"Richard Smith" wrote in message ...

I haven't tried it yet, but I wouldn't use a press.
Would get a beam about 3m long and use that as the "base" / "frame" /
"chassis"

Either add a "bridge" / "hoop" transversely in the middle to put the
cylinder under it, with the sample on bearers
- or fasten down the beam ends and put the cylinder directly on the
beam pushing up on the sample.

Advantage is, as welds get bigger, eg 12mm (1/2inch) leg-length with
over 80 tonnes-force breaking, can keep forces down by having longer
sample.

----------------------------------------------------------

I built a non-standard hydraulic press on a single wide flange beam too,
arranged like a log splitter instead of a crossbow. It soon became clear
that it lacked the versatility of the standard design's wide range of height
adjustment and gap between the channels to pass a shaft, for instance to
press a gear on/off a distributor, to help out a scrap dealer friend.

Here is an A-frame design somewhat similar to yours. The flexible tension
linkage doesn't entirely prevent the jack from shifting sideways so it needs
the separate guided push rod.
https://www.harborfreight.com/6-ton-...ress-1666.html

I bought one and swapped the short parallel side angle irons for much longer
ones, since I make axles and power transmission shafts.

Crankshaft main bearing caps are useful as the bars that support the work. I
broke up and melted an aluminium engine block for casting alloy. Molten
aluminium forms interesting shapes when poured into a snowbank. Molten glass
does this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Rupert%27s_drop