Hydraulic presses... ever build one?

[Snowbird]

I can buy a hydraulic press for about $200 locally, but I can buy just a hydraulic jack for about $30, and I have the assorted steel and a chop saw. Tonight, I'm going to take a ride to my friend's shop and talk to him about my project-- and take a look at the press he has in his shop.

Couple of questions: Will a typical hydraulic jack work when inverted?

EDIT: No, it will not.

What else should I consider?

Got a good pic of the general layout? Notice I said "a" good pic. Please don't post a photo portfolio when a single good one will suffice.

Thanks.

[Snowbird]

I decided to order this one:



http://www.harborfreight.com/6-ton-shop-press-4711.html

[Andrew]

I decided to order this one:



http://www.harborfreight.com/6-ton-shop-press-4711.html

Dang I just bought that same press (yesterday) used for $50. Looks a bit cheap but at the price  
I may use it twice a year, my bet it will last a few years at least.

[Blueman2]

I bought the A-frame 6 ton version that HF sells, on sale for $65 plus tax.  I found that the available distance between the bottom rail and the ram was too small for my purposes.



The A-Frame is a bolted assy rather than welded.  I ended up buying some angle iron and building new verticals for it.  I added 9 inches to the overall length of the verticals, making them 24 inches long.  That gives me enough space to fit bulky parts plus any cups, blocks or spacers needed to support the part and allow components to be pressed out or in.  I drilled the holes for the supports using the same spacing as the factory verticals.

One thing I noticed, the steel used in my HF press was not dimensionally consistent, the factory angle iron measured anywhere from 1 3/8 to 1 5/8  flange width.  Any one angle was the same along its length but all four legs were different widths.  They were also different lengths, varying by as much as a 1/4 inch.

[Snowbird]

I bought the A-frame 6 ton version that HF sells, on sale for $65 plus tax.  I found that the available distance between the bottom rail and the ram was too small for my purposes.

So, I did read the description correctly... and kept looking.

The A-Frame is a bolted assy rather than welded.  I ended up buying some angle iron and building new verticals for it.  I added 9 inches to the overall length of the verticals, making them 24 inches long.  That gives me enough space to fit bulky parts plus any cups, blocks or spacers needed to support the part and allow components to be pressed out or in.  I drilled the holes for the supports using the same spacing as the factory verticals.

One thing I noticed, the steel used in my HF press was not dimensionally consistent, the factory angle iron measured anywhere from 1 3/8 to 1 5/8  flange width.  Any one angle was the same along its length but all four legs were different widths.  They were also different lengths, varying by as much as a 1/4 inch.

HF quality (not) is why I originally was going to build my own. But, I would still need to buy the support blocks, the springs, some hardware, the jack, etc., bringing my cost ever closer to just buying one and making changes if needed.

HF is Chinese shjt and cheap Chinese shjt at that. I would NOT!! buy something like a welder from them... a total exercise in futility.

[Blueman2]

Yep I hear you.  Mine looks like this now:

[cyclopathic]

I decided to order this one:



http://www.harborfreight.com/6-ton-shop-press-4711.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-shop-press-33497.html

[Snowbird]

The bench top model arrived and did what I asked of it. Not a great quality tool, but usable. Money well spent:

[Mr. Whippy]

So, I did read the description correctly... and kept looking.



HF quality (not) is why I originally was going to build my own. But, I would still need to buy the support blocks, the springs, some hardware, the jack, etc., bringing my cost ever closer to just buying one and making changes if needed.

HF is Chinese shjt and cheap Chinese shjt at that. I would NOT!! buy something like a welder from them... a total exercise in futility.

That's the one I bought about a decade ago.  It is a little lightweight, but for what I use it for, it's sufficient.

Yep I hear you.  Mine looks like this now:

 I'd love to hear how you modified this to make it heavy duty.  That looks like a really nice upgrade.

[Blueman2]

All I really did was make longer vertical legs for it.  The standard legs were 13 high, I went to 24.  The factory legs had two positions for the moveable cross piece, I have 6 useable positions with the same c-t-c dimensions.   I put one set of holes so the bottom of the holes was flush with the top of the bottom brace, then spaced the others up from there.  I drilled a seventh set of holes at the top but after assembly I found that I could not use them, no room above.

I think I spent $20 on steel and a couple of bolts/washers/nuts.  There is a local steel house that sells drops at 80 cents per pound.   I browsed their drop box to get some of what I need.  I did buy the angle as an 8 footer as they did not have any drops long enough.

I reversed the installation of the feet so that they angle out instead of inward.  This means my legs rest on the ground or on the bench depending on where the press is.  I also replaced the bottom brace (bent the factory one through improper use) with a heavy wall (1/4) 2x3 rectangular tube.  That was a piece I happened to find in the steel drop box with the correct width.

The PITA factor was laying out all the holes, center punching them and drilling them all by hand.  I don't have a drill press so I clamped each leg in the vise and drilled the holes with a 3/8 hand drill.  I started with an 1/8th bit, then a 1/4 then used an HF stepped drill bit to open them to final size.

Let me know if I can provide more info

Blueman2