Buy an Arbor Press?

[Larry$]

I just know it can't be that far

I'm scheduled for a 2nd cancer surgery soon. Trying to tie up loose ends now.
Never know when.

 

[pontiac428]

I had to tell my dad everything I needed to say yesterday, he's under the knife for 8 hours today to try for the 3rd and final time to get at the cancer following his optic nerve towards his brain. He's been leaving notecards in his tool boxes describing what he's set aside for me to find later for awhile now.

That said, I had a very small arbor press for years that never saw use, so I sold it with a nice stand for $75 to a guy who was buying a TIG welder from me and asked. Most of my work happens on the hydraulic press anyway. But then I needed to broach a keyway, and I kick my self for selling the little press. My question is how much ram travel is best for typical key broaching. I think my broaches are all 10-12" plus 3"" or so for the work, so maybe 15" would do. I will probably need to make a long hex broach (or two half broaches) for a part I need to make this year. A lot of the presses I find on CL locally are smaller, but there are some nice #3 or #4 ratchet presses that come up for $600 or so. I've seen the Vevor presses. I have an allergic response to china junk, but some of the basic Chinese foundry products that I have or have used are reasonable for what they do. I'd really like to see one up close to see if it's finished well enough. If it's half as straight as my decently fitted chinesium Larkin vise, it might work. What say?

 

[Inferno]

Last year, after my brush with the reaper, my son asked about my final disposition wishes.
I informed him that if I had an opinion after my time, I'd let him know.
He said "what about all your stuff" and I just said that it was up to him and his siblings to figure that out. I wouldn't need any of it anymore.

I'm almost to the point of giving a friend an envelope with the passwords to all my accounts. They will, most assuredly, contact one or more friends to give them the news when it's time.

I don't think my time is imminent. A year ago I wasn't so sure.

 

[Larry$]

the basic Chinese foundry products that I have or have used are reasonable for what they do. I'd really like to see one up close to see if it's finished well enough.

I wouldn't buy Chinese stuff for a business. But as a hobbyist, I consider them as kits to be made into something workable. It's a challenge! I've had one Vevor item, a 7X10 tilting plate. It was obvious it had been machined the same day it was cast, probably still warm. It had a bit of a twist. Which I machined out of it. Works fine now.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

I have a 25 year old 20 ton bottle jack press. It works OK but is slow to use and has a short travel that then makes me move the beam, again.
I've looked for a used Arbor press but my area is short on such things.
Looking @ Vevor, they have a 3 ton ratcheting for $253 frt. pd. Yes, I know it is not up to the name brand's quality. But is it good enough for a hobbyist to use occasionally? I do some press fits, bearing push offs and broach some keyways. The present process with the hydraulic jack takes a kazillion ups & downs of the handle. I'd have to weld up a stand for it with a notch to allow long work. I've got the $ for an import and there is no way I'd spend the $ for a name brand. Would you buy the Vevor?
Specifications:
Capacity: 3 Ton
Type: Ratcheted
Material: Cast Iron
Max. Work Height: 11.02 in / 280 mm
Ram Dimensions: 1.5 x 1.5 x 17.32 in / 38 x 38 x 440 mm
Plate Diameter: 6.69 in / 170 mm
Throat Depth: 6.3 in / 160 mm
Overall Size: 17 x 9.6 x 21.8 inch / 43.2 x 24.6 x 55.4 cm
Item Weight: 122 lbs / 55 kg
Item Dimensions: 17 x 9.6 x 21.8 in / 43.2 x 24.6 x 55.4 cm

I added an air over hydraulic bottle jack to my hydraulic press, beats hand pumping it.... Horror Fright has these at a reasonable cost.

 

[Larry$]

After watching some reviews, I decided to take a chance & ordered the 3 ton ratcheting model. Be here in about a week. $250 + Tx, delivered.
Then I'll need to get a stand made. Looks like the stand needs to be designed so the leverage of pulling the lever all the way down doesn't tip the entire thing forward.

 

[MrWhoopee]

After watching some reviews, I decided to take a chance & ordered the 3 ton ratcheting model. Be here in about a week. $250 + Tx, delivered.
Then I'll need to get a stand made. Looks like the stand needs to be designed so the leverage of pulling the lever all the way down doesn't tip the entire thing forward.

Anchor the stand to a wall or the floor. They will tip sideways as likely as forward. No fun once gravity has had its way.

 

[ChazzC]

Anchor the stand to a wall or the floor. They will tip sideways as likely as forward. No fun once gravity has had its way.

Gravity: not just s good idea - it’s the Law!

 

[wachuko]

After watching some reviews, I decided to take a chance & ordered the 3 ton ratcheting model. Be here in about a week. $250 + Tx, delivered.
Then I'll need to get a stand made. Looks like the stand needs to be designed so the leverage of pulling the lever all the way down doesn't tip the entire thing forward.

Link to some of the changes I made based on feedback from folks here...

Took it apart and:

1. Deburred the handwheel and polished it
2. Painted the center of the handwheel black...just because...
3. Filed down sharp edges around the handle area in the casting. They were too sharp to grab by there…
4. Rod was rough cut but easily fixed with the lathe…chamfer separate us from the animals
5. Delrin insert (may replace with an oil impregnated sintered bronze (Oilite type) insert many moons from now) because it was what I had on-hand. Working fine so far.
6. Painted it all hammered green... well, because I have other hammered green-painted tools/machines
7. Used quality grease when doing the re-assembly

POTD- PROJECT OF THE DAY: What Did You Make In Your Shop Today?

Having bought this metal tray about two, maybe even three years ago I decided it was high time it was put to its intended purpose. Now my wife can have her cookie sheet back…though I doubt she’ll want it

www.hobby-machinist.com

Delrin insert:

POTD- PROJECT OF THE DAY: What Did You Make In Your Shop Today?

I had done this the other day, I got tired of taking out the wrench, and I kept procrastinating making a new screw with a head that I could add an arm to. So I silver soldered a nut after slitting the head of the screw and grinding a flat on the washer. I used to do this all the time when I...

www.hobby-machinist.com

There are a few improvements that I still need to tackle... basically, most of the stuff that @WobblyHand did to his...

1. Insert tip for the ram... can make several different shapes based on need...
2. Proper stand and bolt everything down...

Still have my eyes out for a deep throat... still taking about an arbor press... because, as mentioned, I think one of those would be better in some situations.

 

[pontiac428]

Vevor is tempting me with that tool that appears to be a 3-ton ratcheting arbor press (I hope it works like one) with free shipping for $240. That's if I subscribe to their spam and allow them to store my info so that it can be stolen from their servers and sold at any time, arguably sooner than later...

I'm going to have to think about that. Sigh.