# Shop Press upgrades



## architard

Hey everyone,
It was suggested by itsme_Bernie to start a thread dedicated to upgrades/tooling folks have made to their shop presses. By no means should this be limited to a particular size or model since almost all H frame shop presses are similar in construction. Feel free to add your own upgrades to the thread to give others some good ideas. 

Mine is an older Harbor Freight (Orange) 20 ton model. I should have inspected it before I took it home. The ram on the jack plate was not welded on square and the entire frame was pretty catty-wompus. However it still worked for what I needed and after purchasing this tool I've found it to be an indispensable shop accessory. 

My first improvement was something I had seen others do, a T handle for the bottle jack release. I simply drove out the stock pin that was in the screw and then used a set screw to attach the T handle. 



The second round of improvements came when I bought the HF 20 ton air over hydraulic bottle jack to replace the manual jack. This thing is awesome. Not quite like a fully powered hydraulic ram but the next best thing. No more pumping up and down on the jack. I'd like to eventually add a foot actuated switch so I can keep both hands free for positioning things on the press.

When I got this jack I decided to address the fact that the jack plate and ram wobble all over the place making it hard to get the ram to press square on the work. I did this by grinding some welds free on the ram so I could heat it up and whack it into plumb. I also cut off the small bits of angle iron that act as guides for the ram. I fabricated new guides out of angle iron and spaced them wider than the originals as well as added some holes. These holes are used to mount pieces of UHMW plastic to each face of the guides. It was simple to size these removable pieces so that there is no slop in the jack plate now. It rides amazingly smooth and plumb now. 





While I had the plate off the machine I also welded on some small angle iron tabs that locate the bottle jack on the plate. The stock press just had the jack sitting on the plate and it also contributed to things sliding all around while trying to use the press.

Finally I added a collar over the stock ram that has a 1" receiving hole with a set screw. I plan on making interchangeable rams of different sizes as well as some punching dies.



I'm planning on replacing the stock cast iron plates with some steel plates. The cast ones are known to shatter under large loads. As I do some more mods I'll add them to this thread.


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## zmotorsports

Nice work.  I saw that over on the POTD thread.  Great job.

Mike.


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## itsme_Bernie

Fantastic Kent!

This'll be great!  Thank for posting here...  I'll post mine here too..


Bernie


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## Shadowdog500

Looks great.  I may have to try the gliders you made.

Out of curiosity, are they the older HF cast iron press plates.  I don't have first hand experience, but I've read that  they explode when under heavy load.

Chris


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## aztoyman

I have the same press. Great ideas. I like the adapter idea.

The one mod I'm doing first is making it taller. It's too damn short for me.


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## Don B

architard said:


> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested by itsme_Bernie to start a thread dedicated to upgrades/tooling folks have made to their shop presses. By no means should this be limited to a particular size or model since almost all H frame shop presses are similar in construction. Feel free to add your own upgrades to the thread to give others some good ideas.



 Those are nice improvements you've made, I have the use of a friends press when I need a large one and his certainly could benefit from these upgrades, Christ it's hard to get things lined up straight on it, most times you need an extra set of hands.




This is my shop press I made over 20 years ago, and it's one of the handiest things I've ever made, original I made it for pressing bearings into small nitro RC engines, but as it turns out it's been useful for so many other small jobs as well.


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## architard

Yes the older orange model has cheap cast iron press plates. They have been known to explode under great pressure. Swag Offroad makes replacement plates but they are a bit costly when you could cheaply make them yourselves. They also have a testimonial and picture from a guy that had them explode on them. 

http://www.swagoffroad.com/Arbor-Press-Plates_p_7.html

They also have some other great products. 


aztoyman I agree. Mines stuffed into the corner of my closet sized shop so I haven't worried about it being the perfect height. I've thought about putting it up on some 6x6 cribbing to remedy the situation.


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## pineyfolks

I have posted these pics in various threads but I thought I'd stick them together here. I made a simple pointer next to the jack and a scale attached with magnets for making repeat bends. Rollers were added for smooth ram movement. A collar drilled & tapped bellow the jack lets me swap out tools and punches.  Various bending dies, plates, and v-blocks. Hope you get some ideas or give me more for mine.


