Looking For Help Modifying An Arbor Press

[Glendon]

Hi all,

Right now Harbor Freight has a 1 ton arbor press that I could get for about $40 shipped with sales. I'd love to pick it up and get it modified to accept leather tools so I can cut down the amount of hammering I have to do. I however do not have the skill or the tools to drill out the ram and anvil myself. So my question is this. Does anyone know a machinist that would do a small job like this, that either works in the Boston area, or that would know arbor presses well enough to let me mail the ram and anvil to them to do the work?

There are places that sell presses with this modification, but they run like $75 plus the cost of shipping 20+ pounds.

Edited March 25, 2012 by Glendon

[Ferg]

First things first. Let your fingers do the walking. You have the greatest information tool in front of you, your computer.

Search ten miles from your home for machine shops, refine your search, "small machine shops". If the shop closest to you doesn't have a web address they may and most likely do have an E-mail address.

Ninety five percent of the work is done for you. Have fun.

ferg

Hi all,

Right now Harbor Freight has a 1 ton arbor press that I could get for about $40 shipped with sales. I'd love to pick it up and get it modified to accept leather tools so I can cut down the amount of hammering I have to do. I however do not have the skill or the tools to drill out the ram and anvil myself. So my question is this. Does anyone know a machinist that would do a small job like this, that either works in the Boston area, or that would know arbor presses well enough to let me mail the ram and anvil to them to do the work?

There are places that sell presses with this modification, but they run like $75 plus the cost of shipping 20+ pounds.

[Glendon]

Ferg, thank you. I had actually done that a couple of times and did not find any places that looked promising. This time I did spot a couple of companies which have the capability, and that look like they might take smaller jobs. I guess I'll send off a couple of e-mails and see who might be willing to do the work and what their pricing would be.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Glendon

[mkspence]

I want to do this also, with a Harbor Freight Arbor Press I just bought. Gonna have to take the plunge and find some help. Tampa, Fl area.

[electrathon]

From what I am seeing you are wanting the end of the ram drilled out so you can slip in a tool holder for holding stamps? If so it is easy to do, just needs to be put in the lathe and drilled. I really recomend walking into a small shop with cash in your hand, someone will do this for a few dollars. If you can not find someone I can do this for you for $25 plus shipping.

Aaron

[Spincycle]

I've been machining for about ten years now. Unfortunately I'm north of the border from you two. I'm curious as to what tools you would like to use in this press. I've been thinking about modifying one of these cheap presses. I just haven't taken the plunge yet. My thoughts are tools for rivets and snaps and such. Ive been using my drill press for some embossing but its a bit small for what I need. The chuck allows you to hold different diameter tools. Let me know if you have any questions regarding your project.

[lwm803]

I drilled the ram on my 1 ton arbor press (similar to the HF model) on my drill press. It just took a bit of careful set up and a good sharp drill bit. At the same time I ground the bottom two teeth off the ram so the handle could ratchet when the ram is raised completely, allow me to reposition the handle without removing the pinion from the frame. I have used it for 3d stamps, hole punches and setting snaps and rivets without a problem. Though I usually use my full size Delta drill press (turned off) for punching holes, mostly because of the laser cross hairs to indicate where the center of the hole will be.

[CustomDoug]

I want to do this too.. the hardest part seems to be choosing just which dies to get - they're like a whole can of worms by themselves. Some are threaded (which is a good idea in my mind but maybe cost prohibitive), some not, some do this, some do that. Can someone recommend a fairly complete set at a descent price? Sorry for the slight hi-jack.

Edited November 30, 2012 by CustomDoug

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

OK, here is my take on this modification. Don't drill the ram, but mill a Vee in the front instead. One mill cut straight across ,and perpendicular to the Vee, and where the tool will push against it. By using a Vee, and a clamp it will accomodate tools of various diameters, eliminate bushings for small ones in big holes, and in general makes like easier. Go to MSC's website, and look at Vee blocks to get an idea on what I am talking about. Of course the stamps won't all be centered depending on the diameter of the stamp handle, IE; smaller diameter will sit farther back than larger ones. but that is no problem in my eyes.

My background is that my Dad was a machinist all his life, Mom milled out radial aircraft engine master rods during WWII, and I have been machining since 1985. I am currently the tool maker for a CNC screw machine shop where I make, and modify tooling for the production floor. This is not a hard job for even a small basic job shop to do. Replacement Vee block clamps are available, we get replacements for ones that get broken on the floor at minimal cost. If you can't find a local shop that is willing to do it, I am just a USPS flat rate box away =) I like projects like this, and I even barter.

Edited December 1, 2012 by BIGGUNDOCTOR

[Spincycle]

Biggundoctor, I like your idea. I'm not sure if there's room on the ram for the side slots for the shaft clamp. Having a shaft clamp sticking out would hinder the visuals a bit also. Building furthur on your input. I think the ultimate modification would be a hole in the ram. The front half would be round and the back half would be vee shaped. So if you look at the end of the ram you would have a half round on one side and the corner of a square joining it on the other. Then all you need is a couple set screws on the face of the ram going into the hole to secure the handle of the selected tool. The down side is that this would be more expensive to do. Basically broach or EDM. Of course the ram could be made of multiple parts but thats gonna cost more. Anyway I looked at the 1 ton press from Harbor Freight, Princess Auto and Busy Bee Tools. They all look the same. I bet if someone is motivated enough they could obtain just the ram from the manufacturer and offer them for sale once modified. Perhaps an attachment with this vee groove idea could be made and offered. Just some thoughts.

