Help With Clicking Press!

[najram2007]

Hi All.

I have been looking at an old clicking press that is up for sale.

Its a Ramsden & Chaplin, Serial No. 31, 1.5hp. Made in Melbourne Australia. I would say it is over 60 years old?

The seller has no idea of the ton pressure(my guess would be 5 ton) and said it worked well the last time he used it.

By the look of the pictures it seems it has been either left outside for a while or uncovered in the workshop.

It will be difficult for me to test it. Im in another state of Australia. It will take a 12 hour drive to get there.

Any thought?

Is it worth buying?

Thanks.

Marj

[Trox]

Depends of the price of course, its a electro mechanical press. And it might be hard to turn around when its been left outside. You should pour paraffin in all oil points and let it loosen up a bit before running it. I just restored an old German el. mechanical clicker. Its been left outside under a big awning during winter and summer time, and needed to bee moved around by force. I got it for free, but was willing to pay for it if I had too.

Its now working very well. You can get a great machine with a bit of elbow grease.

Before and after pictures

Good luck

Tor

[Geneva]

The pressure on the machine arm is around 15 to 18 ton. It is almost identical to the United Shoe Machine Model C. The weight of the machine is around 2200 pounds. I bought one for 75 dollars at an auction 5 or 6 years ago. Terrific machine. Parts are available. Good luck getting it home.

[Trox]

Hi All.

I have been looking at an old clicking press that is up for sale.

Its a Ramsden & Chaplin, Serial No. 31, 1.5hp. Made in Melbourne Australia. I would say it is over 60 years old?

The seller has no idea of the ton pressure(my guess would be 5 ton) and said it worked well the last time he used it.

By the look of the pictures it seems it has been either left outside for a while or uncovered in the workshop.

It will be difficult for me to test it. Im in another state of Australia. It will take a 12 hour drive to get there.

Any thought?

Is it worth buying?

Thanks.

Marj

Here is one very similar Shwabe to top dollar.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/H-Schwabe-Mechanical-Clicker-Press-Die-Cutting-/290957637496?ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:CA:1123

Tor

[najram2007]

Thanks for the info guys. He wants $450 AUD. I would say it will cost about $400 to deliver it. It looks like such a beautiful press and would love to restore it. I sent him an email so he could do a short video of it working but haven't heard from him yet. Tor, That's a great looking press! What does it sound like when you use it? $75 Geneva! wow! nice purchase

[Trox]

Thanks for the info guys. He wants $450 AUD. I would say it will cost about $400 to deliver it. It looks like such a beautiful press and would love to restore it. I sent him an email so he could do a short video of it working but haven't heard from him yet. Tor, That's a great looking press! What does it sound like when you use it? $75 Geneva! wow! nice purchase

Hi, it was Genava who paid 75$ for his machine , I got mine for free. The machine was for sale about three years ago for 6000 Norwegian krone`s (approx 1000 US$). I was about to buy it then, but my money went to other tools and machinery. I had forgotten all about the machine. Then three years later when cleaning up my email inn-box, I saw the mail again. And just for fun I checked if he have sold it. There are very few who do leather work in Norway, therefore he would not have many customers.

And it was kind of a sad story, he could not feed his family working as an saddler. He had done eight years of training in the UK before starting up his own as a bag maker here in Oslo, so then he had to close down. The machine stood outside his old workshop under a big awning ( during winter and summer time all that time). He said, if you still wants the machine you can have it for free if you pick it up. Lucky story for me, but not for him. he has a small leather shop in his basement, while working in a different job. I promised him a big discount on a heavy stitcher I have for sale, and he need one.

The machine did not turn easy around after standing idle for a long time, they normally do not rust inside. because there is allot of oil there. The oil becomes stiff, I had to pour big amount of paraffin (or diesel will work the same) inside all lube points, and force it to work again. Then I had to adjust the clutch mechanism, loosen it up. Then I rebuilt the motor to a single phase with two big capacitors to not loose any power. A coat with hammerite paint on the top. A other type of paint I got a tip on is car paint, several layers with clear top coat will stain all liquid including acetone (that loosen up hammerite)

When you start it you have to let the motor built up its rpm, then you pull the lever and "BANG" as a heavy hammer blow on a leather covered anvil. There is not that slow oils pneumatic sound but a shorter very powerful "BANG". Some of its powers comes from a very short stoke, I think about 20 mm or so. It has kind of a bicycle crank mechanism that transferee the power to the big column that drives the moving head. I think you will have the possibilities to get a very nice machine out of that. I do not think it turns easy after standing idle that long, thats why you will not get a video of it working, or perhaps you will. You can use it as a bargaining trump card to get the price down. You have to restore it anyhow.

