Hydraulic shop press as a clicker press for cutting dies

[Anubis78]

Hi everyone!

I'm currently looking into getting custom cutting dies for leather in order to improve my efficiency in creating mass produced items.  I initially looked at the Weaver Master Tool Mighty Wonder Hand Operated clicker, but with all the other machines that I'm having to purchase right now (ex: strap cutting machine and strap folding machine) I'm trying to keep my expenses low to stay within my budget.  

Something I'm considering is purchasing an hydraulic press and clicker press plates to cut down my cost.   The Weaver 12 ton press is $285, but I found a few at harbor freight for $119 (possibly less with a coupon if I can find one).  Now I always see mixed reviews about Harbor Freight tools ("you get what you pay for", "horrible", or "great product") so I'm looking for feedback from anyone who may have used the Harbor Freight press.   The major difference I see in the presses is that the Weaver press (can be used on your work bench) doesn't take up as much space as the Harbor Freight (taller).  Any feedback would be great!  

Also have any of you used the Weaver belt end dies or other cutting dies with a hydrolic press? Anything that I should be aware of or consider when getting custom dies made?   Do the presses damage the dies at all? How long do the dies usually last?  

[Ken G]

I own a Harbor Freight 12 ton shop press that I plan on eventually using to click out leather pieces. I have used it to install new wheel studs in the front rotors of my truck when I could not beat them in with a sledge hammer and it worked great. I looked at the Heritage press on Weaver's retail site and it was $440.00 and uses a "Pittsburgh Tool" bottle jack which is a Harbor Freight brand so you aren't gaining anything there. Depending on how you mount your cutting plates the Harbor Freight press does have a steel rod approximately 1" diameter by 3" long welded to the moving part of the frame which may need to be cut off. This could be done with an angle grinder.

 

Depending on your skill level and available tools you could cut the legs off of the Harbor Freight press to make it a bench mounted press, at the minimum you would need a hacksaw, a drill, and some muscle.

[JLSleather]

While yer at HF, pick up teh $29 sawzall and a $3 metal cutting blade... take that "bump" off the top "ram" right quick.

 

[GPaudler]

Clicker presses are built to be very rigid to keep the upper and lower platens very parallel to each other. You might be able to make an inexpensive shop press work but that's not what they're made to do and you should expect to experience some frustration including short-lived dies and cutting boards, the cost of which could easily add-up to the cost of a suitable die press.

The Weaver press will be limited to small dies. You might find a used 2 or 4-post lab press that will be a much more useful tool.

Gary

 

 

Edited July 6, 2017 by GPaudler
added info.

[Matt S]

I bought this week a hydraulic workshop press for small clicking and embossing. I don't have much space for a real clicker press, nor the money so I bought a 6 ton press for £50 delivered. My main concern was only having 10" of daylight (would vastly prefer a c frame or even a swing away head) but beggars can't be choosers. Still waiting on some steel plate and new dies to arrive but early indications with a 12 linear inch steel rule die shows a significant increase in production. It now takes less time to cut out the piece than it used to take me to mark around the template, let alone cut it. Time will tell how useful it is but I suspect, however short is working life, it will pay for itself many times over.

[chapelstone]

Thanks for the input. I am cramped for space and growing to the point that I need to make the jump to renting shop space and getting more equipment or stay at the hobby level. 

[JLSleather]

2 hours ago, Matt S said:

It now takes less time to cut out the piece than it used to take me to mark around the template, let alone cut it. Time will tell how useful it is but I suspect, however short is working life, it will pay for itself many times over.

Yeah, the time saving goes up the more detailed the piece.  For small dies, say less that 12" across, I don't think die life would be affected (mine works fine).

1 hour ago, chapelstone said:

I need to make the jump to renting shop space and getting more equipment or stay at the hobby level. 

Congratulations - maybe   Soon as you open a "shop", you'll be assailed by people wanting to sell you everything from sharpening stones to lawn care

 

[chapelstone]

I don't plan to do much retail. I don't have the personality it for after 32 years in public service. I just need more work space ( just me and the leather). Plan to sell with website and continue word of mouth. 

[CowboyBob]

Clickers have a short travel on the ram so you can set the depth it cuts.If you go too deep you'll cut up your board.So if you use a hydraulic press you'll need an adjustable stop maybe 4 (one on each corner) but they can be made to work.

