Harbor Freight 20-Ton hydraulic press mods

[dragoneggs]

I wish I had thought of that design. I drilled a hole to match the roll pin on the bottle jack valve, and of course the holes didn't line up.

Hole for the OEM roll pin wasn't drilled perpendicular to the axis and of course I didn't notice. Had to 'fine tune it'. A hammer was involved..

. View attachment 462045

Terry

That was kinda what I was thinking of doing until I saw Sodo's design.

 

[BukitCase]

If you look at the pic of mine (first page) there's a plastic knob - these come with threaded inserts

Knob & Bolts

and I drilled mine out - had a less-pronounced version of Terry's experience, figured out a way to fix it.

Measure the valve shaft, drill out the knob, remove the pin, find a drill bit that'll JUST fit the hole (helps if you have a 1-60 drill index) - measure how far onto the valve shaft the knob can go, then drill ONE SIDE of the knob just into the center hole, slide the knob onto the valve shaft, line up the (half) hole with the hole in valve shaft, finish the drilling of the knob - the bit will track thru the pin hole and put the far side right where it needs to be.

Roll pin the proper length/diameter, then.....

Do NOT hammer the pin in, UNLESS you can support the valve shaft - if you size the roll pin correctly, you can set a pair of channel lock pliers so they're parallel jaws, then use them as a kind of "mini-press" to insert the pin.

That way there's NO CHANCE you will shorten the life of any internal seals... Steve

Gotta admit tho, Sodo's way is prob'ly a LOT more fun, 'specially if you're lookin' for things to TIG :=)

 

[Big Barn]

If you look at the pic of mine (first page) there's a plastic knob - these come with threaded inserts

Knob & Bolts

and I drilled mine out - had a less-pronounced version of Terry's experience, figured out a way to fix it.

Measure the valve shaft, drill out the knob, remove the pin, find a drill bit that'll JUST fit the hole (helps if you have a 1-60 drill index) - measure how far onto the valve shaft the knob can go, then drill ONE SIDE of the knob just into the center hole, slide the knob onto the valve shaft, line up the (half) hole with the hole in valve shaft, finish the drilling of the knob - the bit will track thru the pin hole and put the far side right where it needs to be.

Roll pin the proper length/diameter, then.....

Do NOT hammer the pin in, UNLESS you can support the valve shaft - if you size the roll pin correctly, you can set a pair of channel lock pliers so they're parallel jaws, then use them as a kind of "mini-press" to insert the pin.

That way there's NO CHANCE you will shorten the life of any internal seals... Steve

Gotta admit tho, Sodo's way is prob'ly a LOT more fun, 'specially if you're lookin' for things to TIG :=)

Sorry Steve, while you were busy posting , I went out and fixed it.



Terry

 

[KubotainNH]

Thinking about it... at my local HF store the shopping carts are swiveled on all four! It's fun cruising through the aisles and drifting to avoid crashes. Wondering if those carts are the same countrywide?

They are on this side of the country.

 

[KubotainNH]

I also made a brake which is great for fabing parts.

I like that brake.

 

[dragoneggs]

I have wheels on mine and it makes all the difference in the world! All are swivel for maneuverability. I also made a brake which is great for fabing parts.
Can't beat the price when it's on sale and then use a 20% off coupon to boot. :thumbsup:

Here's a picture of my son learning to do some bending...

View attachment 462042

View attachment 462043

Looking good, BigBoy. Is that your own brake design? Do you have plans you can share? The SWAG is $199 for the heavy duty kit but it seems a tad much. Any one use the finger version? Wondering if I will regret not stepping up to that? It seems a luxury I would rarely use.

 

[Big Barn]

Looking good, BigBoy. Is that your own brake design? Do you have plans you can share? The SWAG is $199 for the heavy duty kit but it seems a tad much. Any one use the finger version? Wondering if I will regret not stepping up to that? It seems a luxury I would rarely use.

Mark, I have the finger version. It was cheaper to buy it than make it.

However if you decided a non finger brake was adequate I would build my own.





Terry

 

[Sodo]

Harbor freight wheels are not really working out.....
Rated at 150 lbs but if they sit in one place for a log time, collapse.
The press weighs 150 lbs total so that's 37.5 lbs per wheel.

The way these casters are extended away, it's feasible to stack lots of stuff on the supports, but there wasn't anything on the supports other than a few press plates etc. Prob not more than +20 lbs.

They have a stated capacity and are being used far below than number. Not impressed with these wheels at the moment.

 

[Aquamoose]

You'd need steel or neoprene castors. Every wheel has its purpose.

 

[Big Barn]

Sodo.

Steel casters wouldn't flat spot on you. OR:

My press is a bit heavier but I used (4) pieces of 2"D. solid round stock drilled for 1/2" axles.



This setup gives good stability and can still be moved using a pry bar.

Terry