How To Modify A Shop Press Into A Clicker Press

[azrider]

There is a thead where this is covered, but all of the pictures are gone. I wasn't able to find it on the web either. I purchased a 12 ton hydrylic shop press today, and want to make it into a clicker/ leather press. I have a friend with a welder willing to help, but I want to make sure I understand what needs to be modified before I start changing things. I belive I need to add a 1 inch thick steel plate under the press, and replace the single ram with a heavy piece of square or rectangular tubing to make a straight press. Is the top piece usually welded on? I ask because the springs are on eyelet bolts, and I wouldn't be able to get to those if I weld a top plate as well. Any pictures of diy clickers? Thanks all.

[bruce johnson]

I left the ram on mine to still be able to use it as a shop press if needed. I use a piece of steel large enough to cover the die and center it under the ram. That works for what I need to use it for. Texas Custom Dies has a shop press with a top plate, but I am not seeing a picture of it on their website. Weaver makes a benchtop one also with a top plate that bolts onto the ram.

[LNLeather]

HI

I am not sure what Shop Press you have, but I got these instructions from DUCKCREEKTRADERS

on how to use a shop press as an emboss press. If you go to their ebay auction, you will see

everything they have for sale with samples of what can be done with the emboss plates

that they have done with this Shop Press.

Seems like this would also work for a cutting die as well. Using the metal plate on the top and the bottom.

Then under your leather you would want to have a piece of plastic like a cutting board. This will keep your

cutting die from pressing into the bottom metal plate and getting very dull very fast. Tippmann sells a piece

of this material fitted for their Clicker presses.

You can see the Cutting Bed Material here

Cutting bed material

Tippmann also makes and sellsl custom cutting dies that are well made for a really good price.

Hope this helps

Edited October 23, 2011 by LNLeather

[CitizenKate]

... I purchased a 12 ton hydrylic shop press today, and want to make it into a clicker/ leather press. I have a friend with a welder willing to help, but I want to make sure I understand what needs to be modified before I start changing things. I belive I need to add a 1 inch thick steel plate under the press, and replace the single ram with a heavy piece of square or rectangular tubing to make a straight press. Is the top piece usually welded on? I ask because the springs are on eyelet bolts, and I wouldn't be able to get to those if I weld a top plate as well. Any pictures of diy clickers? ...

Did you check with Deb and Royce? I think they did something like this for a press that Deb uses.

Kate

[azrider]

I was going to give Deb a call this week, so can ask about this too.

[jdwintx]

Maybe these will help with the visuals

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1074199/clicker-dies-on-a-budget (shows the press and how it is structured)

Hydraulic_Cutting_Press_ShoeSchool.pdf

[RunningRoan]

I modified a shop press (Harbor Freight special) into a clicker press with the help of my dad the super-welder. We cut off the ram. Added a large steel plate to the bottom that I set my cutting board on. Also added a steel plate where the ram was. I think it's 3/8" or 1/2" cold rolled steel. I got these suggestions from Heather at TX Custom Dies

To solve the problem of the eye bolts, we welded nuts to the top of the beam that the cylinder sits on. Instead of the eye bolts going through that beam, they just screw into the nuts. Been working great!

[azrider]

So far I am just using the press with the ram, and a few plates of steel. Running Roan, could you post a picture of yours?

[RunningRoan]

So far I am just using the press with the ram, and a few plates of steel. Running Roan, could you post a picture of yours?

Sure can!

I've attached a picture of the press before modifications and two pictures of it after modifications. There is a piece of steel under that dark red cutting board.

What I wish I would have done is used a larger piece of steel under the bottle jack. It should have been as wide as the span of the press. Oh well though, not a huge deal. I just have to do a little bit of hand cutting every once in a while on the ends of my long dies (like for breast collars) because they stick out underneath that top plate. This is a 20T press and I wouldn't go any smaller.

As you can see, it took some work to turn this press into a clicker but you can't beat the price. If memory serves, the press was around $175 at Harbor Freight on sale, I spent about $30 or $40 or so on the steel plates and I can't recall just what the cutting board cost....but the whole set up was pretty cheap and has been a real time saver. I kicked myself to not setting it up sooner...I originally balked at the cost of buying the press, dies, etc...but its been worth every penny!

[miss v]

my 2 cents, i see this thread is old now,

http://www.bonnydoonengineering.com/Products/Presses/presses.html

I use this kind of setup, its designed for making hollow forms out of metal, but works great for clicking the leather.

Drawback is the limited size of die you can use. I have a delrin board that i can take on-and-off the bottom steel plate.