Help Much Appreciated!
 

Hello everybody!
My name is Nate, and I am a high school engineering student from Illinois. I have a passion for engineering (especially in the automotive field) and have a school project that I am working on. My team and I are exploring more affordable press technology in order to develop and alternative for hydraulic presses that the home mechanic can use. If you wouldn't mind taking my survey, it would help us greatly!

Sorry if this is the incorrect place to post this. My topic doesn't seem to have a fitting category.

Thanks,
Nate

Here is the Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...rm?usp=sf_link

Survey completed.

You may want to reword your original post as it is deceiving based upon your survey questions. You really are not looking for an "alternative" to a hydraulic press but reduced cost hydraulic press
There have ben mechanical presses for several hundred years.
https://3.imimg.com/data3/BK/SS/MY-1...ne-250x250.jpg

I could run down to the local auto parts store and pick one up for about $100 today. They haven't even changed much.

https://images11.palcdn.com/hlr-syst...04/8604654.jpg

Hello Nate and welcome to our forum.

I think @Tcoat pretty well summed it up.

A simple mechanical press would pretty much by fine for your average shade tree mechanic.

It's smart of you to do a market survey before developing something very few people would have a use for.

Good luck with your studies ....... :thumbsup:


humfrz

Sadly, my problem is less with COST, and a lot more to do with SPACE.

Survey completed anyway.

Get some 3/4 or inch steel plate

Get threaded rod in whatever diameter you choose (check the load capacity of different sizes to get your rough capacity)

Drill holes in plate near the corners

Tap-tap-tap-a-roo

Use high load nuts to draw the plates together to press things. Press capacity may be less than threaded rod capacity due to having to use the nuts to draw the plates together. Should still give you a few tons depending on your configuration.
Use large washers, maybe an oil-lite bushing sandwiched between them to prevent ****ering of the surface where the nuts rotate against the plate

Price of threaded rod/steel plate/drill/tap (and an extra when you break the first one off flush)

::edit

Oh hell, just watch this guy

https://youtu.be/d_LSPX8cNaE

If you are into engineering/machining/metal work subscribe to this guy, he is a bit rough around the edges and the canukistan language can be strange

Also you need to define "more affordable" since a decent looking 12 ton press can be bought for $84 on Ebay this very minute.

http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...zeU-W4d_Ww.jpg

I am not criticizing here and it is a cool engineering project I am just suggesting some points you could clarify to assist in your research. It is very important to have clear goals and mission statements for this sort of thing.

Almost a word for word description of my home made press back in 73. Right down to the broken rod (I broke two though).

OH, and don't leave it out in the weather over a winter. They become a nice solid door stop by spring if you do.

Those arbor type presses are handy and easily found, for a few hundred (or less) you can also get a 12 ton hydraulic press that works fine for removing wheel bearings from hubs from your local horrible freight