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## Don B

pineyfolks said:


> I have posted these pics in various threads but I thought I'd stick them together here. I made a simple pointer next to the jack and a scale attached with magnets for making repeat bends. Rollers were added for smooth ram movement. A collar drilled & tapped bellow the jack lets me swap out tools and punches.  Various bending dies, plates, and v-blocks. Hope you get some ideas or give me more for mine.



That's a well thought out setup, nicely done..!


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## architard

pineyfolks, care to elaborate on your table winch? I have been thinking about adding that upgrade to mine but I haven't really figured out how to do it yet. As I've noted mines stuffed into a tiny corner of my tiny shop and I have a bear of a time moving that table up and down. A winch upgrade would be great.


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## pineyfolks

architard said:


> pineyfolks, care to elaborate on your table winch? I have been thinking about adding that upgrade to mine but I haven't really figured out how to do it yet. As I've noted mines stuffed into a tiny corner of my tiny shop and I have a bear of a time moving that table up and down. A winch upgrade would be great.



The winch is mounted to one side and uses a  single cable over 2 pulleys on top to the other side. Its not the smoothest movement, it see-saws a little when using it. Still much better than lifting. I going to add a roller to the table to fix that someday. You could add cables, pulleys, and counter weights to each side to balance the table. Making it weigh 10 lbs. or so, then you could move it with one hand.


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## Sharky

My first upgrade suggestion is to get rid of the cast plates. Call your local metal supplier and get 3/4 or 1" CRS bar. Two 3/4x3x12 and two 1x4x12 cost me about $40 including the cuts.


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## projectnut

Here's one I upgraded from a pile of channel Iron a few years ago.  It uses either a 12 to or a 20 ton jack.


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## harrytbagger

[FONT=&quot]Subscribed[/FONT]


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## itsme_Bernie

CaveBob posted this Ina thread here to "pimp your press" with a pneumatic/hydraulic jack from HF..  Pretty cool!


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lUJ5yiAjwtk

Here is the thread, just to keep it all together:
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=22614&p=200448


... I don't know who moderates this thread here, but what's the chance we can make a "Stickie" out of this thread oh Moderator?  

Bernie


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## markknx

I wish I would have seen this at it's start I just did a thread On the press brake I builtfor mine could have put a link here sooner. Might have also found some ideas as I went along. Well heres the link anyway maybe it will help someone  http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=22460


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## itsme_Bernie

Great Mark!  That's the point of this thread!  To get it all in one place!  Posting your link here works just as well.  Maybe better to have separate threads and post the links here like you did.

Bernie


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## 12bolts

On my shop built press I have pins that pass through the uprights and also the moveable table. As I made the holes a fairly close fit this requires a bit of twisting action to install and remove the pins, so I made a couple of handles so I wouldnt need to keep tapping them in and out with a hammer.



1st up make a couple of wood patternsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxThe ends of the pins have a groove so that should stop the handles from pulling off




One worked okxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx but the other was misaligned or moved during the pour or something




Cleaned up and ready to use xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxIn place, works a treat. I did leave a small protusion to hammer on if required

Now just back to the sandbox to make the other one again.

Cheers Phil


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## markknx

very nice work, those are sharp


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## 12bolts

Well #3 worked a treat. Looks better than the 1st one



No sand inclusions this time, nice and straight too  Much easier to push and pull into place now 

Cheers Phil


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## chips&more

Several light years ago I made the pictured below 50 ton pneumatic/hydraulic press. At that time its intent was to drop Model T front ends, but nowadays I use the press to smash the bejesus out of projects that go astray. It does not have a jack handle to operate, just open the air pressure valve and away she goes. Maybe of interest is the quick adjust/feed on the ram with Buttress threads. And the hand crank winch used to assist in raising and lowering the table. I picked up the winch at a local Flea Market, I think it was a boat trailer winch in another life. I procured the tank, pneumatic amplifier and winch everything thing else was homebrewed.
	

		
			
		

		
	






- - - Updated - - -

Also along the topic of smashing things, is the below pictured 3 ton arbor press. But, now with a hole in the end of the rack/ram.  I can’t believe how handy the recently acquired arbor press has been. And now that I have it, my bench vise has gotten a break. The arbor press is now a must have in my shop. And to make it even more useful, I put a hole in the end of the rack so attachments could easily be fitted. To make the hole, I attached the rack to a Bridgeport table on the back side. The rack is positioned vertical with the not business end of the rack pointing to the floor, and that end of the rack was shimmed off the floor for support. Swung the BP head around at the base. Lined things up and made the hole.


