So I made my own single stage press from scratch ...

fiver

Well-Known Member
I was watching the pics go up earlier today,,, following along.
then had to leave to go shooting before the last post I have been waiting all day to get back and see how things turned out.
 
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freebullet

Guest
Wow, some spectacular, tools, design, & effort, on that whole thing. Awesome & thank you for sharing.

Got a few questions, if you don't mind.
I can see some weld on the base plate but did you forge weld that too?

That is a very impressive fittment on all the bushings. Had you given any thoughts to using a bearing arrangement instead of bushings?

If you made another would you do anything different?
 

Intheshop

Banned
I hear ya fiver. Can't really explain it how waiting for an "installment" on build threads is more fun than just doing a dump post?

The pics in this thread is what leaves me slackjaw..... they're so dang clear. And the guys on here doing videos are great too. Like the OP,shows an awful lot of "caring" for lack of better word,to not only this site but anyone who's searching process engineering.

Wish I could do it...... being more of a hold your mouth just so,and hit the go button type for explanation.



I was watching the pics go up earlier today,,, following along.
then had to leave to go shooting before the last post I have been waiting all day to get back and see how things turned out.
 

wquiles

Well-Known Member
I can see some weld on the base plate but did you forge weld that too?

That is a very impressive fittment on all the bushings. Had you given any thoughts to using a bearing arrangement instead of bushings?

If you made another would you do anything different?

I welded everything myself, but there was no forging. The base (made out the 3 thinner steel plates) was welded on all 4x sides, and also "through" at 4-5 places, which was a trick I learned from my welding mentor. I placed those welds sorta in the middle to increase stiffness, but away of where I expected to drill the hole for the ram and the smaller holds for the support guides since welded areas are literally harder than "plain" steel.

Never considered using bearings as the original swaging press used these oil-impregnated bushings and the original builder and others that built after him commented on it being more than adequate.

What would I do different?
- Definitely buy the steel instead of "making it". Basically try to stick with "most" the original swaging press recommendations. I would spend the money to get the 1" thick top place, upgrade to a 1.5" thick bottom plate (original press design was 1"), and upgrade to the 1.25" OD for the steel rods for the two support/guide pieces (original press called for 1" OD) - so basically have the ram and support guides the same OD as I did on my press.
- For all 3x rods, I would go for the fully machined, hardened, and polished rods, just like recommended on the swaging press build sheet. Just a little more, but better longer term wear-wise. This is why I used the moly resin as it is a self-lubricating and anti-wear coating, since my rods are not surface hardened.
- Larger hose diameter (like 1/2"), to accelerate piston speed, so that I can then use the in-line one way hydraulic valve to fine-tune the piston speed.
- Make the support/guide rods 1.75-2" longer to have the full 6" travel.
- Larger screws at both ends. I used grade 8 3/8" - I would go to 1/2" if doing it again.

Will
 
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Ian

Notorious member
We call those "plug welds" at work. Great technique for holding plates and tubing splices together. Bushings can take a lot more stress than bearings, so I think they're a good choice IF you are the master of precision....which Will obviously is. The only issue I can forsee with bushings is if they have to be inside-machined, which smears the material and plugs up the microscopic pores. I could be wrong but I think most bronze bushings are sintered and formed around a precision mandrel, which keeps the pores open so they can be saturated with oil under pressure and "lubed for life". An old mechanic's trick to lube bronze pilot bushings for transmission input shafts is to place the bushing on top of one thumb, fill the middle with synthetic engine oil, place the other thumb on top to trap the oil, and then bring the bushing against your chest and push your thumbs together like the dickens. In about ten seconds the outside of the bushing will start popping out with oil "sweat". Once you see that, it's lubed forever and yo won't have the problems associated with grease plugging the pores, drying out, or melting and slinging onto the clutch disc when the engine gets warm.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
they have an incredibly long cycle life as friction bearings like in this application too.
I have a set in a vertical system that have made ummm well umm +300,000 cycles [enough to wear out 2 target grade shotguns] and has only worn the coating off the shafts they ride on.
probably wouldn't have done that if the delrin bushing on the horizontal shaft hadn't of wore out letting everything have some side to side play.
and then me putting another 50-60K cycles on the press before replacing them didn't help.
a ridiculously light coat of silicone grease and cleaning it off when it got dirty has probably helped.
 

