Yet another, new toy for the shop thread.

[KrazyKid]

@Boxersix

Sure do:

a) Save all sorts of shit from odd jobs. Old bearing races, large piston pins, misc blocks of metal, etc. All these little bits car be used as various tooling for jobs where the typical press plates don’t suit the application(IE, like trying to press a thin gear off a transmission shaft w/o a collar). Pressure treated wood is also good as it’s very strong, but deforms under load so when pressing soft gears or bushings it’s good to use it.

b) Buy that air/hydraulic ram I mentioned. trust me worth more than every penny spent once it’s in the press. If you get one with a foot valve it’s even better as it frees up both hands.

c) Buy a face shield. Not goggles, a full face shield. I’ve had lots of crap come apart before, and when it does it’s typically a bomb. Get one that covers the full face and neck. 20 tons is more than enough to make tempered metal shatter with deadly force.

+1

A press is just about the scaryest tool I own too. Physics are a bitch sometimes, its not fun being on the recieving end of those lessons! I have shattered a few hardened races and it sucks, I got a piece in my arm and a nasty cut on my chest from that shit hitting me. Also had some rockets fly out from miss-aligned objects. I usually have a blanket I lay over or bungy around for the sketchy setups as a blast shield to catch something if it were to bind up and shoot out.