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## 12bolts

chips,
Nice press.
can you just clarify please, is that a air over hydraulic jack, or did you modify a straight hydraulic jack to be air operated?

cheers Phil


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## chips&more

The press is an air over hydraulic amplifier pump with ram. You can see the pump pictured in the upper top right corner in the first picture.  Sorry, I can’t recall exactly, but the pump’s specs is something like 90 psi air in and 2,000 psi hydraulic out. The ram piston is just that, with hydraulic pressure for pushing down and 90 psi air for the piston return.


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## markknx

Chips&more I'mjust wondering what you use the drill chuck for? is it to start small pins?


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## markknx

Here is some pics of my press and some of the tooling I have made for it. The only mods I have made are the addition of nylon glides on the ram support to fix the side to side and front to back movement these presses are known for. Also the clams I added on the top channel to hold the jack handle wile not in use. Mark


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## wquiles

Wow, awesome upgrades )


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## markknx

Found two air Hydro jacks on creigslist last night went out andpicked them up today One is 10" tall 20 ton, the other is a low profile 20 ton. the 10" is going to be used to covert my press to air over Hydro. I will get some pic. of the jacks and some of the upgrading. although it should be a pretty simple mod. The jack is 1" taller than the one in the press.


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## SG51Buss

This is a great thread.  Many good ideas in here.

I got the Cummins 20 ton press awhile back.  About the same price as the HF press.
What I like about this press is:

- The ram can be slid to the left and right, handy for awkward jobs.
- The single side rail design gives you a little more wiggle room to fit those awkward jobs.
- The hand pump/reservoir is remote, easier to place and align the job while pumping.
- A pressure gauge

During assembly, be sure to apply a little pressure before tightening the upper crossover bolts.
To be safe, acquire the good press plates.  The included crap-cast plates aren't straight/smooth/level.




I printed out a 'tonnage' gauge ring, sticky-backed to the gauge face.




Thanks to the ideas in this thread, I plan to add some kind of hand-crank winch for adjusting the base/table.


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## HSS

Excellent press works. I haven't posted in a while and the site has changed up a bit; I don't know if I can still post pictures. I had some problems with pictures being rotated after I attached them. I'll start another thread when I figure it out again and not hijack this one.
Patrick


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## ndnchf

This is an old thread, but hoping you guys can show more shop press modifications. I just got a new HF 20 ton and am looking for ideas.


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## kvt

I just picked up a HF 20 ton today also.   Thinking of adding the cable lift for raising and lowering,  one of the first things.   Cheep and with bad back and shoulder may be a definite improvement.   Other than that still  looking at mods that are in this thread.


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## ndnchf

I've read of the cable lift too, but not seen any good clear photos of how it's done. Still looking.


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## kvt

I saw one that used the item similar to a boat wench but used 2 cables,   it was mounted on one side,   and had pulleys   on the top of each side at the top that the cable road in to make the change in direction.  
One side had 2 one for that side and the one to run across the top to the other side,  Then The other side had one for the cable to run down.   The pulleys were mounted just above the top on the outer corners of the uprights.   That way the cable was out of the way above the top and on the outside of each side rail.   This was connected to the handles of each side with cable loops.   This way you could raise it up lock it,  while you put in the pins,  Then unlock and lower it down on the pins.    If you had good enough pulleys on good shafts you can even raise and lower with your parts on it.   This way you could put them on at the height that was comfortable then adjust to what is needed.   A plus for people with bad back and shoulders etc.


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## 12bolts

Not sure if Ken is talking about mine or not but thats pretty much how mine is in a nutshell.




Viewed from the front the winch handle is top left. You can just see the winch drum poking out a bit. Viewed from the back you can see the winch with the 2 cables running off it. One runs down the left upright. The other runs across the top and down the right upright. Attachment is just a cable eye splice onto a u-bolt at each end of the table. I just made little guide rollers out of steel tube on a greased axle to direct the cable where I needed it to go.

