50 press vs Flpress hydraulic press - thoughts ?

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

I have just been offerred an upright (6ft) Hydraulic press - a biggee at 50 Tons !

Not too expensive so am think re having it as it takes up only a small floor space.

So, the Q is

I have been thinking of getting a 3 4 5 flypress, for forming punching etc, I also sometimes have to go a 2 hr round trip to use a mates Folding press, and I was therefore thinking

For bending up small bits of plate and punching holes through, with the right tooling and a few mods how does the panel think this 50T press would compare with flypress or BIG monster hyd press doing smaller (say 1 foot 6mm thick 90 degree bend etc) ??

Thoughts ?

nige

[FridgeFreezer]

Have it - or sell it to me

After using Jez's press it's gone up my workshop wishlist massively, such a handy tool for bending/pressing/punching/straightening.

[Ozyboy]

Mmmm, Thoughts FWIW.

I have a 50 ton press, and they are hugely useful (last nights job straightening the nose on a farm elevator, then weld in some additional strength).

For folding, i think you'll get frustrated by the lack of speed . I do with mine, maybe as its a 6 inch wide piston, and take a good few hand pumps to get the thing moving. Some of the more modern stuff with a smaller ram, may be easier (read less time consuming to operate)

Flypress, same reason as above, pretty slow compared to a dedicated flypress.

BTW, for folding, i made a (just liftable into the vice) folder that will take 1M wide sheet. Will fold upto 4mm steel. Copied the machine mart stuff and beef'd it up a bit. Sits under the bench when not in use.

I'd get the press, build a folder, and see how you go before investing in a flypress.

Just my thoughts.

Oz

[FridgeFreezer]

Hand crank? Yuk - I'd track down a hydro power pack, for example from a Transit tipper, and use that.

[Ozyboy]

Hand crank? Yuk - I'd track down a hydro power pack, for example from a Transit tipper, and use that.

Great idea. Its just one of those Round Tuit jobs.... Only use the press maybe one a month, and therefore not justified the time YET, to modify i guess. although your suggestion has got me thinking.....

Maybe a hydralic anti ram barrier in front of the garage door. like one of those multi story plastic jobbies, but with a ram i could use a piece of 6 inch square tube..... Mmmmm

Sorry getting OT now.

Oz

[Mo Murphy]

Flypresses are OK for thin stuff, say up to 18 swg but no good for what you need Nige.

Mo

[bishbosh]

Flypresses are OK for thin stuff, say up to 18 swg but no good for what you need Nige.

Mo

[dollythelw]

two cheap ideas

The bush-o-matic, handy for lending out and doing bushes, bearings.. little stuff (£ Sweet FA)

The "Day job" (soul crushing, relentless and unavoidably necessary) press, all up cost £80 built out of scrap

[FridgeFreezer]

That reminds me, I still have the bush-o-matic better give that back at some point! Damn handy little thing though.

[simonr]

I have a fly press. It's only a No 4 - but it's brilliant!

What have I used it for recently? Folding 12mm plate, forming 6 x 100 bar, changing bushes & UJ's

OK, you can do all these things with a hydraulic press, but because you can use the energy stored in the momentum of the fly-weights to generate an impulse force (impact), a relatively small flypress can out-perform even pretty big hydraulics.

With the stroke adjustment collar - it gives fantastic repeatability when forming. When I made my cage, the plates used to bolt-through-the-bodywork were made from 6mm plate formed on a specially constructed die. When they were stacked on top of one another, all 12 were exactly the same shape & curvature. It's fast too - if that's a consideration.

Si