A few shots of the dies I’ve been using. Some are tool steel ( usually 4140) and some are mild steel.
I finished this press at the end of July 2014 and have been using it almost daily ever since. Building it from scratch I had no idea what 24 tons of power would be able to accomplish but I’m very pleased with the power of this machine. Another great part about hydraulic presses besides the power is the relative quiet of the machine. I’m now able to work weeknights and mornings without worrying about waking the neighbors or even worse, the wife! I hope this post helps inspire someone who is thinking about building a press but isn’t clear how to start. Feel free to ask any questions and I’ll do my best to get you an answer.
Javos - Awesome write up! I really enjoyed seeing the process.
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing ,great learning capability thoroughly enjoyed it I made one from photos from Indian george pic on my website www gardnerknives.com cheers and thanks. Baz
Thanks for sharing ,nice to know it and interesting to learn from here. 
Impressive build, impressively clean shop.
Question on your MIG, what is the amperage of it? Just curious what it took to weld your 4x8s together?
If it’s not too much to ask, what is the ballpark on the build budget?
Is there a way to quantify the amount of work it can do? Drive a x" fuller die y deep in a given size material?
Just curious, and really poorly worded question!
Hey Chad, I can answer the first question - Javos can correct me if I’m wrong.
I would say you’d be looking at $1000-$1500, depending on what price you can get some of the steel for.
I don’t know the second question, but I wouldn’t worry too much about it’s capabilities - having first hand experience, this thing is a beast. Javos Ironworks and I have been making some hammers together, we’ve been taking a lot of the work out of the process by punching a 3/4" hole through our 1-1/2" or so steel in one heat!
Wow! That’s great!
Obviously both the press and a power hammer have their roles, but I would think one would choose this over the hammer if it can do it quietly and efficiently!
I’m imPRESSed! Hahahaha
This might be foolish, but with a 10 inch travel, could you make a handle drift in two sections that are a die for it?
I really dig this machine!
I was in the machine for around $1100- $1200 If I’m remembering correctly. It took a few weeks to weld it all together. I did drift a 1" hole through a 2" bar. I’m guessing I could have gone through thicker material with more heats.
I’ve been using the press to punch hammer eyes and it’s been working really well for that. As with anything the more I try the more I learn and the better the eyes look.
Here is a photo of my punching rig. I’ve changed a few things since this photo was made. I had to beef up the top two bars for removing the block and I also gave up on the set screws for aligning the blank. the press kept bending them and it ended up being easier just eyeing up the piece.
I press 3/4 from one side then flip and press the rest from the other side.
I like it!
Thought I’d post a update to this post as it’s been a few years since the original post and I see lots of folks are still using it as a reference. The Press is still working like a champ. I find myself using it more than my power hammers as it’s quieter and doesn’t shake the entire neighborhood like the hammers do. I’ve made quite a few dies so far. They are generally easy to make or tweak. Most of the dies I make are mild steel. I do get some deforming on the dies but it’s pretty minimal. If you need higher heat resistant dies I’d suggest S7 or something similar for your dies. My punches are 4140, s7 or 1045
One thing I wish I would have added is a hole under the bottom ram where I could punch and pop slugs out of. I can get around this by using a built up bottom die but having the hole to allow deeper punching would be a nice feature.
I’m still around so if anyone wants more detail shots of the press or have any questions go ahead and ask them here (thats the whole point of this post).
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Thank you so much for your excellent documentation of your hydraulic press build!
Can you tell me the total height of the “H” portion of your press and the thickness(s) of the top cap plate and bottom cap plate?
beat regards
Reg
Love all the info on this build, thank you. I’m looking to try to build one myself and am curious if I should do 25 ton or reduce to… say…15-16 tons? I’m just starting and want to dabble in Damascus so any advice would be appreciate. If 16tons, ous there any major pros or cons and any major changes to your design?
The press opens 10" Are you looking for the total height of the frame? (see picture). The top and bottom are way overkill at 1-1/4" solid thick pieces. I happened to have those sitting around so I thought it would be worthwhile to add them to cap off both ends. My thinking was 1. Cost to me…0$ 2. The more rigid I make the frame the more power I’ll be able to put into the forged piece. So in the end those are not required but it doesn’t hurt to have them either.
This is the only press I’ve ever used but…I have my doubts about 15-16 ton press for Damascus. Why…when I first built and ran my machine the hydraulic control valve (lever) was set to about 2/3 power. I’m guessing that brings me down into the range you are thinking about. It really felt underpowered. Making damascus requires high heat an pressure so the machine needs to be quick and powerful. Personally I’d hate to invest time and money into a machine that would maybe do the job. That all said I’m no damascus expert. I’d suggest going onto a blade smithing forum and asking around.
Good Luck,
Jeff
Thanks so much for your patience with my questions. Your press has “10 inches of travel” and you reference a cylinder from Surplus Center that has 8" of stroke. Please explain
With your press closed and no dies in place, do your platens touch?
Thank you kindly,
Reg
How many gallons is the gud tank, as Northern no longer offers this item. Do you have any problems with the fluid overheating?
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