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
Oilite (oil impregnated bronze) bushings is the right choice for this application. Any heavier usage and rather than linear ball bushings, I would go to aluminum-bronze bushings.
More risk of dust, dirt and particulate infiltration with linear ball bushings.
 

wquiles

Well-Known Member
Ian - thank you. I will call them plug welds from now on. There is always something new to learn :)

fiver/smokeywolf - these are the exact ones I got from McMaster:
Oil-Embedded Flanged Sleeve Bearing

Because of the close-fit between the rods and bushings, I have been using Hornady's "One Shot" cleaner/lube before and after every session since it leaves sorta off a dry lube once the carrier evaporates.
 
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freebullet

Guest
Thanks ,for the additional details.

You really did an outstanding job. Anyone can buy new steel, bonus points for salvage & repurposing.
 

wquiles

Well-Known Member
Man, thanks for the warm reception guys. On the "other" forum there was several negative comments about my low-budget, and self-impose choice to re-use existing & left-over materials: many felt it was foolish, waste of time, it would take too long, why bother when you can buy metal already in the right size, etc.. It is neat to see that over here you guys appreciate the value in finding ways to make existing tools/parts/materials work.

I "still" have lots of metal left over from my own project and from helping others, and from a retired knife maker 2-3 years ago, so I wanted to find out if I "could" do re-use a lot of that steel. The learning experience was about me never have done anything like a precision press with bushings, nor had I done any work with air-oil hydraulics before. I knew I wanted a strong press with a 30deg offset, and planned for several months before starting actual work, but I admit I started without having "everything" figured out.

I am still very much an amateur machinist, and make lots of mistakes. Like using the old insert on two of the rods, which resulted in less than optimum finish, and about a tiny bit undersize from my target on one of the two support rods. Heck, I only showed you the second aluminum guide block - not the first one which I was 1/3 into the machining of it when I realized it was not wide enough and had to start from scratch again!. :headbang:

I finished the basic press with no "clear" idea of how I was going to get the piston attached, and I wasn't sure exactly how the 5-port air valve worked. I figured out a lot of the details as I got to that particular stage: sometimes that meant walking away from the pile of parts while I thought of possible ways to make things work. I think you guys are giving me a way too much credit:embarrassed:

I tent to pick projects where I can learn something from the work/labor, not just the end result. The water cooled, hydraulic controlled, 1HP 3-phase motor with VFD variable speed metal bandsaw that I showed in some of the pictures was one of those neat projects. I designed and made several years ago, when I was making custom LED flashlights and custom parts on the mill & lathe, and it has seen lots of use once I started welding. That metal bandsaw started as a "plain" Harbor Freight unit, but now customized, on its own steel cart, is one of my most used tools now in my "shop" (basically the space of one car garage :rofl: ).

I have completed work on two form 1 suppressors (22lr and 45 caliber - both for rifles), and will soon start on the 3rd one (high-power 30 cal), so that will likely be my next project.

Will
 
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Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I was telling my dad the other day that the only thing that limits what can be done on a lathe and mill is your ability to find a setup to get the desired result.

Will, your abilities both in thought and machine skill are remarkable. Please keep up the good work and post here. We love this stuff.
 
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Ian

Notorious member
Well, you'll fit right in here. A fair number of us here are amateur machinists being helped tremendously by Keith and Smokeywolf. For the most part, getting into machine work was borne of the desire to do more with guns and handloading tools.

Please post about your latest Form 1 build when you get to it, I've done a few of them myself, all before I had a lathe. Here's the last one I did: https://www.artfulbullet.com/index.php?threads/my-latest-silencer-project.2512/
 
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Sig556r

Active Member
Well, you'll fit right in here. A fair number of us here are amateur machinists being helped tremendously by Keith and Smokeywolf. For the most part, getting into machine work was borne of the desire to do more with guns and handloading tools.

Please post about your latest Form 1 build when you get to it, I've done a few of them myself, all before I had a lathe. Here's the last one I did: https://www.artfulbullet.com/index.php?threads/my-lates
link doesn't work