Ok, for the first time ever I used the right tool for the job. I routinely
set alignment pins in aluminum plates for some parts I make. What I have
found works fairly well in the past is to set one plate with a slip fit size
hole on top of the plate with the friction fit hole and use a piece of
aluminum stock as a drift to smack the pin in with a hammer. By doing it
that way it actually works pretty well and goes in pretty straight.

Today I used a 3 ton arbor press now that I finally own one. It was both
easier and harder than I thought. Once I got used to how much force I
really had to exert on the lever they went in straight and fast with little
fuss. What surprised me was how much force I had to actually use on the
lever. I probably could have gotten by indefinitely without one, but I've
started making a part that uses a press fit solid pin as a hinge pin. I am
hoping I can quickly assemble the parts with the press. The
hammer/guide/drift method does not work easily for the hinge pin assembly.

"Bob La Londe" fired this volley in news:li4dm5$fl0$1
@dont-email.me:

Today I used a 3 ton arbor press now that I finally own one

Got three, Bob. A 3-ton, a 1-ton, and a 1/2-ton. Even the cheap Chinese
ones work just fine, although you may want to add gib plates where the
take-up screws bear on the ram. (not all come with them).

Lloyd

I bought the 1 ton Harbor Freight arbor press several years ago to push in
various pins, and was also surprised how hard I had to lean on the handle.
That lead to actually reading the manual, where I found out the leverage
ratio was only 20:1. That means to get the rated 1 ton you have to apply
2000/20 or 100 lbs of force to the handle. Didn't match my vision of gently
pulling on the handle and mashing cars flat :-) :-), but I have gotten some
good exercise out of it. I bet your 3 ton unit is only 50 or 60:1, so you
will need to apply 6000/60=100 lbs to get the rated 3 tons, as well.

-----
Regards,
Carl Ijames

"Carl Ijames" fired this volley in
:

I bet your 3 ton unit is only 50 or 60:1, so you
will need to apply 6000/60=100 lbs to get the rated 3 tons, as well.


But only by virtue of the handle being about twice as long as on the one-
ton. The gear/rack ratio is only slightly different.

I modified my 3-ton with a pneumatic 'helper' cylinder that aids when I
need to dwell under pressure for a long time.

Lloyd

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote in message
. 3.70...
"Carl Ijames" fired this volley in
:

I bet your 3 ton unit is only 50 or 60:1, so you
will need to apply 6000/60=100 lbs to get the rated 3 tons, as well.


But only by virtue of the handle being about twice as long as on the one-
ton. The gear/rack ratio is only slightly different.

I modified my 3-ton with a pneumatic 'helper' cylinder that aids when I
need to dwell under pressure for a long time.

Lloyd

Leverage is certainly king. I use 3 (or sometimes 4) screwless vises on my
mill table, and I have had a work piece thrown once or twice with a high
hold when tightened down with the hex key that came with them. (Unless I
tighten it with a mallet) The other day I was going through my drawer full
of assorted hex keys (looking for a different size) and I ran across one
that is a few inches longer in the size for the vises. I have been using it
ever since. I am amazed at how much tighter a few inches of leverage makes
them. I was doing some facing a couple days ago aggressive enough to bog
the 5HP spindle slightly, and nothing moved.

On 10-Apr-14 5:52 AM, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:
"Bob La Londe" fired this volley in news:li4dm5$fl0$1
@dont-email.me:

Today I used a 3 ton arbor press now that I finally own one

Got three, Bob. A 3-ton, a 1-ton, and a 1/2-ton. Even the cheap Chinese
ones work just fine, although you may want to add gib plates where the
take-up screws bear on the ram. (not all come with them).

Lloyd



I've a small 1/2 or 1 tonne Chinese unit. I used some shim as gib plates
which made it much smoother & tighter.

To cut wire, heat-shrink tubing etc I've made up a tool that holds
utility knife blades. Much easier when doing batch runs cutting stuff to
a required length.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
Ok, for the first time ever I used the right tool for the job. I
routinely set alignment pins in aluminum plates for some parts I make.
What I have found works fairly well in the past is to set one plate with a
slip fit size hole on top of the plate with the friction fit hole and use
a piece of aluminum stock as a drift to smack the pin in with a hammer.
By doing it that way it actually works pretty well and goes in pretty
straight.

Today I used a 3 ton arbor press now that I finally own one. It was both
easier and harder than I thought. Once I got used to how much force I
really had to exert on the lever they went in straight and fast with
little fuss. What surprised me was how much force I had to actually use
on the lever. I probably could have gotten by indefinitely without one,
but I've started making a part that uses a press fit solid pin as a hinge
pin. I am hoping I can quickly assemble the parts with the press. The
hammer/guide/drift method does not work easily for the hinge pin assembly.



