Adapting An Arbor Press Question

[Urshag]

I have read the forum post:

http://leatherworker...20%20press&st=0

I have a question. Does anyone know of someone who can adapt the rack on the arbor press to accept 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch tools for a fee?

Most of the machine shops around here have closed and the nearest one want to charge me $100.00 to do it.

Any suggestions would be welcome!

Thanks!

Dennis

Edited May 23, 2011 by Urshag

[Spinner]

What I did is simply take a grinder (or a file will do) to the standard Tandy handle and shaved a touch of the outside diameter down to fit in the arbor arm for the 1/2". As for the 1/4", you should be able to find a bushing at the local hardware store that has a 1/4" diameter hole for the tools and a 1/2" outside diameter for the arbor arm. They don't have to be much as you don't have side-to-side pressure so all the bushing is doing is center the tool in the arbor arm.

[Urshag]

What I did is simply take a grinder (or a file will do) to the standard Tandy handle and shaved a touch of the outside diameter down to fit in the arbor arm for the 1/2". As for the 1/4", you should be able to find a bushing at the local hardware store that has a 1/4" diameter hole for the tools and a 1/2" outside diameter for the arbor arm. They don't have to be much as you don't have side-to-side pressure so all the bushing is doing is center the tool in the arbor arm.

I was told that the rack/arm of the arbor press (http://www.harborfre...press-3552.html) was solid. Is there a round hole in the arm as it comes from Harbor Freight?

Dennis

[Spinner]

I was told that the rack/arm of the arbor press (http://www.harborfre...press-3552.html) was solid. Is there a round hole in the arm as it comes from Harbor Freight?

Dennis

ah, yeah sorry. I didn't read the full post where it says they are solid. i bought mine from Sears and it's pre-drilled and comes with 3 press bits (I do some metal working so those were handy). Here's a link if you want to take a look: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00974879000P?prdNo=4&blockNo=4&blockType=G4 I have found that the 1/2 ton is more than enough for most stamps and small clicker dies (the type made for hitting).

[Vikti]

Ask the machine shop if that is an hourly fee. I was quoted $85 but it was done in about 20 minutes so I walked out of there with spending only $40. I got a 1/2" hole drilled 1 3/8" deep with a 7/16 set screw to hold the tools in. So far I there is only 1 tool that I need a bushing for and I cut about an inch off of one of my snap setting tools. Now that I've experimented with it for a bit I would recommend that you get a 9/16 to 5/8 inch hole make to fully accommodate the handle for your letter stamps.

Damon

[Urshag]

Ask the machine shop if that is an hourly fee. I was quoted $85 but it was done in about 20 minutes so I walked out of there with spending only $40. I got a 1/2" hole drilled 1 3/8" deep with a 7/16 set screw to hold the tools in. So far I there is only 1 tool that I need a bushing for and I cut about an inch off of one of my snap setting tools. Now that I've experimented with it for a bit I would recommend that you get a 9/16 to 5/8 inch hole make to fully accommodate the handle for your letter stamps.

Damon

Well I found a shop that sells used equipment. They have an old arbor press they will sell me and they will drill the main hole and the set screw hole and the whole thing will cost me $65.00.

As for the bushings, let me ask a few noobish questions.

1. should the bushings be steel or what kind of material?
2. How does the set screw hold the tool in place if it's in a bushing? Is there a hold in the bushing that the set screw goes through to the tool?
3. Any ideas for where to get the bushings? Is there anything ready made, or will I need to cut and or drill something?
4. I measured my tools, it seems the most popular sizes are 1/2 inch, 1 cm, and 1/4 inch. Does that sound about right?

Thanks for all the help guys. I new to owning/operating machinery like this.

Dennis

Edited May 24, 2011 by Urshag

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

When posting questions like this it helps to know where you are located. If you were close I could do the work for you.

Bushings can be purchased from various sources in standard sizes. Industrial suppliers like MSC, or McMaster, possibly Harbor Freight, good hardware retailers, and bearing supply houses should carry the bushings you need. Again, if we knew where you live we could direct you better.

