Arbor press

[MarlinDave]

I am no familiar with donut magnets, but would a flat round magnet with hole drilled serve the same end?

[fredk]

No

[toxo]

The thread that started this is over a year old but here's my twopenn'orth. My 1 ton arbor press has a hole drilled in the bottom of the ram with a locking screw in the side. The hole is big enough to take most punches and stamps (It doesn't matter if the thinner ones are offset slightly). I also use it as a clicker press with a 10mm plate on top of the dies. It also has an aluminium block with three heaters in it that can be attached to the bottom of the ram for embossing/ hot embossing or hot foiling. I have a few sets of the cutting shapes that I use by just putting a flat magnet under the bottom of the ram with whatever shape I'm using just stuck on the magnet. I don't usually use thicker that 2.4mm leather so I don't have to use much pressure and I haven't seen any wear on the magnet. Sometimes the shape doesn't come up with the magnet but that's ok with me. I don't have a crew punch so pulling the shape out of the leather occasionally still beats punching two holes and cutting in between.

[Doc Reaper]

On 12/3/2021 at 2:01 PM, mike02130 said:

Goldstar sells dies and punches.  The Amazon contraption gets good reviews from apartment dwellers and folks with new kids.  An arbor press may be more trouble than it's worth.  Even with a magnet, you would need to hold and guide the punch, hold the item being punched and with your third hand you would operate the press.  There are some good YouTube videos on the subject.  I have a Harbor Freight press and I tried to trick it out but it just didn't work well.  There are other cheap presses that have a hole in the bottom of the ram for tools.

You just need an extra metal plate to replace the clover shaped piece, I have also drilled a hole to hold other tools, and put a longer handle on it for more pressure 

[JayEhl]

On 12/8/2021 at 8:02 PM, Doc Reaper said:

You just need an extra metal plate to replace the clover shaped piece, I have also drilled a hole to hold other tools, and put a longer handle on it for more pressure 

is this the press you are referring?
https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=arbor press

To save both space and money by not buying two, I was wondering if these other presses could also double down as the arbor press with some machining of the ram part as mentioned as well as for clicking out some leather. 

I was looking at the six ton press
https://www.harborfreight.com/6-ton-a-frame-bench-shop-press-1666.html

or the 12 ton press

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-shop-press-33497.html

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by JayEhl