Arbor Press Tonnage

[NewYorkerInSydney]

Hi everyone,

I decided that I would like to purchase an arbor press. I currently use a custom stamp on my leather that I strike with a mallet. However, my logo is often crooked. I don't like that and sometimes the impression does not show evenly. I'm over it. I have been looking at arbor presses and there are many kinds and at many prices. It seems that you buy them in the amount of tons they can press or something like that. To press an imprint onto leather what tonnage do you recommend? I see them at half ton, a ton and two tons. I am pretty sure I do not need anything beyond that. How do I choose which weight? I will be stamping onto 4-6 oz leather.

Thanks very much for your help.

NYIS

Edited December 16, 2010 by NewYorkerInSydney

[dawn]

i m having the same problem. my husband and i are looking into getting a half ton, he says that a half ton is a thousand pounds of force.

Hope that helps

[Spinner]

My wife just picked one up for me for Christmas that was on my list and I'm loving it. I asked for the one-ton as it has a few more doodads that I will use for making brackets and such that I use for my motorcycle bags and I'm a firm believer in getting a machine bigger than you think you'll need...that way the extra is there for that one time you need it.

Here's the link to the one I currently own and like using:

http://www.smallpart...&qid=1292518819

One of the nice things about it is the handwheel as well as the pull bar. The press shaft is also drilled out already. It's slightly smaller than the handle used for Tandy stamps but a quick touch with a grinder or file to the Tandy handle and it fits perfectly. The throat opening is also tall enough to allow for the full length handles Tandy stamping to be used. It also comes with a few standard press heads that work nicely for rivets.

For $88 with free shipping, it's hard to beat.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Spinner

[whinewine]

With this type of press, you can add significant additional leverage by slipping a length of black iron pipe over the straight handle- the longer the pipe, the greater the force you can exert.

[Studio-N]

With this type of press, you can add significant additional leverage by slipping a length of black iron pipe over the straight handle- the longer the pipe, the greater the force you can exert.

I totally agree. I have a one-ton press from harbor freight. A $49 investment. I stuck a 1" pipe (duct taped in of course) over the straight handle and I really lay on it. I get great impressions with it.

the worse that is going to happen is I'll bend the handle. In that case I'll take it off, put it on the bench press and bend it the other direction and then slip the pipe back on it and keep on pressing. Cheers!

Edited December 17, 2010 by Studio-N

[NewYorkerInSydney]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the good and helpful comments. Sounds like a one ton press will do the job for me then. Good, cause they are cheaper than the 2 ton. You know, I saw some nice ones on this Infinity site or something and they are really expensive. I did a quick search on ebay and found some of similar "tonnage" for much less. I will definitely go the cheaper route then.

Cheers,

NYIS

[tat2]

I use the Lucris MA series 3 Hand operated press, which has 5 tonnes of pressure. I use mine for small clicker dies and for making impressions using magnesuim die plates. The amount of pressure is determined by how high the pressure plate is. I would be lost without mine. Its a real time saving bench tool!!

We had also had issues with lop sided impressions. We bought a lot of the delron stamps. So we ended up cutting down the stamps and used the press the line everything up and it made our work go smoothly.

With the Arbor press I would go higher 2-3 ton of pressure. Some leather like black latigo needs more pressure. We used an arbor press, took off the round like wheel and welded a flat steel plate on the bottom where your die and leather go and encreased the top part with another steel plate to encrease the pressure put unto the Leather. worked like a charm!

Question is how much do you want to spend and how many application do you want to use your press with?