For this application steel, hard plastic,or brass will work fine. The main thing will be to get a snug fit to help eliminate skewing of the stamp. Y'know , after thinking about this some , a piece of rubber tubing may be the ticket. Slip it over the handle, shove it into the arbor press hole, no set screw need if snug. The give in the rubber would possibly allow the stamp to align perpendicular with the leather, whereas a solid bushing would keep the stamp angled if things are not in alignment.

Yes, a hole, or slot, in the bushing to let the set screw pass through it to reach the stamp.

Another method would be to have a Vee machined into the front of the ram, with a flat at the top to bump the tool against. Simply place the tool into the vee, and clamp with a hose clamp, C-clamp,or other method. The Vee would allow various sized shanks to be held without bushings. Again , if you were close to me I could do the machining for you.

Edited May 24, 2011 by BIGGUNDOCTOR

[Urshag]

When posting questions like this it helps to know where you are located. If you were close I could do the work for you.

Bushings can be purchased from various sources in standard sizes. Industrial suppliers like MSC, or McMaster, possibly Harbor Freight, good hardware retailers, and bearing supply houses should carry the bushings you need. Again, if we knew where you live we could direct you better.

For this application steel, hard plastic,or brass will work fine. The main thing will be to get a snug fit to help eliminate skewing of the stamp. Y'know , after thinking about this some , a piece of rubber tubing may be the ticket. Slip it over the handle, shove it into the arbor press hole, no set screw need if snug. The give in the rubber would possibly allow the stamp to align perpendicular with the leather, whereas a solid bushing would keep the stamp angled if things are not in alignment.

Yes, a hole, or slot, in the bushing to let the set screw pass through it to reach the stamp.

Another method would be to have a Vee machined into the front of the ram, with a flat at the top to bump the tool against. Simply place the tool into the vee, and clamp with a hose clamp, C-clamp,or other method. The Vee would allow various sized shanks to be held without bushings. Again , if you were close to me I could do the machining for you.

Sorry about that, I thought I had already filled in my profile information! I live in Lisbon Falls, Maine. I appreciate the offer to do the machining for me though, that was a very nice offer! If it comes to it in the future where I need some machining done I would be willing to pay to ship the item to you, pay you for your time and the return shipping.

Thanks for the info about the bushings! That was exactly the kind of information I was looking for!

I will probably try a few of your suggestions and see what works best with the arbor press I am getting.

Thanks again!

Dennis

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

It wouldn't be the first time I did some long distance repairs. I did some weld repairs to an out of production magnesium rear hub for an RD400 dirt bike for a guy in Ohio. I have a head for a Honda that he wants a mechanical drive installed for a tach, the USA models were all electronic. The arbor press mods would be fairly simple to do. For inexpensive work check with your high schools, or community college (if they haven't sold of the shop tools yet ), There are also a lot of home machinists out there.

[Urshag]

Well I got an arbor press. I found a local shop that sells used and new machine tools. I bought a used 1 ton arbor press for $50.00. Next door was a machine shop and he did the following for me.

1. Drilled a 1/2 inch hole into the bottom of the crank.
2. Drilled and tapped a 3/8 inch set screw hole.
3. Made 2 bushings for me.

All for $25 bucks!

He was a really nice guy and it was fun to watch him work.

Here are some pictures of the Arbor Press and it in use. Thanks again for all those that responded and offered advice!

Dennis

[Jordan]

Cool, it makes really nice impressions

[Wishful]

Cool, I have that Celtic stamp and it is real hard to get it deep enough to show the texture. Awesome.

Edited June 8, 2011 by Wishful

[Urshag]

Cool, I have that Celtic stamp and it is real hard to get it deep enough to show the texture. Awesome.

Yep! It also works really well on setting rivets, eyelets, grommets and snaps as well. I've even tried it to punch holes (When my rotary hand punch can't be used) and it works great for that as well. I couldn't be happier with it.

Dennis

[Urshag]

I just discovered this on eBay. It's a jacob's chuck with strong magnets for attaching to the underside of the ram on an arbor press!

http://cgi.ebay.com/...=item3cb8ad0f0f

It's a bit pricey, but damn it would make it easy to quick change tools. Maybe someday I'll drop the coin for it. But at least it's an easy option. Buy an arbor press, buy this and you're set. Of course you'd probably have to shorten some tools for the clearance issue.

Just thought some people would want to know about it.

Edited June 9, 2011 by Urshag