Big Press

[Jamey Saunders]

My dad and I were at the shop tonight straightening the frame rail from a half ton pickup, and I thought I'd take a couple of pictures of his press. He made this press about 15 years ago. It doesn't get used that often, but it comes in pretty handy when its needed. Being the shop foreman at the local John Deere dealership, there are things that need a big press every so often.

I couldn't get the whole press in one picture, so here's the top:



Here's the base:



And here's the pump:



The press is about 8 feet high at the top of the 8" cylinder. The cylinder is on rollers, and can be moved left and right with the steering wheel. I've seen this press straighten the bent forks off of a 50-ton forklift.

The tonnage? It's about a 90-ton press. Overkill? Sometimes. Handy? Yep.

[rhrocker]

Gosh! Have you tried it for pressing hot metal yet Jamie? You could make up all sorts of neat dies for that monster!

[Jamey Saunders]

No, I haven't gotten that far. I have thought about it, though. Maybe that'll happen one day, but the problem is that it's in a pretty confined area, so there's no place close by to put a forge. I'd have to heat up my billet outside, then run through the shop with a glowing blob of metal. If you knew just how clumsy I can be, you'd know what a recipe for disaster that is!

I have seen this press smash a penny into a 3" thick block of steel. I just wanted to see what it'd do, and now I know.