Need Recommendations for Manual Clicker Press

[Stratton]

I am new to leather crafting and am looking to buy my first manual clicker press.  Would love some guidance on the best ones and where to look.

Also, if you have a clicker press rec, then do you know what the maximum cutting board size it comes in?

Thanks for any help!

Edited March 17, 2024 by Stratton
typo

[kgg]

26 minutes ago, Stratton said:

some guidance on the best ones and where to look.

A couple of questions.

i) What is the largest item you are planning on cutting a pattern for??? The running length of the cutting edge on the die will determine the tonnage you will need.

ii) What is your budget???

kgg

[Stratton]

Thanks for your response kgg.  I was hoping to get up to 16.5" x 27", however it seems most manual clickers are less than this.  So really just the largest I can get on a manual.

Budget is not an issue. 

[NatesLeatherGds]

7 hours ago, Stratton said:

Budget is not an issue. 

 

[bruce johnson]

The cutting board isn't the limiting factor, the head size and leverage advantage is. Weaver makes an 8 ton manual clicker press. The head size is 12x15. 8 tons sounds like a lot - for big dies it isn't really. Good solid units. I have the 4 ton version and it is good for the rating, but you aren't going to do anything with a lot of edge length - coasters, cookie cutter size figures, spur strap dies is about it. I had an 8 ton  last year dropped off overnight for another guy to pickup here. I played a little and it was OK too. If you step over to a converted shop press, you can go up to 20 tons and make the head and bed what ever size you want. You just need to make sure the steel plates are strong enough. If you go that way then a air over hydraulic jack makes life pretty simple. Even with the 4 ton Weaver in my wife's shop, if she has many pieces she hops on out to my tool shop and uses the benchtop shop press conversion Weaver used to sell. Its got the air/hydraulic jack and easier for her. 

[kgg]

10 hours ago, Stratton said:

I was hoping to get up to 16.5" x 27", however it seems most manual clickers are less than this. 

With the size you specified you basically have two choices, dedicated hydraulic clicker press or converting a shop / bearing press. The hydraulic clicker presses are expensive while the shop / bearing press conversion can be done for about $500 USD for a 20 ton including the price of the shop / bearing press. I went the shop / bearing press conversion route. Here is the formulas I used when deciding on what size tonnage I would need.

Example of calculations:

Formula for 10 oz leather with a 3 in square die = 12 inch running length of die

F (pressing force needed) = S (shear strength of leather) (2900psi / 2) x L cutting (running) length of die X T (thickness) of leather in inches X Sf safety factor of 2

F = 1450 x 12 x 0.156 x 2 => 5428.8 pounds (pressing force)
5428.8 pounds = 2.42 Imperial tons or 2.7 US tons

One of my die plates will be just under 10" x 10" which will require somewhere near 9048 pounds or 4.1 imperial or 4.5 US tons to punch through.

@bruce johnson any chance of posting a couple of photo's of the weaver shop press conversion?

kgg

 

[Stratton]

Thanks KGG and Bruce!  Very helpful

[bruce johnson]

On 3/17/2024 at 9:36 PM, kgg said:

 

@bruce johnson any chance of posting a couple of photo's of the weaver shop press conversion?

kgg

 

Here it is, Sits on a workbench in the tool shop. Weaver used to sell this for around $400 with the plates ready to go. The original hydraulic jack was replaced with a 12 ton air/hydraulic jack before I got it. Works well. The bed is 9x15. 

[kgg]

6 hours ago, bruce johnson said:

Weaver used to sell this for around $400 with the plates ready to go.

Thank you for sharing. Nice and compact.

kgg

[Double Daddy]

If budget isn't an issue, BuckleGuy just came out with a new, floor mounted 12-ton manual press ($3300 plus freight)...they also have 4-ton bench mounted models for less https://www.buckleguy.com/clicker-press/ 

I bought my 4-ton elsewhere (same item and basic price as BG because they were out of stock at the time)...it's a handy thing to have for appropriate sized items that need cutting out (about 8.75"x11.75" work area)...also does well for stamp embossing or pushing smaller cutting dies thru leather as needed. I had no need (or room) for one of the larger floor mount models at this time.