Good luck

Tor

[Trevor]

Hi there,I read with intrest your pending purchase of the clicking press in the picture. You must be at a stage in your leather work business that a clicker is next on the list. I have looked at these picytures and said to myself this guy is nuts if he buys this boat anchor. Firstly it is a very dangerous piece of kit in that it will cut your hands off if you make a wrong move and using only one hand to activate your other heand better be out oif the way because a moments in-attention will be years of injury. Its not a hydraulic press . It works on inertia and with the wheel turning at the back drives the head downwards and creates a vertical inertia. The motor has unprotected belts and also the wheel is uncovered and is unsafe. My opinion is to look around and find an old hydraulic two button swivel head clicking press . Pay the money and get the good gear. You will not regret taking a little time out to think. I purchased a small single handle press and it gave me heaps of trouble. Clicking depth was the main trouble. It just wouldn't play ball no matter what or who I got to service it. Cutting depth is very important and when you have good clicking knives and good cutting boards this will take its toll. Anyway good luck with whatever you get. Cheers TRK

[najram2007]

Tor that's a great story. No doubt a great conversation starter. Free is always nice. Trevor I get your understanding. I was worried about my free hand too. Boat anchor! haha! it does look like that. Hey I always wanted to be a Pirate! I did get a short low quality video from the seller. It seems to work and sound fine. It was him just clicking it up and down with one hand behind his back. Didn't stamp out any leather though. ( I tried posting the video but don't have the slightest clue how). Putting my nostalgic tendencies aside. I am worried about the safety aspect. I would love to have a restored old press but I do need 2 hands to pull my pants up in the morning. One of the reasons why I was considering this press was because it was a single phase. I don't have 3 phase at my workshop. Well I guess I will go for the converted work shop. A bit hard to take a finger off, unless your a sloth. I was considering a 12ton or 20 ton press. Any thoughts on this? the 20 ton has about 10cm more workspace. Thanks, Marj

[Trox]

OK, you got to make yourself some routines, put your free hand in your back pocket. I have long hands (still, he he.), using one hand I can keep the at a distance from the machine when I use it. If I have to use both my hands I have to bend over the machine. And I cant get my hand under the head anyway, its no room for than. A finger can be a pancake. I was scared of this before I started to use the machine, not any more. I have my safety distance and routines. I alone use the machine. Still you got to be careful with every tool we use. There are some difference from my machine to this, and mine works very well. I have not encountered any jobs it could not do yet. Do not be afraid to refurbish this old machine, If you have several K $ to buy a new one then you do that.

Tor

[wind power]

The pressure on the machine arm is around 15 to 18 ton. It is almost identical to the United Shoe Machine Model C. The weight of the machine is around 2200 pounds. I bought one for 75 dollars at an auction 5 or 6 years ago. Terrific machine. Parts are available. Good luck getting it home.

OP

I have a USM model C clicker too...I love the machine...those mechanical clickers just keep going and going....they can be a safety hazard as someone mentioned if you get forget where BOTH hands are...If it doesn't have it, you could probably fashion a handle, which would block the linkage to trip the machine's flywheel, thus keeping the other hand out of the way, it would require it to be on the handle each time you ran it over....If you need some pictures of the linkage setup I could get some for you. Dot be afraid to purchase this machine...you can easily test it without power to it...first see if the flywheel will turn clockwise by hand when facing the machine, if so, make sure it has stopped and then trip the lever/handle in front, which disengages the clutch then turn the flywheel again slowly by hand and it should make a stroke downward and then back up and you will hear the clutch reengage, after which the flywheel will be just a little bit easier to turn by hand...if it performs this basic function you have a good machine!