The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Shop Press

no shop press is really needed to 'mess with' old trucks, the few things one would be handy for can be hired out, use the money for more inportant things

Bill

That's true, I did without for a long time.
Do you know anyone who has a press?

Grigg

Yup good advise above ..I had a 20 ton press for yrs. that 99.9% of the timne just sat there in the way ...takin up shop space.
I sold it for some fun $.
Now I take my stuff to my local auto shop on the occasions I need to press something an they do it or they me do it for nothing or maybe $5.
but I dont have that unit in my way that just collected dust after I did the project I thought I HAD TO HAVE IT FOR.

IF you HAVE to have one I suggest the usual places like craiglist ect. But the way things have been going lately don't overlook machine shops going out of business and vocational schools that are getting big new fancy ones, or closing the class and also watch the local ads in the paper. My nephew found a nice 20 ton for less than a $100 and it has several "pieces" with it. Now between him, me and a couple buddies we use it quite a bit..... thanks nephew for buying us one

everyone is right on, you won't use it that much. except, nobody does anything around here for $5 anymore. i had a 10 ton one years ago. it was in the way and never big enough so i sold it. i did pick up a 30 ton, made in the use, older one about 6 months ago. since i build my shop last year i now have the room. and if i use it 5 times i will be in the black! kind of like the coats tire machine i had- wish i had that back now too. the 30 ton seems about the right size. i say if you got the room and find a good deal- get it.

i paid $150 for that 30 ton about 6 months ago at a auction. i thought that was a pretty good deal. doubt i would make a bunch on it, but i could prob break even if i ever decide to sell. but like everyone said - i haven't used it yet!

Bill is right, the only thing I have encountered is the cam and crank gears. Local machine shop did it for nothing because they think rebuilding an old stovebolt is cool. Use doesn't equal cost. Put the $$$ toward shop equipment that is multi-use like mig or gas welding setup.

I built my own press years ago, 4 ft wide, met a guy that was cleaning out his metal shop back room and he gave me several feet of the V blocks dies with 4 different size grooves and several of the upper dies so I also use it as a press brake. As it is now I couldn't live without it.

Just a note of caution on V-blocks.
Don't ever use a hardened V-block on a press. Hardened ones are commonly found in machine shops for setting up and fixturing jobs.
When used on a hydraulic press to support something the can explosively fail with dangerously even deadly force. Someone did just that at a big shop I worked at, they survived but the sound was tremendous and left bits of V-block here and there.

Grigg

Thanks for the concern and enlightening others of that danger, the v-blocks I got are from a brake, got one that is 8' long.