I have a press with a ram. It is missing an end cap that goes on the
ram. The purpose of this end cap is to prevent ram wear and
mushrooming.

I have two questions

1) What is it called
2) If I was to make it, what steel should I use, just regular mild or
something else.

Thanks

I think

On Wednesday, August 1, 2012 9:26:45 AM UTC-4, Ignoramus20515 wrote:
I have a press with a ram. It is missing an end cap that goes on the

ram. The purpose of this end cap is to prevent ram wear and

mushrooming.



I have two questions



1) What is it called

2) If I was to make it, what steel should I use, just regular mild or

something else.



Thanks

I think the only critical parameter would be it be softer than the ram.

Ignoramus20515 wrote:
I have a press with a ram. It is missing an end cap that goes on the
ram. The purpose of this end cap is to prevent ram wear and
mushrooming.

I have two questions

1) What is it called
2) If I was to make it, what steel should I use, just regular mild or
something else.

Thanks

For the ram end on my arbor press I used a piece of EN24T (4340), T spec
being shown here
http://www.westyorkssteel.com/en24.html . After about 15 years of
regular use it shows little wear on the face and no mushrooming and none
at the ram/end piece interface. I wouldn't really expect any wear at
the ram/end piece interface due to the loads whereas the end face see
various shaped small items it presses so the loads are higher and more
localised.

"David Billington" wrote in message
...
Ignoramus20515 wrote:
I have a press with a ram. It is missing an end cap that goes on
the
ram. The purpose of this end cap is to prevent ram wear and
mushrooming.

For the ram end on my arbor press I used a piece of EN24T (4340), T
spec being shown here
http://www.westyorkssteel.com/en24.html . After about 15 years of
regular use it shows little wear on the face and no mushrooming and
none at the ram/end piece interface. I wouldn't really expect any
wear at the ram/end piece interface due to the loads whereas the end
face see various shaped small items it presses so the loads are
higher and more localised.

I've seen aluminum used, to protect the finish on the workpiece.

jsw

Jim Wilkins wrote:
"David Billington" wrote in message
...

Ignoramus20515 wrote:

I have a press with a ram. It is missing an end cap that goes on
the
ram. The purpose of this end cap is to prevent ram wear and
mushrooming.


For the ram end on my arbor press I used a piece of EN24T (4340), T
spec being shown here
http://www.westyorkssteel.com/en24.html . After about 15 years of
regular use it shows little wear on the face and no mushrooming and
none at the ram/end piece interface. I wouldn't really expect any
wear at the ram/end piece interface due to the loads whereas the end
face see various shaped small items it presses so the loads are
higher and more localised.


I've seen aluminum used, to protect the finish on the workpiece.

jsw



Good point,. In my case if I need to do that I'll just put an
intervening piece of Al, brass, UHMWPE, etc as seems appropriate.

"David Billington" wrote in message
...
Jim Wilkins wrote:
... I've seen aluminum used, to protect the finish on the
workpiece.
jsw

Good point,. In my case if I need to do that I'll just put an
intervening piece of Al, brass, UHMWPE, etc as seems appropriate.

The problem is that you have one hand occupied aligning the work and
the other lowering the ram. Sheet alumin(i)um bent in a self-clamping
U works fairly well. You can rebend the arms in as the bottom slowly
expands. The presses I used in electronics companies had shop-made
removeable ends that could be machined to hold custom punches, or
clean up damage. The press ram itself was too large to fit a lathe
spindle hole and too long to stand upright in a vertical mill.

jsw

"Ignoramus20515" wrote in message
...
I have a press with a ram. It is missing an end cap that goes on the
ram. The purpose of this end cap is to prevent ram wear and
mushrooming.

I have two questions

1) What is it called
2) If I was to make it, what steel should I use, just regular mild or
something else.


Depends on the application I imagine. The ram on my hydraulic press has a
hard rubber of some kind on the end of it. I'ld have to go look on my
hydraulic power kit at the larger cylinders that I never use, but the
profile ones seem to just be a one piece hardened steel piston.

Jim Wilkins wrote:
"David Billington" wrote in message
...

Jim Wilkins wrote:

... I've seen aluminum used, to protect the finish on the
workpiece.
jsw



Good point,. In my case if I need to do that I'll just put an
intervening piece of Al, brass, UHMWPE, etc as seems appropriate.


The problem is that you have one hand occupied aligning the work and
the other lowering the ram. Sheet alumin(i)um bent in a self-clamping
U works fairly well. You can rebend the arms in as the bottom slowly
expands. The presses I used in electronics companies had shop-made
removeable ends that could be machined to hold custom punches, or
clean up damage. The press ram itself was too large to fit a lathe
spindle hole and too long to stand upright in a vertical mill.

jsw



I modded the ram for my arbor press to take the EN24T end piece as the
original had seen a bit of use but was not in bad condition at the end.
I still thought it better to have a interchangeable end piece to take
the wear so made the mod in my 12" swing lathe no problem. I think the
original ram end was just the end of the ram and no addition or special
treatment and about 2" diameter. The ram being a good grade of material
I just machined it to take an insert held with a grub screw that could
be changed as required.