How to make a press from the jack with your own hands

How to make a press out of the jack with your own hands? A hydraulic press is not the tool that is always at hand with every home craftsman. Due to the complexity of such equipment, its cost is quite high, so many people do not decide to purchase a press.

A hydraulic press is a device that is needed to create large compressive forces.

Nevertheless, the range of technological operations in which it is useful, is quite wide. Especially car owners, the press is very useful for mounting bearings, pressing a variety of sleeves or crankshaft, compression parts. This will eliminate the need to once again attend the auto repair shop.

There is an easy way to get a hydraulic press for use, without buying it in a store, to assemble a press from a hydraulic jack yourself. In addition to significant savings, it will allow to make such a design that will meet the tasks in power, size and other technical parameters.

Using a jack is the easiest and most logical way to assemble a press. If you have, of course, some engineering and technical experience. Before starting work, it is necessary to understand the basic principles: what to build a home press from and how it will work. The main part is the jack.

The nuances of the hydraulic jack

The design of the bottle hydraulic jack.

It is the hydraulic jack that is the most convenient base for assembling a power press. First of all, because its fundamental feature is the use of liquid.

According to the laws of physics, a liquid under pressure does not shrink and does not decrease in volume, unlike gas. Thanks to this, the home-made pressing machine receives the calculated power and can be effectively used in the household: during the execution of those works that require the use of force, much more than a person can apply.

Due to the physical principles of work, the press on the basis of the hydraulic jack acts on the object being pressed smoothly, without jerks and power losses. The absence of abrupt movements of the press reduces the probability of the object breaking.

Efficiency hydraulics reaches 80%. This guarantees them a high loading capacity, and, as the main part of the press, a high pressure rating. 80% efficiency is achieved due to the large gear ratio between the cross sections of the cylinder and the pump piston. However, the hydraulic jack has a number of drawbacks that need to be understood before taking up the assembly of a home press.

The main problem is the difficulty of adjusting the height of the lowering of the stem, more precisely, this cannot be done. These are the design features of the mechanism, which was originally intended to rise, not fall. This is not such a significant drawback, but it leads to the need to reduce the pressure in the chamber to zero after a working session, that is, the compression of the object being processed. Then the rod stroke goes the way to the working surface, after which the procedure is repeated. Compared with the savings and the benefits that brings homemade press, this is nothing.

Selection of the core of home hydraulic press

The scheme of the hydraulic jack.

A single rod jack is the best option for self-assembly of a hydraulic press. The power of different models allows you to lift loads weighing up to 100 tons, which approximately allows you to estimate the pressure force of the press based on it.

100 tons is much more than raising other types of jacks, for example, mechanical. Neither screw, nor lever, crank or eccentric jacks of such power can provide. On the other hand, the press power of 10–20 tons is sufficient for most “domestic” needs, including automotive work in the garage.

The design based on the single-rod bottle jack has another advantage - compactness. This allows you to design a press, which will be convenient to use on a small working area.

Press design

Drawing hydraulic press.

Creating a drawing press - one of the most important stages. On the Internet, you can find ready-made options and select the appropriate one. But it should be understood that all of them are created on the basis of the material base and hydraulic equipment available to the author.

Therefore, you can simply learn the basic principles. They are two: the jack presses from the bottom up or from top to bottom. In this case, it is necessary to observe the working position of the jack, as provided by the manufacturer: if it is vertical, with the pull-up stem upwards, it is impossible to turn the device over.

Preparation for assembly

Before proceeding with the assembly and installation of the press, you need to stock up on the appropriate tools and materials. There are not so many of them:

In the process of assembling a hydraulic press you will need a welding machine.

• the hydraulic jack itself (its capacity may not exceed 10-20 tons);
• inverter welding machine with a set of electrodes;
• Bulgarian;
• channel (from №8) with a length of up to 4 m;
• profiled thick-walled tube (rectangular);
• corner 50x50 mm;
• steel strip with a thickness of 10 mm;
• pipes of suitable diameter for the jack rod head;
• plate 25x10 cm, thickness 10 mm;
• 2 strong enough spring.

