I have some left over 4" channel from my diesel generator project I
recently completed and was about to begin another project.

I know I can probably buy one "ready-made" cheaper then I can build it,
but since I have most of the metal already on-hand this is the route I'm
taken.

What is the biggest bottle jack that I can use safely with the 4" channel?
6-8-10-12 ton ???

Any suggestions?

--
A7N8X-Deluxe, AMD XP2500+ (Un-locked)
2x256mb Crucial PC3200 DDR ram
Palit-Daytona Ti4200/64M AGP

SomeBody wrote:
I have some left over 4" channel from my diesel generator project I
recently completed and was about to begin another project.

I know I can probably buy one "ready-made" cheaper then I can build it,
but since I have most of the metal already on-hand this is the route I'm
taken.

What is the biggest bottle jack that I can use safely with the 4" channel?
6-8-10-12 ton ???

My 20-ton hydraulic press is built mostly of 4" channel. That's beefed up on the
top crosspiece with an I-beam welded below it, and the H-bar in the middle (the
one that is held on with pins) is reinforced on both sides by 3x1/2" flat bar,
but the guy who built it says he has really stressed it and it took it fine.
It's also built quite a bit heavier than the import 20 ton presses. So I vote
for 20 ton as long as you do some judicious reinforcing. Within the last 2
months, I bought a 20 ton air-over-hydraulic jack at Harbor Freight for $79.99,
you just have to watch for their sale price. Amazing jack for the money.

GWE

Depends entirely on the span of the press. With a 6-8" opening you
could use almost any jack. If you want 2 ft. of opening it will need
some beefing up.
Bugs

I've built a few and now buy them but, go for it! The biggest thing to keep
in mind it that everything stay square under pressure. How thick is the 4"
channel? How much pressure do you want? You can put a 60 ton cylinder in
there and only use 10 ton of it. Put the biggest cylinder that you can find
in it just for the few times that you really want that much power, most of
the time you'll only use a fraction of it. The down side is the loss of
speed. One of my hyd. presses has 2 cylinders just for that reason. I'm
thinking of my next one being powder actuated... I might be the first kid on
the block! Gunner probably beat me to it.


"SomeBody" wrote in message
news
I have some left over 4" channel from my diesel generator project I
recently completed and was about to begin another project.

I know I can probably buy one "ready-made" cheaper then I can build it,
but since I have most of the metal already on-hand this is the route I'm
taken.

What is the biggest bottle jack that I can use safely with the 4" channel?
6-8-10-12 ton ???

Any suggestions?

--
A7N8X-Deluxe, AMD XP2500+ (Un-locked)
2x256mb Crucial PC3200 DDR ram
Palit-Daytona Ti4200/64M AGP

I REALLY want to see (from a distance!!) a 'powder' actuated press.

Tom Gardner wrote:

I've built a few and now buy them but, go for it! The biggest thing to keep
in mind it that everything stay square under pressure. How thick is the 4"
channel? How much pressure do you want? You can put a 60 ton cylinder in
there and only use 10 ton of it. Put the biggest cylinder that you can find
in it just for the few times that you really want that much power, most of
the time you'll only use a fraction of it. The down side is the loss of
speed. One of my hyd. presses has 2 cylinders just for that reason. I'm
thinking of my next one being powder actuated... I might be the first kid on
the block! Gunner probably beat me to it.


"SomeBody" wrote in message
news
I have some left over 4" channel from my diesel generator project I
recently completed and was about to begin another project.

I know I can probably buy one "ready-made" cheaper then I can build it,
but since I have most of the metal already on-hand this is the route I'm
taken.

What is the biggest bottle jack that I can use safely with the 4" channel?
6-8-10-12 ton ???

Any suggestions?

--
A7N8X-Deluxe, AMD XP2500+ (Un-locked)
2x256mb Crucial PC3200 DDR ram
Palit-Daytona Ti4200/64M AGP

I knew you'd get a kick out of that...now I just HAVE to build one!
(I will set up a video camera)

"RoyJ" wrote in message
news
I REALLY want to see (from a distance!!) a 'powder' actuated press.

Tom Gardner wrote:

I've built a few and now buy them but, go for it! The biggest thing to
keep in mind it that everything stay square under pressure. How thick is
the 4" channel? How much pressure do you want? You can put a 60 ton
cylinder in there and only use 10 ton of it. Put the biggest cylinder
that you can find in it just for the few times that you really want that
much power, most of the time you'll only use a fraction of it. The down
side is the loss of speed. One of my hyd. presses has 2 cylinders just
for that reason. I'm thinking of my next one being powder actuated... I
might be the first kid on the block! Gunner probably beat me to it.


"SomeBody" wrote in message
news
I have some left over 4" channel from my diesel generator project I
recently completed and was about to begin another project.

I know I can probably buy one "ready-made" cheaper then I can build it,
but since I have most of the metal already on-hand this is the route I'm
taken.

What is the biggest bottle jack that I can use safely with the 4"
channel?
6-8-10-12 ton ???

Any suggestions?

--
A7N8X-Deluxe, AMD XP2500+ (Un-locked)
2x256mb Crucial PC3200 DDR ram
Palit-Daytona Ti4200/64M AGP

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 17:17:08 GMT, RoyJ wrote:

I REALLY want to see (from a distance!!) a 'powder' actuated press.

