Arbor press bits?

[woodchucker]

This is the old version of my press blade. Kinda flimsy but was a good test.

That reminds me, I also made a knife to bend things. Yep, handy as all getup.

 

[C-Bag]

avoids mushrooming the ram

My old Jet 2tn came out of a machine shop and looks like it was used extensively, but not as abused as I’ve seen. No bent lever arm where a cheater was used. It had no mushrooming on the work end, but had obviously been beaten on the top of the ram and was mushroomed there. As was the top of the screw on my screw press. Both had to be dressed before I could remove them.

That would seem to me mushrooming happens from impact not from steady pressure. Just an observation.

Yep, handy as all getup.

Agreed. I had no idea how handy when I picked it up. The biggest reason I prefer both the screw and arbor to hydraulic is the “feel”. For the kind of stuff I’ve used it for like straightening sheetmetal and straightening a small rack on my shaper that feel was essential. Hydraulic has its uses but for sheetmetal and broaching it’s like taking a shower with a raincoat.

 

[NC Rick]

This is the old version of my press blade. Kinda flimsy but was a good test.

Nice! Instructional too. Something I really haven’t found many good resources on and a place where others ideas are tremendously helpful.

 

[NC Rick]

One arbor press I have has a hole, the other doesn’t. C-bag your square tube idea is maybe better than me adding a hole? I use the square end too. The Hydraulic press has removable ends. I haven’t made others yet.

 

[C-Bag]

One arbor press I have has a hole, the other doesn’t. C-bag your square tube idea is maybe better than me adding a hole? I use the square end too. The Hydraulic press has removable ends. I haven’t made others yet.
View attachment 386040View attachment 386041View attachment 386042

Wow! Nice setup Rick! I decided to go the square tube route because what I wanted to mount was so varied dia as in the dapping/doming tools I figured it was easier. My plan was to either make a mount for one of those small tailstock 3jaw chucks or try a square tube mount with a v block with a set screw for the doming tools. A hole in the ram might mean less stickout but then it would need some kind of plug for when I broach. Yeah, I know, pretty convoluted thinking. But what it is.

The square tube has really worked out for the blade tool because being able to rotate 90deg the tool for getting into specific places. I used it a LOT when de-schwangling sheetmetal after running a bead. Taking the blade and hockey puck and running down the sides of the beads really helped stretch the metal back to lay flat and take out the oil canning. I came up with that just on a hunch, not YouTube. And it worked. Beads are notorious for causing chaos through shrinkage and the edge of the bead not being flat anymore I realized. Ultimately it would be great to have a dual blade to be able to do both sides of the bead at a time. But then it would take twice as much pressure so who knows if that would work or not. I also found the single blade useful because depending on the amount of open space around the different sides of bead it would have different amounts of shrinkage.

 

[NC Rick]

Wow! Nice setup Rick! I decided to go the square tube route because what I wanted to mount was so varied dia as in the dapping/doming tools I figured it was easier. My plan was to either make a mount for one of those small tailstock 3jaw chucks or try a square tube mount with a v block with a set screw for the doming tools. A hole in the ram might mean less stickout but then it would need some kind of plug for when I broach. Yeah, I know, pretty convoluted thinking. But what it is.

The square tube has really worked out for the blade tool because being able to rotate 90deg the tool for getting into specific places. I used it a LOT when de-schwangling sheetmetal after running a bead. Taking the blade and hockey puck and running down the sides of the beads really helped stretch the metal back to lay flat and take out the oil canning. I came up with that just on a hunch, not YouTube. And it worked. Beads are notorious for causing chaos through shrinkage and the edge of the bead not being flat anymore I realized. Ultimately it would be great to have a dual blade to be able to do both sides of the bead at a time. But then it would take twice as much pressure so who knows if that would work or not. I also found the single blade useful because depending on the amount of open space around the different sides of bead it would have different amounts of shrinkage.

Is there something wrong with convoluted thinking? I am really poor at sheet metal work or metal forming. I respect it a lot. A wonderful friend of mine is good at it and raises vessels from mokume.Marvin’s Bowl
he has taught me much but not near enough! In school we had to make little metal pails with a wire beaded edge. Mine sucked!
I think the little arbor presses are underrated as general purpose shop tools with jigs and tooling to fit them is a subject just not covered enough. I know I can’t imagine even a small percentage of what can be done with one. The feel and precision is unequaled. The old gray one was given to me 40 years ago. The little Dake was purchased new out of respect to the men and women in Grand Haven mi. who still produce things the right way in North America. It cost several times what a harbor fright one cost but I use it a lot and appreciate the tool every time. I hope it is appreciated by many more people after my “tool time” passes.

