Do I need an Arbor press?

[Mjolnir]

I've got a one ton saved on amazon. Do I need it? What do you use it for? Is there a best? Are there modifications to be made?

[fredk]

Only you can say if you need it

It can be adapted to take the Tandy fittings for their 3D letter and figure stamps. For easy-peasy, and quiet, embossing of those letters and designs its useful. It can also be used to set ready-rivets and snaps.

[Mjolnir]

4 minutes ago, fredk said:

Only you can say if you need it

It can be adapted to take the Tandy fittings for their 3D letter and figure stamps. For easy-peasy, and quiet, embossing of those letters and designs its useful. It can also be used to set ready-rivets and snaps.

by adapted do you mean tooling?

[fredk]

Depends exactly on the Arbor. Its the Ram bar. Some need a hole drilled into it; vertical orientation. Some have the hole already. A hole from the side is useful too, for a lock screw/bolt to help hold the tool in the other hole

Am I making sense?

[Mjolnir]

4 minutes ago, fredk said:

Depends exactly on the Arbor. Its the Ram bar. Some need a hole drilled into it; vertical orientation. Some have the hole already. A hole from the side is useful too, for a lock screw/bolt to help hold the tool in the other hole

Am I making sense?

yeah I watch a lot of you tube.

[Jake907]

@Mjolnir a friend of mine has one of these presses, they work great. you can adjust the depth of the stroke so that it will cam over and apply steady pressure while you walk away. the arbor press is more versatile but this one is designed specifically for using with stamps in leather.

https://goo.gl/images/TMynyw

[TheAlbinoYeti]

Can they be used with stitching prongs as well?

[JKHelms]

I use mine all the time making belts, embossing my makers mark, punching holes etc. 

i drilled a hole in the arbor to use the Tandy punches. I also made a straight edge guide for punching oblong holes in belt ends.  Also have a Tandy press I use too for pruning holes and setting snaps. 

I can take some pics and post them if you want to show you mine.

[480volt]

Personally, I wouldn’t buy one new. They are frequently available on CL  in various sizes, most often in the one-ton range. If you are patient and you care about such things, you can find good deals on ones from old line US manufacturers like Dake, Famco or Greenerd. Precision is not the hallmark of most arbor presses, even good ones from the US or Japan. That said, even the worst cast iron junk from the Far East will probably be adaptable to whatever you want to squeeze. 

I haven’t attempted to adapt my Dake 2 1/2P for leather purposes, I use it to press bushings and bearings and it’s just too big for delicate work.

[eglideride]

Here is mine ( well, one of them), drilled a hole in the end of the shaft- have a $10.00 Harbor Freight drill chuck mounted on a bolt- which is held in the shaft with a set screw (drilled and tapped on the side). Yes, that is a finish nail in the chuck- not one of my finest moments. 

[eglideride]

Here is my "new one" monster weighs over 200 lbs- I have some ideas for leather work...

[bikermutt07]

Here is a pretty informative link from a local genius. HA!

[eglideride]

 Its true!