What Did You Buy Today?

[Provincial]

I have a 1-ton imported arbor press that sits on a bench for now, not bolted down. I eventually will make a stand from some I-beam off-cuts and salvaged plate. I recently decided that I will counterweight the stand by building a rack on the back to store pieces vertically. That will give me some storage with a minimum of lost floor space, while counterbalancing the press.

 

[projectnut]

My point was that I don’t believe the press you bought should be rated at 3 tons. It’s ridiculous to think you can apply 300 lbs. of pressure on that handle. If they really thought it could withstand that amount of pressure they would have made the handle long enough to apply sufficient pressure without a cheater bar.

All quality brands are able to apply the rated amount of pressure without needing an extension on the handle. If you look at Dake and Greenerd presses with hand wheels they are generally rated at about half the capacity as the same press with a lever handle.

The leverage on a Dake 1 1/2 is 48:1. The owners manual specifically states that no extension should be used on the handle

 

[dkemppai]

Every once in a while, I suck it up and make a journey to the metal supplier to plunk down the plastic. I never really have enough of the right stuff, but there is beauty in the "stockpile" when I want to make something.

Finally broke down and set up an account with one of the metal suppliers who delivers here. You have to plan ahead, they only send a truck up on Wednesdays but don't charge for delivery. Small things they'll even drop in the shop when I'm not here.

The prices for whole sticks of material is good enough, and their price for sawing high enough it pays to get everything full length. Their price is 1/6th the price of McMaster for some things, and free delivery. So I have 12 feet of 1-1/16" 4140, to make a few machinist jacks... And hopefully something else, someday.

 

[rabler]

The prices for whole sticks of material is good enough, and their price for sawing high enough it pays to get everything full length. Their price is 1/6th the price of McMaster for some things, and free delivery. So I have 12 feet of 1-1/16" 4140, to make a few machinist jacks... And hopefully something else, someday.

Ah but what to stock pile. 4140? 303? 12L14? 1018? 1144? 6061? 7075? Acetal? UHMW? .... Never have enough of the right material in the right dimensions. I did find 41L40 is available too, nice to work with.

I have a fair amount of space devoted to stockpiling with a good collection of HRS from welding/fab projects of many years past, but I still frequently run into something I don't have in the right dimensions. I keep 1018 and 6061 3" and 1.5" diameter 10' or 12' rod as standard stock (20 or 24' cut in half). Recently added 12L14 1.25" rod. HRS 6" x 3/16, 1/4, 3/8" thick flats (rectangular), and 20 ga. sheet. The list is never ending, space isn't.

 

[projectnut]

Ah but what to stock pile. 4140? 303? 12L14? 1018? 1144? 6061? 7075? Acetal? UHMW? .... Never have enough of the right material in the right dimensions. I did find 41L40 is available too, nice to work with.

I have a fair amount of space devoted to stockpiling with a good collection of HRS from welding/fab projects of many years past, but I frequently run into something I don't have in the right dimensions. I keep 1018 and 6061 3" and 1.5" diameter 10' or 12' rod as standard stock (20 or 24' cut in half). Recently added 12L14 1.25" rod. HRS 6" x 3/16, 1/4, 3/8" thick flats (rectangular), and 20 ga. sheet. The list is never ending, space isn't.

Like you I have a fair amount of space devoted to stock. For some reason I seem to collect more 316 stainless and 6061 aluminum than anything else. Most of it comes from 2 used equipment dealers in the area. When I buy full sticks, they are more than happy to cut it into 8' or 10' lengths to fit them in my truck. Generally, I find drops of 6' or less. I have aluminum round stock from 1/2" to 6" and flat stock from 1/2" to 4". Stainless is about the same with a few sheets of 12 ga. and 16 ga thrown in.

 

[Larry$]

you are learning during each project. That's the most important thing.

Yup! I like to make stuff..... Often just to try out some new to me trick (& justify buying another tool.) It for sure has little or nothing to do with economics. The same applies to fix'n!

About knocking import tools for not matching a premium brand, what's the point! I don't think any of us expect a "3" ton Vevor 99#, $255 delivered price to match a Drake (which it looks like the Vevor is a knock off from) 125# gross frt. wt. $1241 plus frt. Operating areas are very similar. The lever handle length on the Vevor was obviously chosen to fit in the shipping (flimsy) crate. Not to give full force. $1241/255=5± times!

If you've got the $ and/or production justification by all means always buy the premium brands. Either choice can give a sense of pleasure to their owner, for different reasons.

 

[OCJohn]

Those $5 minimum bids are sure hard to pass up...

View attachment 478590View attachment 478591

Going through this haul over the weekend I found a couple things I’ve not seen before...
Thing 1 - Flat Face stamps (marked FF on the shaft of the stamp)
Thing 2 - Reverse stamps (marked R) - ie; stamps that read correctly when looking at the stamp, but make a reverse reading impression on whatever's being stamped.

I assume both are used for making soft/thin metal tags, but I can’t imagine what else I’d use them for. Are they common in factories or production machine shops?

Also found a few custom reverse stamps…

 

[Larry$]

but I can’t imagine what else I’d use them for

I had one made with my logo on it. Used it to identify my products when I was doing serial production. I offered a lifetime guarantee.

 

[rwdenney]

My point was that I don’t believe the press you bought should be rated at 3 tons. It’s ridiculous to think you can apply 300 lbs. of pressure on that handle. If they really thought it could withstand that amount of pressure they would have made the handle long enough to apply sufficient pressure without a cheater bar.

All quality brands are able to apply the rated amount of pressure without needing an extension on the handle. If you look at Dake and Greenerd presses with hand wheels they are generally rated at about half the capacity as the same press with a lever handle.

The leverage on a Dake 1 1/2 is 48:1. The owners manual specifically states that no extension should be used on the handle

I think I said all that first, but the first sentence of your post sorta hinted that it was my fault the import’s leverage isn’t as high.

But you are not correct that Dake (at least) derates presses with hand wheels. The hand wheels are for rapid adjust when the ratchet is released only, not for pressing, on Dake models.

I just looked at the Dake parts diagram and for the life of me I don’t know how they get 48:1 leverage. The pinion gear would have to be half the diameter of the import, and they aren’t. There are no compound gears on the 3-ton models, either. I don’t see any Dake models with hand wheels for pressing and all of the 3-ton models have the same mechanism.

I think the casting of the import is more than strong enough for the rating, but I would be no happier than you about using a cheater pipe. It’s the handle casting that would concern me on that score.

Rick “going to make some actual measurements” Denney

 

[OCJohn]

I had one made with my logo on it. Used it to identify my products when I was doing serial production. I offered a lifetime guarantee.

Reversed?