[JLSleather]

Yup... machinist jack would work.  Or, just weld a nut on teh press lower section and put a bolt in it...

 

[chapelstone]

I had not thought about the stops but it makes good sense. Should they be equal to the hieght of the die? Or a little less 

[JLSleather]

tad less, yeah?  just enough to set the die barely a smidge into the cutting board.  If you use a bolt, say like a 16 thread pitch, then maybe make a mark on the bolt head with some nail polish, then you know that each full turn of the bolt will run it 1/16" deeper .. easy math ...

 

[chapelstone]

Thanks 

[bruce johnson]

I used a 20 ton shop press for several years. My dies were all smaller things - headstall pieces, bucking roll parts, latigo carriers, spur straps etc.  I used a piece of cold roll steel set on the rails for the base, LDPE or clicker pad, leather, die, covered that with another piece of cold roll big enough to cover the die, and centered it under the ram. Crank it on down. After a few tries you will learn to hear and feel the die cut through the leather. back off the jack just enough to slide the top plate, die and leather out, reposition, and 3-4 cranks on mine and your were through the next piece. 

I got one of the Weaver bench top presses with an air over hydraulic jack. That is fat city! Press the button and it putt putt putts through and sort of stops on it's own once it goes through.  

[JLSleather]

Well, there's the thing.. a shop press travels slowly enough you'd have to be trying pretty hard to "bottom out" with it.

Still, it's a decent compromise even though slow.  Still much faster than cutting everything with a knife, and far cheaper than a swing arm, so ...

I don't have any "stops" on mine, nor do I have any issue with warping or burying dies .. I do replace a cutting surface occasionally, but you'll have that regardless.

Harbor Freight has these currently for $150 (20 ton) - in my email this morning.  Also a $54 drill press ...

 

Edited July 7, 2017 by JLSleather

[WoodsHollowLeather]

Just finished mine up last night. $150 for the press, $110 for the plates, $90 air jack, $200 for the welding. $15 cutting board. I am getting an air compressor from Santa, so add $150 for a bigger tank model. $700 all in for a 20” x 12” cutting area. 

Weavers mighty Wonders are easier to use but the 4 ton is a smaller cutting area for $995 + shipping at their wholesale price. The 8 Ton is a similar cutting area as the shop press but costs $1,995 + shipping. 

All that’s savings will allow me to afford all of the dies I’ll need to get. Let’s just hope she works ok!

 

 

[Anubis78]

On 12/10/2017 at 11:57 AM, WoodsHollowLeather said:

Just finished mine up last night. $150 for the press, $110 for the plates, $90 air jack, $200 for the welding. $15 cutting board. I am getting an air compressor from Santa, so add $150 for a bigger tank model. $700 all in for a 20” x 12” cutting area. 

Weavers mighty Wonders are easier to use but the 4 ton is a smaller cutting area for $995 + shipping at their wholesale price. The 8 Ton is a similar cutting area as the shop press but costs $1,995 + shipping. 

All that’s savings will allow me to afford all of the dies I’ll need to get. Let’s just hope she works ok!

 

 

If only I knew how to weld...

I'm revisiting this as I'm designing items where using dies would be ideal.   How is it working for you? 

[RockyAussie]

On 11/12/2017 at 2:57 AM, WoodsHollowLeather said:

Just finished mine up last night. $150 for the press, $110 for the plates, $90 air jack, $200 for the welding. $15 cutting board. I am getting an air compressor from Santa, so add $150 for a bigger tank model. $700 all in for a 20” x 12” cutting area. 

Weavers mighty Wonders are easier to use but the 4 ton is a smaller cutting area for $995 + shipping at their wholesale price. The 8 Ton is a similar cutting area as the shop press but costs $1,995 + shipping. 

All that’s savings will allow me to afford all of the dies I’ll need to get. Let’s just hope she works ok!