Tom Gardner wrote:

I've built a few and now buy them but, go for it! The biggest thing to keep
in mind it that everything stay square under pressure. How thick is the 4"
channel? How much pressure do you want? You can put a 60 ton cylinder in
there and only use 10 ton of it. Put the biggest cylinder that you can find
in it just for the few times that you really want that much power, most of
the time you'll only use a fraction of it. The down side is the loss of
speed. One of my hyd. presses has 2 cylinders just for that reason. I'm
thinking of my next one being powder actuated... I might be the first kid on
the block! Gunner probably beat me to it.


Google "explosive forming"

G

Gunner



"SomeBody" wrote in message
news
I have some left over 4" channel from my diesel generator project I
recently completed and was about to begin another project.

I know I can probably buy one "ready-made" cheaper then I can build it,
but since I have most of the metal already on-hand this is the route I'm
taken.

What is the biggest bottle jack that I can use safely with the 4" channel?
6-8-10-12 ton ???

Any suggestions?

--
A7N8X-Deluxe, AMD XP2500+ (Un-locked)
2x256mb Crucial PC3200 DDR ram
Palit-Daytona Ti4200/64M AGP





"Considering the events of recent years,
the world has a long way to go to regain
its credibility and reputation with the US."
unknown

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 05:55:25 +0000, SomeBody wrote:

I have some left over 4" channel from my diesel generator project I
recently completed and was about to begin another project.

I know I can probably buy one "ready-made" cheaper then I can build it,
but since I have most of the metal already on-hand this is the route I'm
taken.

What is the biggest bottle jack that I can use safely with the 4" channel?
6-8-10-12 ton ???

Any suggestions?

I've been looking at some designs for my shop press and come to a couple
different styles. I'm not sure which is the better design.

Since my scrap pile is small, I would like to build the A-Frame style,
instead of the H-frame style. Does anybody have any comments on either
style?

I'm looking at a 20 ton press, I have some 4" channel, not sure on the
thickness, perhaps .25", On the A-frame style (Harbourfreight), there
is some strapping, again I cant figure out what thickness they are using,
that attaches the upper mount for the bottle jack to the side frames,
(think cap A). Any recommendation as what thickness of strapping to use?
..25"? When bolting this press together, .5" grade 8 bolts?

What is the shear rating of .5 grade 8 bolts?


Many thanks.
--
A7N8X-Deluxe, AMD XP2500+ (Un-locked)
2x256mb Crucial PC3200 DDR ram
Palit-Daytona Ti4200/64M AGP

SomeBody wrote:

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 05:55:25 +0000, SomeBody wrote:



I have some left over 4" channel from my diesel generator project I
recently completed and was about to begin another project.

I know I can probably buy one "ready-made" cheaper then I can build it,
but since I have most of the metal already on-hand this is the route I'm
taken.

What is the biggest bottle jack that I can use safely with the 4" channel?
6-8-10-12 ton ???

Any suggestions?



I've been looking at some designs for my shop press and come to a couple
different styles. I'm not sure which is the better design.

Since my scrap pile is small, I would like to build the A-Frame style,
instead of the H-frame style. Does anybody have any comments on either
style?

I'm looking at a 20 ton press, I have some 4" channel, not sure on the
thickness, perhaps .25", On the A-frame style (Harbourfreight), there
is some strapping, again I cant figure out what thickness they are using,
that attaches the upper mount for the bottle jack to the side frames,
(think cap A). Any recommendation as what thickness of strapping to use?
.25"? When bolting this press together, .5" grade 8 bolts?

What is the shear rating of .5 grade 8 bolts?


Many thanks


If you have a failure in a welded frame press, all that happens is the
weld breaks. Fairly unexciting. If you have a frame bolted together and
one of the bolts should shear, it can spit out of the hole like a bullet
(or like a fast, heavy watermelon seed), far more dangerous. Now lots
of folks make bolted together frames, but you should consider this.

Your holes should be nice snug fit to the bolts. I'd suggest maybe some
reading about shear strength would be a good idea. Getting a value from
someone else doesn't provide nearly the understanding that figuring it
out yourself does. Same applies to the frame.

Just my thoughts,
Steve

"Steve Smith" wrote in message
...
| Your holes should be nice snug fit to the bolts. I'd suggest maybe some
| reading about shear strength would be a good idea. Getting a value from
| someone else doesn't provide nearly the understanding that figuring it
| out yourself does. Same applies to the frame.
|
| Just my thoughts,
| Steve

Great point. I will also add that the place most bolts fail in tension
is where the shank meets the threads. High stress there, and bolts in shear
will fail at that spot or under the bolt head, where the bending forces are
at the worst, thus leading to the explosive failure noted. Best bolt
practice says no threads in bearing, which means the bolt has to just the
right length. SAE bolts have lots of threads, which means you usually have
a lot hanging out, but that very requirement is why most aviation fasteners
have so little thread. The tighter the hole the better as well.
Interference fit is actually the very best, but harder to actually do in
practice.
A way to make up for it is to use a hollow spacer whose length is just
the smallest amount shorter than the length of the bolted joint. The spacer
takes up the load and the bolt merely holds it all together. Needless to
say the spacer shouldn't be soft seamed pipe, but then again a larger
fastener equivalent is better than a smaller one, providing you have
sufficient hole edge margin. Again, the snug fit is better.

There's a web site out there called bolt science.... I think. Hang
on... here it is: http://www.boltscience.com/ This is the good stuff!