Hydraulic Press

I have not done any more maintenance on it.

I think it is clear that the ‘maker’ of the mess, should be the one which cleans it; and since the press/ press area is messy right now- I would hope that the area would be cleaner after then before. I don’t think Freddie should have to clean the chowder!

If that is not the case, I think that we can find some suitable Automotive area service hours to be completed…

As a huge Stars fan I want to do what we can to make this happen.

As a board member I need to be strict with the rules for safety and proper use of the equipment.

So my question to all of the makers at DMS is, if the press can’t be safely used, can we build something that can safely accomplish this crushing?

To Cody, do the stars have insurance for when you film on location?

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In that case we should take a look at it next time we are both there. When it starts hitting actual pressure rather than test runs it starts blowing out a fitting in the back.

Also @oman72 we additionally have bullet-resistant polymer panels here that can be propped up for some things. They’re small-ish, I think around 1x2 feet each was the last I cut them. You can supplement whatever you bring with them.

I’d probably move the press away from the lathe when doing this just so gunk doesn’t get on the machining equipment.

Lexan is better than Plexiglass for that purpose…

Blacksmithing has a bigger press that can be moved outdoors, but that it allows to be used for blacksmithing, not crushing random stuff.

Love me some Stars, but the safety issues make it a no-go for the forge press.

Link to the manual

Page 2 for the intended use.

well plexiglass-clad lexan, and treated acrylics.

As long as it’s returned, clean, and safe- I don’t see an issue with moving the Automotive press outside, as long as it’s returned and reconnected properly. I have not looked to see what type of connectors are on that device.

The seals in the press should be good for 10,000lbs, as it is advertised as a 10,000 press (right?). I would just want to make sure that the pressure goes ‘straight’ down, as presses are designed to operate.

I was reading some warnings for the Automotive life which outlined that uneven loading of the lift would cause damage- I would wish to recreate that issue with the press; however, we are makers- this doesn’t seem like the craziest idea to ever go through the space.

If members are allowed to ‘play with’ fireworks and/or build a Trebuchet; I think we should be able to crush a few items in a safe, controlled manner.

In my opinion, watching how members have straightened brackets and worked with other irregular shaped objects in the press, this sounds like a more well-thought-out and safer activity than others at the space.

I haven’t played much attention to the forge press, but the pressure gauge on the Hydraulic press helps the ‘scientific experiment’ justification to all of this, as it proves the relative pressure required to make each object fail. I don’t recall seeing a pressure gauge on the blacksmithing press.

Crushing a matchbox car and working with some of the Chinese made car parts seem to share some of the same materials and risk. Actually, I think I’ve seen some matchbox cars which are built better than some of the ‘projects’ at Makerspace.

I also give Cody some credit for asking, as opposed to simply doing. In the time frame that he is proposing, he could have just done this and as long as he used appropriate precautions, I doubt anyone would have complained. Automotive is generally very quiet during the morning hours…

On another note- if we crushed these items while torching them, does this make it a Blacksmithing project?

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There’s no gauge on the press currently, wouldn’t do it without one.

According to my memory and the PDF that Freddie posted… on Page 20, item 57 is shown to be a pressure gauge.

I don’t use the press much, but I am fairly certain that it is functional…

Has the new pressure gauge been installed?

Basically everything except the frame is not original; a new ram, pump, etc were installed within the past couple of months and one of the seals hasn’t been holding up to snuff

One of the damaging incidents to the press was a member trying to crush a penny

Yeah don’t bother with that PDF except for frame measurements; the gauge was removed as part of the plumbing revamp for the new ram and the new one hadn’t been installed last I checked.

Look at this guy… he’s got jokes!

(but no, no it does not)

I know the book shows one.

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As someone who’s worked around both hydraulic & mechanical power presses upwards of 100 tons in a previous life. The items listed do not seem to pose any threat of becoming projectiles unless they are poorly secured to the work surface.
Everything on that list save perhaps the football can be beaten to a pulp with a BF hammer.

I loved those David Letterman segments crushing things in a hydraulic press or throwing them off a tower.

My voice here doesn’t mean much, especially given @worldcloud’s and @mrjimmy’s responses above, but how about DMS stipulate that the Stars organization either put up some kind of off-site promotional insurance, or have 3 players and/or the Ice Girls on-site at DMS to oversee the operation. :slight_smile:

Just my .02

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the leak is coming from the coupling where the gauge should go. the pump leak is fixed.

heh, plug one hole and another springs up.

Do we have the gauge on hand? If so I can fashion up a mount and we can try to just finish the darn thing.

No gauge on hand. Have not ordered another yet. They are none too cheap either.