Press assembly process

Scheme of support from channels.

Along with a fairly powerful jack, an important condition for the work of a good press is a quality support. It must withstand the working capacity of the jack, with which the press will press on the object being processed. That is, the more powerful the jack is, the more reliable the support should be. In addition, it will be better if the supporting platform has a safety margin - it can be doubled.

The normal level of reliability can be ensured if 4 rectangular metal channels are used when assembling the base. They are welded to each other sideways. If the welding of seams is not enough quality, the platform may collapse during the work of the press with the object.

Vertical racks, as well as the lower support, are made of profiled pipes. Their height must be equal to the distance, including the maximum output of the rod, the size of the jack and the thickness of the removable stop. The length of the bottom stop should be equal to the length of the support of the whole structure.

For the manufacture of a removable support for the press, you can use steel or metal profiles.

Platform, bottom stop and racks are welded into one frame. It is important to ensure that the design has only right angles, for this are used corners. Additional strength is achieved using plates welded to the platform and racks. Weld plates must be diagonally.

Then a removable stop is placed which will create pressure on the object to be pressed. It can be made of steel strips 15 mm thick and slightly shorter than the distance between the posts. All strips are welded to each other.

Since you can compress a variety of items on the press, the removable support should be removed from the design easily and simply - it is better to make some reserve of free space. This problem can be solved by drilling two through holes in a block of strips. This will also help to fix the emphasis in the process of its sliding on the uprights.

You can make a removable support from a section of the same pipe from which the bed was assembled. Its width should be slightly less than the distance between the racks. Two guide plates are attached to the stop using bolts.

At the final assembly stage, the jack itself is mounted in the press. To do this, move the stop is delayed, and the jack is inserted between the platform and the stop. In the retracted position, the end of the stem must be in the retainer.

The base of the jack is screwed to the rolling stop. You can use welding, but the bolts apply more profitable. Then you can, if necessary, remove the jack and use it for other work.

Fine tuning hydraulic press

The configuration of the rod stroke in a hydraulic press.

Often when working with a hydraulic press, it is necessary to reduce the stroke length of the rod. There are two solutions to the problem. In the first, to reduce the distance between the two stops, the upper and the lower, an additional profile is mounted. Its length should be equal to the distance between the racks, and it is better to fix it on the bolts.

In the second version of the adjustment, an additional movable bottom stop is used. In the frame racks opposite each other holes are made. Stop, length slightly shorter than the distance between the uprights, is bolted.

Another option for adjusting the height of the press - replaceable anvils.

Possible problems

The jack, like any complex mechanism, tends to fail sooner or later. This is usually the flow of oil and the loss of air into the device chamber. If oil flows, oil seals are likely to be damaged. In order to avoid problems, they must be changed within the period specified by the manufacturer of the jack.

It will not be superfluous from time to time to disassemble the jack for a routine inspection.

Hydraulic Press Assembly Diagram

This will allow time to notice signs of corrosion, pollution and deformation of the tool. If the stock is noticeably bent, it must be replaced.

The bypass valve is another jack assembly that is susceptible to deformation and pollution. It also changes or cleans if necessary. During the repair of the jack it is necessary to drain the old oil. New is poured only in the updated mechanism.

Often in the working chamber of the hydraulic jack accumulates a critical number of air bubbles. This greatly reduces the power of the press. To get rid of them, you need to pump the jack pump at an accelerated rate with the oil tank open and the relief valve. After the pumping procedure, the oil tank and valve should be closed as tightly as possible.

Following this simple instruction, it is possible to mount a hydraulic crimper at home in a short time and without assistance. It is worth adding that in the first place such equipment is useful for motorists. For example, the cheapest and most popular way to change silent blocks at many stations consider it to be hammering.

A home hydraulic press in this situation will give double savings: due to its assembly with its own hands and more careful attitude to the car. Naturally, this also applies to many other parts.

In addition, a home-made hydraulic press, if it is made compact enough, can be transported with you or simply stored in the far corner, freeing up the useful space of a workshop or garage.