Harbor Freight 20-Ton hydraulic press mods

[Sodo]

I'll be watching!

I have a brake for sheetmetal but far more often I need to bend stuff way beyond its capacity (thickness).

 

[Sodo]

UHMW wear strips.
I use it on gym equipment I build

Terry

Terry I might need your gym equipment for my legs. Do you have anything for legs that look like fluorescent light tubes? Skinny & white?

I need about 1/4" thick strip of UHMW too. Problem is it's zero on one side and 1/4" on the other. That's not gonna be even sliding.

 

[JPRambo]

I have the 12 ton version. I found out that the table (The 2 pieces of C iron) can be bent with the 12 ton jack when bending 1/2 x 4" 90*.

 

[Sodo]

Very interesting. Better box in both C-sections... Gets heavier though....

 

[k0ua]

Great thread Sodo. Very clear detailed photos with annotation too!:thumbsup: I will be keeping on eye on this one for sure.

 

[Sodo]

Soto
I am going to build a heavy break that is the width of the press. I will bend heavy narrow stuff in the middle and wide thin stuff all the way across. Ed

Maybe buy two 12ton jacks (or a 20t?), jack it down manually using a level to keep it even. The brake accessory could have two vertical posts upward that align with the two hydr jacks, a little longer than the middle post. Or adjustable length and use all three to press the brake.

A pair if 12 Ton jacks would be more prudent (24T) and they will fit outboard of the springs.

 

[Stimw]

I took an old boat trailer winch and mounted it on top so I can raise or lower the table.
With the winch on one side, that cable goes straight down.
The other end of the cable goes through winch clamp to the other side through an old pulley from a cheap comealong down to the table.
When you crank the winch it winds both cables. You lift weight off of the pins and move them to a new spot and let table down.
I bought the 20 ton Air Jack for mine and I love it! I can still use the handle for fine tuning pressing.

 

[BukitCase]

I changed the jack to air/over and drilled out a "shop knob" that had been 3/8 threaded female for the knob mod - knob's plastic, but liner is metal, doesn't take much torque anyway - I also tossed the bondo'd cast iron plates, had a circle cutout of 1" plate I cut in half for now.

Also added a 1-1/2" shaft coupler and piece of cold roll, and the jig in the pic is the one I made the "U" brackets for my (still unfinished) QA setup last year.

After doing that push, I came to the conclusion that if the jack had put out 20 tons + 12 pounds, I'd have been ducking for cover

Been thinking about the winch table lift mod, got a couple laying around - just haven't found that "round tuit" yet

I wanna raise mine maybe 10-12 inches, hurts my back as it is. Probably go with at least 4" casters, and make it pallet jack friendly while I'm at it (maybe INSTEAD of casters)

Also drooling over SWAG's offset finger brake setup, was talking to Troy a couple days ago and the HF press with their brake can bend 6" wide 1/2" FB to a 90 - kind of surprised me, 'cause I know for a FACT it can BARELY bend a U bend 3" wide out of 1/2" stock. Guess there's quite a bit of "oomph" needed for the rest of that bend

Anyway here's mine as of today - I haven't talked about the $6000 Enerpac power unit I scored couple years ago (barter deal, cost me roughly $750) when I'm anywhere NEAR the HF press, don't want it to freak out. That unit will sit til I find at least a 3-1/2" cylinder rated for 10,000 lbs, then I'll start on a 50 tonner with all the stuff this thread will end up mentioning... Steve

 

[CurlyDave]

I have the press, but mine is gray instead of orange.

 

[BukitCase]

Dave, from what I hear you may be better off with the new gray one - dunno about the press itself, but I read somewhere that the new presses don't use those crappy bondo'd cast iron plates, but come with real steel plates... Steve