Great press! I wish I had a shop like that:)

[tsukinoda]

Awesome technique, thank you so much for the great videos!

[powerimprint]

I've found I can't purchase coal in my area. I guess this will have to go on the "back burner."

[powerimprint]

what do you use to heat up the metal - like in the furnace? I see it burning constantly. Is it just propane? Thanks, very interesting! I'd love to do this stuff

[drgnfly4g]

@powerimprint That's a coal forge in the background. As it burns the coal turns to coke, coal with the imprurities burned out of it. There's also a fan/blower with a reostat to control the amount of heat. More oxygen, more heat. I do have propane forges, too.

[powerimprint]

@drgnfly4g - where does a guy like me find coal? Can I buy it at the store, or do I need to go to the internet?

[drgnfly4g]

@powerimprint Depends on where you live. Best thing is to find your local Artist-Blacksmith Association of North America (ABANA) chapter by going to their website. Then you can contact local smiths to see where they get it or maybe they sell it. Otherwise you want bituminous (soft) coal and coal yards, feed stores and the like have it.

[2x4tube]

thats tops! well done! I'm looking at building one like this at some stage soon. Is there any design features you would change if you were going to build another?

Thanks Randy

[drgnfly4g]

@2x4tube Yes, I'd make the drop in feature of the top and bottom plates deeper so that there is more support for them and larger bolts could be used for better stability and strength. Also I'd raise the unit up even 6" so it's easier to view what's happening when it's squishing instead of leaning over to see tooling alignment and how far it's squished. A limit switch to control where it stops would regulate how far it pushes would be beneficial also. Other than that it's great!

[2x4tube]

Thanks for the reply.. i will use that when i start building my badboy.

Did you have any problems with the hydraulics? The construction and electrical side is no issue for me, however, finding good info on setting up the hydraulics is proving tough. I'm thinking of getting some plans for a log splitter for the info on setting up the hydraulics safely... Do you have any advice there where i can get some good info?

Thanks Mate! Ben in OZ.

[drgnfly4g]

@2x4tube Best source of information is a book called, "Build Your Own Hydraulic Forging Press", by James L. Batson. Some of the knife making websites sell it. Shows frames, hydraulics and the works. The guy who designed and built mine used that book for this one and others. Good luck and be safe!

[Prowler1]

i learned a lot, very interesting, thank you.

[bkforge]

Randy, don't you worry about your slide in tooling when doing a taper--it really tilts around and seems loose--ejecting from the press. I realize that friction at that point is doing all the holding, not the little toggle bar, but it still seems sloppy...

[drgnfly4g]

I agree. Since these videos I have removed the mild steel plates and replaced them with 4140 ones, hardened and tempered. I also beefed up the holding bolts. I'm also very careful to keep the metal hot at all time as when it cools that's when the press pushes tooling out and towards you. I've also made a lot more tooling and a rack to hold the tooling, so I'm really getting a lot of use from this press.

[briggenoniel]

Have you ever used your press for sheet metal forming?

[drgnfly4g]

Only a litle bit as the opening is just 7"h x 11" wide, so doesn't allow a very big piece.

[CompleteForge]

Very good, Lots of ideas for getting the most out of your press. Have you worked out a system for hot punching bar in this style of press? Its certainly got a nice quick return to get the punch out quick. Cheers, Will

[drgnfly4g]

No hot punching full tooling yet as I don't have a job that requires it. I'm sure it will happen some day. Just punches to open up a hole in a box, so not all of the way through. I've done that in 3" x 3" stock.

[yzujq]

wicked