[Spincycle]

Just had a simpler thought. How many different diameter handles and such are going to be used? Drill a small hole off center in the ram and a larger hole off center in the same end? The same thing could be done on the other end of the ram. You could then have 4 different diameter holes, 2 on each end. Just flip the ram when needed. Obviously you would have to drill the holes based on the diameter of the tool handles to be used. This would be very cheap to do. You would have to hold the tools but you wouldn't be out of pocket much. And the end of the ram would still be a flat square. The trade off is accuracy and versatility vs. cost.

[lwm803]

I simply centered a hole 7/16" in diameter and a couple of inches deep in one end of the ram. I cross drilled and tapped for a 10-32 set screw to lock the tools in place. I have used tools with 1/4" diameter and others with 3/8" diameter without a problem. The set screw simply pushes the smaller diameter tools to the side of the bore and holds them there just fine. As long as the tool is bottomed out before tightening the set screw I have never had a problem with tools trying to move around in the bore.

I agree that the v grove and or a good slip fit bore would be more precise but with my limited tooling this was the best approach for me. Using a one ton arbor press with one centered hole in the ram and a set screw that is long enough to secure the smaller diameter tools seems to work fine for me. In my case the set screw only serves to keep the tooling from falling out of the bore when the ram is raised and provides minimal but effective support in keeping the tool vertical while the bottom of the bore is still just the solid ram which transfers the force to the tool. The Harbor Freight style arbor press works fine for me but it is not a precision machine. I see no point in putting a hundred dollar hole in a fifty dollar machine.....

[JLSleather]

Keep in mind that a press that small probably has a maximum height of about 5". Ram length MIGHT be as much as twice that. For my $.02, better to go with round hole no more than a couple inches deep, add bushings for different diameter tools as needed.

Any machine shop can do this in 15 minutes. One more thought .. that same machine shop probably caries standard brass or bronze bushings. At about $5 apiece, you can get half a dozen of them all in (just for example) 1/2" outside diameter, then just bore the inside to fit the tool you want to use. This way, ONE hole in the arbor of the press fits all yer stuff and if the bushing ever wears out you just get another one off the shelf.

[GlenH]

For us non-machinist types, some pictures of what you're talking about would be very helpful. Also are you all just talking about using the 3D stamps or regular stamping tools? That is, what all do you use on the press?

[Trox]

This is what they talk about, or what you can use this nice press for. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVyV3ZTVpqY

Sadly this is not for sale in Norway, and I guess it weights a bit, will be expensive to ship from the US. I have a couple of screw presses for my snaps, rivet and buttons, nevertheless I want one for stamps. If anybody knew where to get one in Europe, preferable northern Europe. Please let me know.

Edited December 2, 2012 by Trox

[ecklund]

Here is a drawing and some pictures of my Arbor Press I made up last week. All the drilling & tapping is done with a 1/4 twenty inch tap and a number 7 drill bit. The press is 1/2 ton I got off ebay. It works great for leather embossing and general edge stamping on belts etc. Hope this help some of are fellow leather crafters. If you have any questions feel free to email at deneck@gmail.com. Good luck.

Dennis Ecklund.

arbor press table.pdf

[BDAZ]

Ok, I don't get it??!! I use my 1 ton daily but have not had to modify it. I use the Tandy ram's foot for pressing 3D stamps and it works like a champ! I have a small piece of granite

cut 8" x 12" and have a piece of aluminum stock held on by small C clamps as a guide.

I did JB Weld this ramsfoot onto the end of the press but found it wasn't useful installed permanently.

Cya!

Bob

Edited April 9, 2014 by BDAZ

[highnoonhunter]

At the same time I ground the bottom two teeth off the ram so the handle could ratchet when the ram is raised completely, allow me to reposition the handle without removing the pinion from the frame.

That's an EXCELLENT idea!

I find that sometimes my handle is in the wrong position for pressing.

I recently purchased a 1 ton arbor press myself.

The only modifications I have done it to remove the rotating plate and replace it with a 4"X6"X 3/16" thick steel plate which gave me more room under the ram.

But I use regular handle tools such as the stamps with attached handles, splash rivet tools, eyelet setters and such. With the 2-D and 3-D stamps, I don't use a handle at all. I simply lay the stamp where I want it, and press it with the ram without using a handle. For my current tools, I don't have a need for having the ram drilled. I prefer to have it flat.

[BDAZ]

I have seen a few 3D stamps and alphabets that have been damage by being pressed directly on the round fitting with the ram. The rams foot is cheap and effective, giving much greater surface area for the press.

Cya!

Bob

[ClaireAshton]

Went to pick a tool last week that I bought on Ebay. Saw he had a pillar drill press, "Er, any chance you could drill out my arbor press ram?".

Posted off with my specifications, after my grinding off 2 teeth at each end, to his address.

Just arrived this morning - spent all day doing test pieces, snaps rivets stamps - all a doddle. Then for the real test. Solid copper rivets, the ones with the burrs. Press down on the washer. Chop off the surplus then give it some serious pressure. Rounded off in the rounder offer - perfect.

I had a 11mm hole one end 70mm deep, the other end 13mm hole 70mm deep and a 16mm hole 35mm deep. Bless him, he made me a sleeve to fit the 16mm hole to bring it all down to 13mm. Half a dozen 4mm grub screws to hold in the tools. Brilliant.

Claire