Hi all
I have a yen to (someday) build a bookbinding press. One of the
mainstays of this is of course the press screw which does the
pressing. I'm wondering where to get a large example of one of these
from. I've seen vice screws on (eg.) the Axminster website, and I'm
sure these could be turned to this purpose. They are spec'd at around
28mm diameter. If I were to decide I needed something a bit larger
than this, any idea where to find one?

(Any links to plans or ideas for building such a beast also gratefully
received)

Ta
jon N

On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:56:12 -0700, jkn wrote:

Hi all
I have a yen to (someday) build a bookbinding press. One of the
mainstays of this is of course the press screw which does the pressing.
I'm wondering where to get a large example of one of these from. I've seen
vice screws on (eg.) the Axminster website, and I'm sure these could be
turned to this purpose. They are spec'd at around 28mm diameter. If I were
to decide I needed something a bit larger than this, any idea where to
find one?

(Any links to plans or ideas for building such a beast also gratefully
received)

Ta
jon N

==================================
Most hydraulic 'bottle' jacks for cars have a screw section at the top for
fine adjustment. You might be able to adapt one of these but it might be
better to use the hydraulic action instead of a screw. You can see the
general idea he

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/se...r/press/page/1

and he

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl...Imag es&gbv=2

Cic.

--
===================================
Using Ubuntu Linux
Windows shown the door
===================================

On Sep 18, 7:18 am, Cicero wrote:

[...]

==================================
Most hydraulic 'bottle' jacks for cars have a screw section at the top for
fine adjustment. You might be able to adapt one of these but it might be
better to use the hydraulic action instead of a screw. You can see the
general idea he

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/se...r/press/page/1

and he

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl...press&btnG=Sea...

Cic.

I had wondered about using a bottle jack, but was concerned about the
return of the table, and a few other things. FWIW I've just come
across a design for a press based on one on t'web:

http://www.mossworks.com/docs/BottleJackPress.pdf

Looks quite suitable for my purposes, thanks...

J^n

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 01:01:40 -0700, jkn wrote:

On Sep 18, 7:18 am, Cicero wrote:

[...]

==================================
Most hydraulic 'bottle' jacks for cars have a screw section at the top
for fine adjustment. You might be able to adapt one of these but it
might be better to use the hydraulic action instead of a screw. You can
see the general idea he

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/se...r/press/page/1

and he

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl...press&btnG=Sea...

Cic.

I had wondered about using a bottle jack, but was concerned about the
return of the table, and a few other things. FWIW I've just come across a
design for a press based on one on t'web:

http://www.mossworks.com/docs/BottleJackPress.pdf

Looks quite suitable for my purposes, thanks...

J^n

==================================
That one looks quite good, although the return springs (bungee cords)
might not give a smooth return with the possibility of the top plate
tilting and jamming. Nonetheless, it's a clever and simple way of doing
the job - possibly a bit dangerous as those cords will need to be under
considerable tension to retract the column of a bottle jack.

Cic.

--
===================================
Using Ubuntu Linux
Windows shown the door
===================================

Hi Cic,

That one looks quite good, although the return springs (bungee cords)
might not give a smooth return with the possibility of the top plate
tilting and jamming. Nonetheless, it's a clever and simple way of doing
the job - possibly a bit dangerous as those cords will need to be under
considerable tension to retract the column of a bottle jack.

The smoothness of the return doesn't bother me too much. When you
say ... 'retract the column'... I guess you're simply referring to the
bungees having to lift the combined weight of the Jack + platen? Yes,
this is something I wondered about.

Is it possible to use a bottle jack upside down? if so, you could fix
it to the top of the frame, pointing downwards, and the bungees would
only have to lift the platen, and the bit of the bottle jack that has
just been 'released' ... whatever that's called.

J

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 03:01:34 -0700, jkn wrote:

Hi Cic,

That one looks quite good, although the return springs (bungee cords)
might not give a smooth return with the possibility of the top plate
tilting and jamming. Nonetheless, it's a clever and simple way of doing
the job - possibly a bit dangerous as those cords will need to be under
considerable tension to retract the column of a bottle jack.

The smoothness of the return doesn't bother me too much. When you say ...
'retract the column'... I guess you're simply referring to the bungees
having to lift the combined weight of the Jack + platen? Yes, this is
something I wondered about.

Is it possible to use a bottle jack upside down? if so, you could fix it
to the top of the frame, pointing downwards, and the bungees would only
have to lift the platen, and the bit of the bottle jack that has just been
'released' ... whatever that's called.

J

==================================
I don't think it's just a case of lifting the jack and platen. The bungee
cords will have to force the jack's column back down into the housing.
This requires considerable effort, which is usually applied by the weight
of a vehicle or other load. I think you would have to experiment to see if
the bungees were strong enough to do this or decide to do it by hand. That
shouldn't be a real problem unless you go in for mass production with a
time and motion programme in force.

I don't believe the average jack will work upside down. Whilst making a
small press recently to remove car stub axles I came across the
information that most of the common car type hydraulic jacks will only
work on their side if the handle side of the jack is facing downwards.
This restriction would seem to suggest that they won't work upside down
but it's worth testing individual jacks - under load - to see if they will
do so.

Cic.
--
===================================
Using Ubuntu Linux
Windows shown the door
===================================

Hi there

Why not make the top plate fixed, and use gravity to retract the lower plate?
Is there anything WRT bookbinding to require the bottom plate to be fixed?


Yes, this is a design idea I have been thinking about. A couple of
possible points:

- it starts to make the thing a bit top-heavy, which is not so good.
- The 'moving' plane has to have a bit of float to it, and in this
design that would be the part which carried the whole book, prior to
it coming into contact with the fixed upper plane. I'm not sure if
this is impractical for bookbinding (I'm not an expert in the art!)

More thoughts welcome - ta.

J

"jkn" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all
I have a yen to (someday) build a bookbinding press. One of the
mainstays of this is of course the press screw which does the
pressing. I'm wondering where to get a large example of one of these
from. I've seen vice screws on (eg.) the Axminster website, and I'm
sure these could be turned to this purpose. They are spec'd at around
28mm diameter. If I were to decide I needed something a bit larger
than this, any idea where to find one?

Any decent engineering workshop should be able to run you one off. I used to
make some very pretty ones in brass, with all the other fittings, for a chap
who did fore-edge painting and sold presses for other people who wanted to
try their hand at it.

Colin Bignell

On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:56:12 -0700, jkn wrote:

(Any links to plans or ideas for building such a beast also gratefully
received)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=018