I've been using an old delta bench drill press with a pin punch in the chuck
to press 3/16" dowells into aluminum plate for many many years now...very
nice to have the handle raise back up automatically. Guessing we typically
press 100 pins or so per day using this method, it goes pretty quick.

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoind...es/12320-A.jpg

On 10-Apr-14 12:18 PM, PrecisionmachinisT wrote:
"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
Ok, for the first time ever I used the right tool for the job. I
routinely set alignment pins in aluminum plates for some parts I make.
What I have found works fairly well in the past is to set one plate with a
slip fit size hole on top of the plate with the friction fit hole and use
a piece of aluminum stock as a drift to smack the pin in with a hammer.
By doing it that way it actually works pretty well and goes in pretty
straight.

Today I used a 3 ton arbor press now that I finally own one. It was both
easier and harder than I thought. Once I got used to how much force I
really had to exert on the lever they went in straight and fast with
little fuss. What surprised me was how much force I had to actually use
on the lever. I probably could have gotten by indefinitely without one,
but I've started making a part that uses a press fit solid pin as a hinge
pin. I am hoping I can quickly assemble the parts with the press. The
hammer/guide/drift method does not work easily for the hinge pin assembly.



I've been using an old delta bench drill press with a pin punch in the chuck
to press 3/16" dowells into aluminum plate for many many years now...very
nice to have the handle raise back up automatically. Guessing we typically
press 100 pins or so per day using this method, it goes pretty quick.

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoind...es/12320-A.jpg





Nice old drill press, much better than a lot of the crap around these days.


I stuck a gas strut scavenged from a large old photocopier on the side
of my arbor press for the auto return. Beats lifting the lever back up
every time.

"PrecisionmachinisT" wrote in message
news:2c2dnfsyFNsqhtvOnZ2dnUVZ_tydnZ2d@scnresearch. com...

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
Ok, for the first time ever I used the right tool for the job. I
routinely set alignment pins in aluminum plates for some parts I make.
What I have found works fairly well in the past is to set one plate with
a slip fit size hole on top of the plate with the friction fit hole and
use a piece of aluminum stock as a drift to smack the pin in with a
hammer. By doing it that way it actually works pretty well and goes in
pretty straight.

Today I used a 3 ton arbor press now that I finally own one. It was both
easier and harder than I thought. Once I got used to how much force I
really had to exert on the lever they went in straight and fast with
little fuss. What surprised me was how much force I had to actually use
on the lever. I probably could have gotten by indefinitely without one,
but I've started making a part that uses a press fit solid pin as a hinge
pin. I am hoping I can quickly assemble the parts with the press. The
hammer/guide/drift method does not work easily for the hinge pin
assembly.



I've been using an old delta bench drill press with a pin punch in the
chuck to press 3/16" dowells into aluminum plate for many many years
now...very nice to have the handle raise back up automatically. Guessing
we typically press 100 pins or so per day using this method, it goes
pretty quick.

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoind...es/12320-A.jpg

I tried that with my much newer much cheaper (of course modern Delta stuff
isn't that great either) drill press, and I was never happy with the
results. I think my drill press just isn't rigid enough for good results.
I think you suggested it before when I tried it.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
"PrecisionmachinisT" wrote in message
news:2c2dnfsyFNsqhtvOnZ2dnUVZ_tydnZ2d@scnresearch. com...

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
Ok, for the first time ever I used the right tool for the job. I
routinely set alignment pins in aluminum plates for some parts I make.
What I have found works fairly well in the past is to set one plate with
a slip fit size hole on top of the plate with the friction fit hole and
use a piece of aluminum stock as a drift to smack the pin in with a
hammer. By doing it that way it actually works pretty well and goes in
pretty straight.

Today I used a 3 ton arbor press now that I finally own one. It was
both easier and harder than I thought. Once I got used to how much
force I really had to exert on the lever they went in straight and fast
with little fuss. What surprised me was how much force I had to
actually use on the lever. I probably could have gotten by indefinitely
without one, but I've started making a part that uses a press fit solid
pin as a hinge pin. I am hoping I can quickly assemble the parts with
the press. The hammer/guide/drift method does not work easily for the
hinge pin assembly.



I've been using an old delta bench drill press with a pin punch in the
chuck to press 3/16" dowells into aluminum plate for many many years
now...very nice to have the handle raise back up automatically. Guessing
we typically press 100 pins or so per day using this method, it goes
pretty quick.

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoind...es/12320-A.jpg

I tried that with my much newer much cheaper (of course modern Delta stuff
isn't that great either) drill press, and I was never happy with the
results. I think my drill press just isn't rigid enough for good results.
I think you suggested it before when I tried it.


I got a feeling it wouldnt work as well if I was pressing pins much larger
than 3/16" diameter