Shop Press

[AKwelder]

So I need to rebuild at least one manual transmission, and I have about a dozen other projects that I could use a shop press for. 
 

So after pricing them up here, I will build one. Anyone have any pictures or comments on a shop press? 
 

PS. I have an enerpac ram and electric pump from surplus auction so I was starting with that

[bitty]

One at a tractor dealer that's homemade. I am hoping to make one similar someday. We have a 40 ton press currently. Make it a little bigger than you think you will ever need is my advice

[ky966boy]

6 minutes ago, bitty said:

One at a tractor dealer that's homemade. I am hoping to make one similar someday. We have a 40 ton press currently. Make it a little bigger than you think you will ever need is my advice

That looks close to what we have at work. It’s real handy

[iowaboy1965]

Handy to have around. Bought a .....30,000 # from my wife's uncles sale after he passed. I think I gave less than 200 for it iirc. Shouldn't be real hard to make one tho.

[iowaboy1965]

Guess I was off a bit, 60,000. Consider putting it on wheels so you can move it around for big stuff.

[dale560]

2 hours ago, iowaboy1965 said:

Guess I was off a bit, 60,000. Consider putting it on wheels so you can move it around for big stuff.

Used a green one like that for years.put a 30 ton jack in it. It has the sides bowed, the upright guide pipes for press bar twisted , and the press table had about a 2 inch bow through it. We straightened the table part out and welded flat iron into it. It was a green Carolina tools, dad bought it in about 1978. To say it got used is a understatement. Something bounced off press ram once under pressure when it let go the press jumped off the floor. Dads was made out of channel iron yet not formed steel.

[iowaboy1965]

Ya mine isn't super heavy duty but nice to have around.  Hasn't ben used as hard as yours sounds Like it was.. Table is a bit tweaked from side to side but it does what I need it too so far. I'm sure akwelder can come up with something much better and heavy duty.

[hardtail]

Built this one around 20 years ago, I would say around 20 ton, hadn’t bought the ram yet, have materials around to do a 50 ton

[New Englander]

You're going powered so you're ahead of mine. I think it's 30 ton or so but the big attraction, other than the super price I got from a closing shop, is the two speed pump. One large barrel for fast and a small high pressure. When working on something that might be delicate the low pressure from the fast pump comes in handy, like making sure it's starting square. When using it to bend something an electric pump would be nice.

Who are you gonna get to weld it for you? ?

[bitty]

44 minutes ago, hardtail said:

Built this one around 20 years ago, I would say around 20 ton, hadn’t bought the ram yet, have materials around to do a 50 ton

I suggest you get a ram mounted to a plate that hangs from the top of the press so it can slide side to side. Makes it more versatile

[801486]

I've just got a little one that sits on the bench, but it's been handy.  If I ever buy or build a better one if will have four legs instead instead of two channel iron uprights.  Many times I wanted to straighten something long and on the four legged one you could put it between the legs.

[hardtail]

6 hours ago, bitty said:

I suggest you get a ram mounted to a plate that hangs from the top of the press so it can slide side to side. Makes it more versatile

I did mount the ram to the plate and had to double up that plate and I think reinforced above also, but not the hanging part it’s all welded up solid now, I have a spare powerpak that I was going to use but just ended up using the hand pump, not sure if I will ever build the big one, going to have to be a bigger shop first

8 a little bench arbor press is extremely handy also, not every job requires a bigger press

[Sledgehammer]

Mine is an old mechanical press. No hydraulics. Weaver is the brand. Tag says 28 tons and is the 42” width.   Like the one in the pic below. Don’t have a pic of mine. 

[12_Guy]

3 hours ago, Sledgehammer said:

Mine is an old mechanical press. No hydraulics. Weaver is the brand. Tag says 28 tons and is the 42” width.   Like the one in the pic below. Don’t have a pic of mine. 

I have a 20 ton that would be the little brother of yours. I haven’t used it much yet. I tore the screw out of mine and cleaned up the end. It was mushroomed from abuse. 

[Ihfan4life]

18 hours ago, iowaboy1965 said:

Handy to have around. Bought a .....30,000 # from my wife's uncles sale after he passed. I think I gave less than 200 for it iirc. Shouldn't be real hard to make one tho.

You did well to get that for $200! Everyone I see at auction brings damn near new price?

[AKwelder]

Thank you all.   I have a 50 ton Enerpac Ram with spring return. So we’re getting there.   Now I need to make the frame.  
 

originally I was thinking along traditional lines   Now I am thinking about a 4 post and a moveable ram,   More pondering 

[1586 Jeff]

A couple of stepper motors, a few DROs, and..............

[INTERNATIONAL 1466]

I built ours when I was a Junior in high school in shop class. It has earned it's keep for sure. It is a lot like the ones that have been pictured. I put wheels on it and it it is taller than most. The tall part is nice, partially because I am 6'8' with my boots on. I also drilled the holes in the legs at 3" increments instead of 6" in the major work zone. 6" is way too bold of an adjustment for a lot of things. Have not jacked it apart in over 30 years. I used 6" channel. I like the idea of solid plates for the table, but you about need a winch to change the height. We all want pictures when your done/during?