Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work.

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Default Cheap Attachment for Hydraulic Press to Flatten Soft Metal

I purchased a cheap hydraulic press to help flatten out warped pieces of
soft metal. Apparently the press does not come with a plate or die set.

Can someone recommend a cheap attachment for a 12 ton hydraulic press that
would work on soft metal, and I need a pressing area about eight inch by 12
inch.

--
Will


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Default Cheap Attachment for Hydraulic Press to Flatten Soft Metal


"Will" wrote in message
...
I purchased a cheap hydraulic press to help flatten out warped pieces of
soft metal. Apparently the press does not come with a plate or die set.

Can someone recommend a cheap attachment for a 12 ton hydraulic press that
would work on soft metal, and I need a pressing area about eight inch by
12
inch.



What variety of soft metal are you referring to?

Copper foil?

I fear you are going to be terribly disappointed with the results.
If the metal you are flattening is narrow enough you would be far better
served with a rolling mill. Not real cheap, but much more effective.

If you persist with the press, you'll just have to fabricate two heavy
plates to fit.

....but don't expect the metal to stay flattened once you remove the 12 tons.

(Don't take my word for it. Give it a go. Then Google "rolling mill".)

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Jeff R.

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Default Cheap Attachment for Hydraulic Press to Flatten Soft Metal

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


Pete Stanaitis
---------------------
Will wrote:
I purchased a cheap hydraulic press to help flatten out warped pieces of
soft metal. Apparently the press does not come with a plate or die set.

Can someone recommend a cheap attachment for a 12 ton hydraulic press that
would work on soft metal, and I need a pressing area about eight inch by 12
inch.

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Default Cheap Attachment for Hydraulic Press to Flatten Soft Metal

"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


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Default Cheap Attachment for Hydraulic Press to Flatten Soft Metal

Unfortunately, the metal tool business doesnt run like Priceline-

"I am willing to pay up to $800 for that new $40,000 BMW"

That is to say, you dont get to pick your price, and expect the market
to follow.

I am unclear if you are just straightening angle and channel that
bolts on the side of equipment that rack mounts, or if you are
actually flattening pre bent angle into flat sheets?

But either way, it sounds like you didnt exactly buy the right tool
for the job.

I often have to straighten bent pieces of sheet metal- and I use my
big Chicago Finger Brake. Cost me 3 grand, used, which was deal as
they cost well past 6 grand new.
It will flatten and align channels as small as about 3/4" inside
measurement, and works great on angles- the big main clamping bar
weighs 500lbs or so, and is easy to clamp with one hand. Then, if
needed, I can bend the lower leaf up and get correction on angles or
channels.

If the metal you are working with is 20 gage steel, which is what I
would guess, then a $500 chinese brake might do the job.

A hydraulic press is best used in places where no manual feedback is
needed- not exactly the situation for fine tuning bent stuff.Unless
your bent stuff is 2" shaft.
Frankly, you might be better off with just a big, heavy vise, bolted
down to the floor, with some jaw extensions. Then you clamp your piece
in, and just yank on it by hand, or use a big crescent wrench to
straighten it out.

You can also do quite a bit of fine tuning on stuff like this with a
hammer, and an anvil, or even the edge of a 1/2" plate steel table.

On small, tricky stuff like this, patience is gonna get you a lot
farther than tonnage.


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Default Cheap Attachment for Hydraulic Press to Flatten Soft Metal

On 2008-03-23, Will wrote:

[ ... ]

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?


Since most people don't use these for flattening things, and
those who do are usually capable of making custom tooling for their
needs, the answer to your question is "No".

It seems like a real hassle
to to have somehow balance two thick pieces of steel, then get a third one
between it.


Once you find whether you *can* do the job with your press as
described, now is the time to build your own fixtures for attaching the
plates to the press.

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.


So -- make up a way to attach the lower plate to the support,
and the upper plate to the ram of the press. There should be dozens of
ways to do it, depending on what tooling you have.