 

[C-Bag]

Marvin’s bowl is very beautiful. I wish there was an explanation or stepped overview. That’s where I get the deep appreciation. Right now it’s a beautiful piece, but when I see what it was before then I have comprehension and with it deep appreciation.

I‘d never used an arbor press before I had to make a bunch of conveyor drive and take up drums and had to broach them all. I spent several days on the arbor press and came to appreciate it. That got it on the long range radar. It took probably 5-10yrs as I wanted a bigger like 3ton w/ratchet but they were all waaaay to much. Then this one came up for $35 so it had to be.

But then when I had to precision straighten that gear rack on the shaper with the AP and feeler gauges to get an accurate straighten I was hooked on “outside the box uses”. Forming sheetmetal accurately without hammers is amazing. Without supporting tools like a lathe and mill, it has its standard uses. But it finally comes into what it can really do with machine tools to create whatever is needed.

I gotta say I don’t get why your AP’s are not on the edge of the tables where you can work on long stuff vertically, like broaching? I guess all that goes in your big press? I won’t broach on a hydraulic press. I put my AP on a portable stand with a through notch and table underneath for longer stuff. I don’t do heavy pressing on it, it’s just a 2tn. I have the old 22tn Manley screw for HD stuff.

Have you seen http://www.tuckpuck.com/

 

[NC Rick]

Marvin’s bowl is very beautiful. I wish there was an explanation or stepped overview. That’s where I get the deep appreciation. Right now it’s a beautiful piece, but when I see what it was before then I have comprehension and with it deep appreciation.

I‘d never used an arbor press before I had to make a bunch of conveyor drive and take up drums and had to broach them all. I spent several days on the arbor press and came to appreciate it. That got it on the long range radar. It took probably 5-10yrs as I wanted a bigger like 3ton w/ratchet but they were all waaaay to much. Then this one came up for $35 so it had to be.

But then when I had to precision straighten that gear rack on the shaper with the AP and feeler gauges to get an accurate straighten I was hooked on “outside the box uses”. Forming sheetmetal accurately without hammers is amazing. Without supporting tools like a lathe and mill, it has its standard uses. But it finally comes into what it can really do with machine tools to create whatever is needed.

I gotta say I don’t get why your AP’s are not on the edge of the tables where you can work on long stuff vertically, like broaching? I guess all that goes in your big press? I won’t broach on a hydraulic press. I put my AP on a portable stand with a through notch and table underneath for longer stuff. I don’t do heavy pressing on it, it’s just a 2tn. I have the old 22tn Manley screw for HD stuff.

Have you seen http://www.tuckpuck.com/

I have two sets of holes on the steel bench. I very seldom push things out that are long. Both my arbor presses are half ton, so small. I’d love a big one with the ratchet and handle counterweight. I have looked for a long time. while I have a broach set, I think I have only broached one key slot in an I.D. In my life. fortunately , there is still time

 

[C-Bag]

fortunately , there is still time

Yes there is.

As far as I’m aware the arbor press is seen as an unnecessary piece of equipment. And I’ve not seen anybody used like I do. But I suspect the TuckPuck guy does. On the sheetmetal forum I frequent nobody seems to use it. Most only press bearings etc with it and fewer still broach.

When i found that rack bent on my shaper I was just going to go ahead and buy another off eBay because I’ve tried to straighten things like that with a hydraulic press with no cigar. But I thought why not? To be sure it had never dawned on me to use feeler gauges to calibrate my unbend, but it turned out the feel was crucial. I could feel the rack giving. I ended up being able to put the recalibrated rack into service. I think I can count on one finger the number of times that’s happened.

I used my doming tools with a hammer and a beater bag to crisp up the ends of my beads. I think the doming tools in the AP would be way more controlled.

Most of my favorite metal formers are car/hotrod guys. I’m not into car metal, but the techniques are the same and they do some fabulous work.

 

[keeena]

That would seem to me mushrooming happens from impact not from steady pressure. Just an observation.

Agreed. The top of this particular ram was also hammered on by the PO for extra oomph and likely why there was a bit of mess on the business end.

@NC Rick - you could always do both the bore and square adapters. Best of both worlds. Nice looking shop BTW. I like that depth stop on that 1 arbor press.