I don't have an arbor press so use a 20 ton hydraulic. I've trued everything up and just push a short distance and back of enough let the broach free then go a bit more. I use the shims that came with the broaches. Works fine in mild steel. The process is slow. The press was bought to press bearings on & off but some times heat is needed. It is a considerably heavier press than what HF sells these days. I can't believe they send cast iron press plates.
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I need/want an Arbor press
- Thread starter Aukai
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2016
- Messages
- 7,019
I have a 20T press from NAPA, the cast iron was discontinued due to breakage. My air over pneumatic is only rated to 10T. Because I have that I'm looking for a ratcheting tall ~3 ton arbor press, and can kinda wait.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2014
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- 2,737
Check out the press H&W uses in their video about replacing Bridgeport spindle bearings. There’s no way I could fit or afford such a beast, but the HF press works fine.
It seems to me if you’re going to break a broach with the HF press, you’re likely to have trouble with any press. You just can’t start pumping away without being very aware of what’s happening. The amount of force is just not all that much, in my opinion and experience.
It seems to me if you’re going to break a broach with the HF press, you’re likely to have trouble with any press. You just can’t start pumping away without being very aware of what’s happening. The amount of force is just not all that much, in my opinion and experience.
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2016
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I just managed to snag this arbor press brand new for 75 Kanuckistan dollars:
The throat is 12", but the height is only 3 1/2 (5" without the holder. No good for broaching, but fine for pressing bearings and forming..
The throat is 12", but the height is only 3 1/2 (5" without the holder. No good for broaching, but fine for pressing bearings and forming..
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2018
- Messages
- 8,407
That’s cheap enough.
I needed to press some bearings so I ran down to HF and bought their one ton.
It works. But, like Dabbler said, no good for broaching.
I was just looking at Machinery’s Handbook.
Broaches come in various configurations.
Square
Round
Single keyway
Double keyway
Four spline
Hexagon
Rectangular
Internal gear
Helical splines
Probably have to take out a mortgage to finance some of these!
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2017
- Messages
- 391
Broaching effort is proportional, especially manual. Presses aren't sized by throat depth alone, tonnage is a factor, you can expect enough power in a press tall enough for your workpiece and size of broach.
Be aware, the broach length is added to part height. The un-toothed starting guide enters minimally.
Most important factor is to not expect pushing through in one shot. I'd avoid purchase of a small arbor press, I have 4, all manual and 1 pneumatic-hydraulic 60 ton. They are chosen by which is smallest to do job in question; but larger is better than too small.
Adjust the ram clearance to a minimum over entire stroke, and lubricate with decent bearing grease, gear lube, or way oil. All have good film properties.
If you make a bushing, ensure width has least sliding clearance possible, depth must accommodate shims associated with using that broach. They are designated by letters, increasing with thickness to achieve depth. Only the smallest broaches generate full depth in a single pass.
Ram must be retracted every 2-3 maybe 5 teeth, allowing it to right itself - eliminate binding and breakage.
There is more than just cutting going on; apply plenty of cutting oil to teeth, spine AND and bushing. Moly-disulfide compounds work best, to combine cutting action and this lubrication.
Brush chips from spine and the teeth before re-inserting.
A box or bucket below is needed and will catch chips and the broach.
Used arbor presses aren't rare. I expect half available were found too small...the littlest are assembly tools of light interference fits, not what I'd call 'press work'. A clear sign is ram has a mushroomed head, trying to eek a bit more power. (Probably not same guy who paid for it!)
If bought used, ensure end is square. It's useful; face it off, bore a hole and a setscrew across to hold "tooling". 1/2" and 10-32 is OK. You'll thank me repeatedly for that tidbit. Should be, yet don't think that is ever a feature in a commercially made arbor press.
I like tapping 2 holes of opposed corners the bed plate as well.
Be aware, the broach length is added to part height. The un-toothed starting guide enters minimally.
Most important factor is to not expect pushing through in one shot. I'd avoid purchase of a small arbor press, I have 4, all manual and 1 pneumatic-hydraulic 60 ton. They are chosen by which is smallest to do job in question; but larger is better than too small.
Adjust the ram clearance to a minimum over entire stroke, and lubricate with decent bearing grease, gear lube, or way oil. All have good film properties.
If you make a bushing, ensure width has least sliding clearance possible, depth must accommodate shims associated with using that broach. They are designated by letters, increasing with thickness to achieve depth. Only the smallest broaches generate full depth in a single pass.
Ram must be retracted every 2-3 maybe 5 teeth, allowing it to right itself - eliminate binding and breakage.
There is more than just cutting going on; apply plenty of cutting oil to teeth, spine AND and bushing. Moly-disulfide compounds work best, to combine cutting action and this lubrication.
Brush chips from spine and the teeth before re-inserting.
A box or bucket below is needed and will catch chips and the broach.
Used arbor presses aren't rare. I expect half available were found too small...the littlest are assembly tools of light interference fits, not what I'd call 'press work'. A clear sign is ram has a mushroomed head, trying to eek a bit more power. (Probably not same guy who paid for it!)
If bought used, ensure end is square. It's useful; face it off, bore a hole and a setscrew across to hold "tooling". 1/2" and 10-32 is OK. You'll thank me repeatedly for that tidbit. Should be, yet don't think that is ever a feature in a commercially made arbor press.
I like tapping 2 holes of opposed corners the bed plate as well.
Somehow that just seems like common sense. Once something under compression starts to bow it's ability to resist force falls off very rapidly. Same idea as is used in building design for columns. That's why all the reference charts use slenderness ratios. The ratio on a broach is pretty extreme!
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2013
- Messages
- 4,306
no kidding! I got my import 3 ton for $50, plus about $600 of search light parts