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


And I'm not willing to make it for that -- especially since I
don't have the press to test it, or the tooling to weld up the fixtures
which would be the best way to do it. I suspect that the same applies
to most of us here -- at least the "not willing" part. This is a hobby
newsgroup -- we are in it for fun, not to make things for money.
You might find someone who will.

Where are you getting rack-mount rails that are this badly
distorted? The worst that I have seen could be fixed with a pair of
duckbill vise grips. :-)

Good luck,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
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Default Cheap Attachment for Hydraulic Press to Flatten Soft Metal

Will wrote:

I purchased a cheap hydraulic press to help flatten out warped pieces of
soft metal. Apparently the press does not come with a plate or die set.

Can someone recommend a cheap attachment for a 12 ton hydraulic press that
would work on soft metal, and I need a pressing area about eight inch by 12
inch.


A piece of pipe that will fit over the ram with a set bolt to hold it
on, welded on to a plate the size you need, braced to the corners and
edges with triangular plate. Weld the bracing plates to the pressing
plate and the pipe. Another flat plate for the bottom should do it.
Hope that at least gives you some ideas.

Jim
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Default Cheap Attachment for Hydraulic Press to Flatten Soft Metal

On Mar 22, 4:23 pm, "Will" wrote:
I purchased a cheap hydraulic press to help flatten out warped pieces of
soft metal. Apparently the press does not come with a plate or die set.

Can someone recommend a cheap attachment for a 12 ton hydraulic press that
would work on soft metal, and I need a pressing area about eight inch by 12
inch.

--
Will


There is no cheap attacchment to do this.
A piece of 3/4" tool steel to make this part is $308 from McMaster.
If you load a 3/4" thick 8" x 12" plate in the middle, with 12 tons,
it will bend.
If you are pushing on a rubber sheet, so the load is uniform, it will
bend about .040" in the middle.
If you have the lower plate supported at the ends, and push with 12
tons in the middle, it will bend about .100"

You have a problem.
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Default Cheap Attachment for Hydraulic Press to Flatten Soft Metal

"Mechanical Magic" wrote in message
...
On Mar 22, 4:23 pm, "Will" wrote:
I purchased a cheap hydraulic press to help flatten out warped pieces of
soft metal. Apparently the press does not come with a plate or die set.

Can someone recommend a cheap attachment for a 12 ton hydraulic press
that
would work on soft metal, and I need a pressing area about eight inch by
12
inch.

--
Will


There is no cheap attacchment to do this.
A piece of 3/4" tool steel to make this part is $308 from McMaster.
If you load a 3/4" thick 8" x 12" plate in the middle, with 12 tons,
it will bend.
If you are pushing on a rubber sheet, so the load is uniform, it will
bend about .040" in the middle.
If you have the lower plate supported at the ends, and push with 12
tons in the middle, it will bend about .100"

You have a problem.


So you would recommend a finger or straight brake? Or are you saying that
it would simply require a very expensive tool to do the job with a hydraulic
press?

--
Will


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Default Cheap Attachment for Hydraulic Press to Flatten Soft Metal

Will wrote:
I purchased a cheap hydraulic press to help flatten out warped pieces of
soft metal. Apparently the press does not come with a plate or die set.

Can someone recommend a cheap attachment for a 12 ton hydraulic press that
would work on soft metal, and I need a pressing area about eight inch by 12
inch.

In order to help you , what we need are some pictures of whats bent, the
metal thickness and where you want it trued up.
A picture is worth a 1000 words.
Ive been bending and straitening metal for 40 yrs and there must be a
simpler way than using a press.
Await the pics.
then ill think up a simple way for you to do your job.
Ted
Dorset
UK
Master metal worker and problem solver.


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Default Cheap Attachment for Hydraulic Press to Flatten Soft Metal

On Mar 25, 11:39*pm, "Will" wrote:
.....* Or are you saying that
it would simply require a very expensive tool to do the job with a hydraulic
press?
Will


Probably a custom tool. How expensive it is depends on your designing
and/or machining skills.

Jim Wilkins
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