"spaco" wrote in message
...
Go to a welding shop and ask them for 2 plates of A36, 12" X 12 inches and
at least 1/2" thick. If they have anything the is close, but still small
enough to fit under your press, ask them if you can borrow them. Take them
home and try them out. Since your press may not have the power to flatten
the whole part at once, also try to get a 6" X 6" piece of plate. Place
your workpiece on the big plate, then put this smaller plate on top,
squish, move the work, and squish in the next spot. If this works, you
may have to bevel the edges of the smaller plate so it doesn't dent the
workpiece at the edges.

I have flattend 4" X 16" pieces of 16 ga steel successfully with this
method using my 20 ton HF press.
http://www.spaco.org/Press.htm

Going to your web site, I have basically the same Chinese press you do.
Doesn't anyone make some kind of die set that would fit the ram of such a
press as an off the shelf piece of equipment? It seems like a real hassle
to to have somehow balance two thick pieces of steel, then get a third one
between it.

My application is flattening rackmount rails on equipment or fixtures that
slide into rackmount equipment. I need to have both hands on the piece I
am working with and really wanted to avoid having to balance the plates on
either side of the equipment.

I'm willing to pay up to $200 for the die set.

--
Will