 

 

Nice looking idea. Knowing how heavy clicker presses work and how even massively webbed top plates warp I have to say that you will need a lot of webbing added front and back. I would be surprised that you do not have an upward tilt a little already at the edges from where you have welded already. Honestly I would be tempted to cut a v groove about 1/8" deep right up the middle from left to right on the bottom and then weld the full length back in. This should make the plate come down a bit front and back. This I would do before adding any webbing as I would be trying to keep a little of that bow for as long as possible. May sound crazy now but you will see why later. Note also that as your top deforms up so do your long cutting knives until they become banana shaped useless. Another idea if you prefer is to put 4 heavy wall box pieces on top of your channel and put some bolts into the ends in order to be able to screw them down tighter at the edge ends occasionally. This should allow an occasional re straightening. Regards Brian

[WoodsHollowLeather]

On 12/16/2017 at 3:22 AM, Anubis78 said:

If only I knew how to weld...

I'm revisiting this as I'm designing items where using dies would be ideal.   How is it working for you? 

I don’t weld. But I’m sure someone in your area does. I don’t have dies made yet, so we will see..,

[Bustedmp77]

I bought some steel rule and made a few dies for myself. I use my HF 12 ton press with them. For 2 cases of beer, the welding instructor at the local tech school cut me out 3 12"x12"x 1" thick steel plates. I use two on the base with a 12x12 piece of 3/4 mdf as a cutting surface. Leather, die, 3/4 mdf, and then the other steel plate on top. Works great, and the mdf is $35 for a 4'x8' sheet which gives me 32 12x12 pieces. I did add a pressure gauge to the jack. When I here the pop and pressure drops, my leather is  cut.

[Anubis78]

On 2/14/2018 at 6:55 PM, Bustedmp77 said:

I bought some steel rule and made a few dies for myself. I use my HF 12 ton press with them. For 2 cases of beer, the welding instructor at the local tech school cut me out 3 12"x12"x 1" thick steel plates. I use two on the base with a 12x12 piece of 3/4 mdf as a cutting surface. Leather, die, 3/4 mdf, and then the other steel plate on top. Works great, and the mdf is $35 for a 4'x8' sheet which gives me 32 12x12 pieces. I did add a pressure gauge to the jack. When I here the pop and pressure drops, my leather is  cut.

Bustedmp77, do you have pics of your setup?

[Bustedmp77]

No I don't. I really don't even use it very much anyway. I could get a picture or video some day maybe.

[acoopersaddler]

On 6/27/2017 at 1:45 PM, Anubis78 said:

Hi everyone!

I'm currently looking into getting custom cutting dies for leather in order to improve my efficiency in creating mass produced items.  I initially looked at the Weaver Master Tool Mighty Wonder Hand Operated clicker, but with all the other machines that I'm having to purchase right now (ex: strap cutting machine and strap folding machine) I'm trying to keep my expenses low to stay within my budget.  

Something I'm considering is purchasing an hydraulic press and clicker press plates to cut down my cost.   The Weaver 12 ton press is $285, but I found a few at harbor freight for $119 (possibly less with a coupon if I can find one).  Now I always see mixed reviews about Harbor Freight tools ("you get what you pay for", "horrible", or "great product") so I'm looking for feedback from anyone who may have used the Harbor Freight press.   The major difference I see in the presses is that the Weaver press (can be used on your work bench) doesn't take up as much space as the Harbor Freight (taller).  Any feedback would be great!  

Also have any of you used the Weaver belt end dies or other cutting dies with a hydrolic press? Anything that I should be aware of or consider when getting custom dies made?   Do the presses damage the dies at all? How long do the dies usually last?  

[acoopersaddler]

I have a 12 and a 20 ton presses from Harbor Freight and have had no problems using them for cutting with clicker dies, and adjusting English saddle trees. You can easily make up a table to go in the presses. 

[SunLynx]

On ‎2018‎-‎02‎-‎14 at 3:55 PM, Bustedmp77 said:

I bought some steel rule and made a few dies for myself. I use my HF 12 ton press with them. For 2 cases of beer, the welding instructor at the local tech school cut me out 3 12"x12"x 1" thick steel plates. I use two on the base with a 12x12 piece of 3/4 mdf as a cutting surface. Leather, die, 3/4 mdf, and then the other steel plate on top. Works great, and the mdf is $35 for a 4'x8' sheet which gives me 32 12x12 pieces. I did add a pressure gauge to the jack. When I here the pop and pressure drops, my leather is  cut.

May I ask how you added the pressure gauge?  I'm having trouble telling how complicated (or not) it would be to add to an existing HF product.

Thanks.