Cheers Phil


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## bss1

I have one of the HF 20 ton presses. It's ok but I wish I had one that was a bit better built. I did some mods which improved it significantly. First thing was to build a new base,





Then I made an accessory shelf.





Then air over hydraulic





Holder for the air valve.









V blocks






I ended up making another accessory shelf and more tooling but don't have any more pics on my computer at the moment.


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## ndnchf

Phil/BSS1 - Great ideas and execution, thanks for sharing.


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## kvt

that almost looks like you made a finger brake for it as well.   Ken


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## bss1

Ken,

It is a finger brake. It is a weld together kit from Swag Off Road. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Firestopper

One thing I did different when assembling my HF 2oT was to replace those four long bolts (at the top) with eight grade 5 hardware.


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## ndnchf

How do you attached a second cable to a winch drum designed for one cable?  I picked up a winch last night and see how the cable is anchored through the side of the drum opposite the gear.  So how should the second cable be anchored for the side close to the gear?


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## kvt

As this is not as heavy as a boat,   Use a smaller diam cable then both will fit through the hole.  Or enlarge the hole.    The other way I had thought of is to use one long piece of cable and pt the loop through the hole after ensuring that both ends were long enough to make it where they needed to go.    It might not work that way but That was my thoughts.  Had seen something similar one time.


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## 12bolts

I just removed the cable from the drum. It was secured to 1 of the flanges, (arrowed) and drilled a hole through the spool to take a bolt. I bent the sides of a washer so as to capture the cable. I found the centre of the cable (not really, because 1 half is longer than the other to reach the other side of the press) bent it back on itself and then just wound the cable back on the drum.




Now you have 2 ends exiting in the same direction. You want to make sure as practicable as possible that each cable winds on the same amount and that both step up to the next layer at the same time so it continues to wind on/off at the same dia/rev to keep the table from getting cocked over.

Cheers Phil


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## ndnchf

Thanks Phil, great photos and explanation - that is exactly what I needed.  The winch I just bought has the same cable attachment on the side.  I should be able to do the same thing you did.  I just need to decide it I want the winch on top or the side.

I got my new HF 20 ton press assembled last night. No problems at all.  Even the instructions were well written and illustrated.  It seems that HF is making an effort to improve their products (at least some of them) and provide good instructions.  I put locking casters on it for mobility too.  So far so good.


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## kvt

Phil thanks,   I just have the idea I have not started on mine,  just set it up and started using it,  to take the head for my lathe apart.   Now I have to get the new bearings and seals for the Lathe and put it back together after I get finished cleaning and painting it.


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## ndnchf

Does anyone know of a good spray paint match for gray Harbor Freight 20 ton press? I'm working on the winch modification and would like to paint a few things. Thanks. Steve


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## Splat

Just picked up one of these HF presses...only problem is they gave me the older model one, not the 60603. I didn't even think about it until I got home. Now I gotta bring it back but I'm waiting because none of the local stores have any of the 60603 in stock. I already have some 1/4" UHMW to use for shims for the jack plate and grade-8 hardware that I bought knowing I would get this press soon. Can't wait to get it working. I'm tired of using the old hammer and vise method for making bends.


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## xalky

I did quite a few mods to my harbor freight 20 ton shop press. I have a playlist on YouTube with 3 videos that I made showing some of the stuff I've done. Check em out for ideas.
Harbor freight 20 to shop press mods


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## geekwithoutacause

xalky said:


> I did quite a few mods to my harbor freight 20 ton shop press. I have a playlist on YouTube with 3 videos that I made showing some of the stuff I've done. Check em out for ideas.
> Harbor freight 20 to shop press mods



Thank you !
What user name are they under ? I see quite a few press modification videos but most are the same thing; install the air/hydraulic jack and some other things..

edit: ok, never mind, I see the links now in the reply I did. For some reason they didn't show in your posting.. !


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## ndnchf

I added a winch and a few more upgrades to mine. With the air/hydraulic jack i can even split a couple pieces of firewwood.


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## geekwithoutacause

For some reason all my postings are gone... ?????


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## RandyM

geekwithoutacause said:


> For some reason all my postings are gone... ?????



I sent you a PM that I made it a separate thread. Here is a link to it. We were getting the thread off topic.

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/need-help-replacing-ball-joints.63892/


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