Hydraulic Press Restoration: Retrofitting a Table Lifting Winch to the Press

Hydraulic Press Restoration: Retrofitting a Table Lifting Winch to the Press
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[@robcameron6995]

Remove the handle and fit a hex to the shaft. Then you can use your drill with a socket to operate the winch. Modify the handle to fit the hex also. Best of both worlds. You certainly have some lovely, generous viewers Keith.

[@crystaldragon141]

I was thinking along these lines as well.

[@oldschool1993]

Yep- that is way too slow- your cordless drill will move it right along.

[@MG-Driver]

You beat me to it :)

[@minigpracing3068]

12 point socket, no mods. needed?

[@honorharrington4546]

I was thinking it would be good to have the handle easily reversible so it could be turned inward and be less likely to get broken.

[@athingortwo1513]

Minor safety concern. Flip the cable clamps. The saddle piece goes on the loaded cable. Remember the mnemonic "Never saddle a dead horse." Which means don't put the saddle on the dead cable. Love your stuff Keith. Keep going man!

[@briancox2721]

Exactly what I was going to comment.

[@stephengile530]

Same here@@briancox2721

[@mechanicalTurk0]

I noticed this immediately watching it too. Can't just flip them. The problem is that the saddle side grips the cable and the u bolt crushes the cable, weakening it, to hold onto it. Fine on the dead end, it's not carrying the load, but now your live end is damaged and weakened. So now the cable must be shortened a little bit to remove the damage too. In this application, how much load will the cable ever see? Hopefully not enough for this to matter. I suspect that the cable sizing is just what was available and not measured in any way. But it's one of those things you want to be in the habit of doing right every time, so the one time when it turns out it does matter you're good to go.

[@mikewitte5162]

I am glad to see you could use that second winch I had. If I had known you were going to show my pictures, I would have made Gus the shop dog sit for the photos. I had to chuckle at your comment that the table moves a little slow because that is exactly what I said the first time I used mine. That's when I added the PVC pipe to increase the diameter of mine. Don't use a drill to run it. The worm gears are not hardened, and will gall pretty quickly. I tried that once.

[@Hoaxer51]

Thanks for your generosity Mike, it was very kind of you to pass on a tool that you weren’t using. All of us viewers get to watch a project proceeding with your help. The whole video gives us different ideas on how to do things like this and how to improve on them as well. There are always comments on different ways to do a build like this, some good, some not as good but all are helpful. Thanks again!👍

[@ellieprice363]

Hopefully the worm gears have some 90W gear oil on them to slow down the wear.

[@jessicamartin9146]

Keith: Machinery Handbook has a section on wire rope, and they say it is very important to put the u bolt against the dead end of the cable, and the clamp against the live end of the cable.

[@alangknowles]

Never saddle a dead horse.

[@Hoaxer51]

I wondered who would be first to bring this up when I saw how Keith clamped it. Lol

[@Sizukun1]

I'm so glad you have 2 shop cats making cameo appearances sometimes. Ginger looks so happy and content!

[@tpobrienjr]

Ginger performs CAT scans as needed.

[@mikewatson4644]

And I think he has a dog that does Lab work sometimes

[@thirzapeevey2395]

You don't need to work, Hoomin. Pet me. Pet me. Pet me... You and this community you built are going to change the world, my friend. I suspect you are interesting a new generation in machine work, and in just plain fixing things and making them work again.

[@Retrogradeinversion]

I never heard “never saddle a dead horse” before. Good information, thanks to other comment posters! 👍

[@jacktar6877]

The saddle on the cable clamp should be on the load side of the cable and it looked like you had it in reverse. Very good videos by the way.

[@jrmintz1]

Remarkable how generous the machinist community is with time and parts.

[@907jl]

Great looking press Keith, nice job! Just one bit of advice when using Crosby clips on wire rope. Remember the old saying "never saddle a dead horse". The "saddle" of the clip, should be on the load bearing side of the cable, and the U-bolt should be over the "dead" or tag end of the cable. Granted this project isn't the Space Shuttle, but proper practice is proper practice.

[@willybeeish]

I like Mike White from Missouri. He is a pug person. Anyone who photographs his shop with a pug in the picture is a friend of mine. By the way pugs don't have owners; they have staff. Keep it going Keith.

[@ericmcrory4668]

This type of content is so nice as a contrast to the endless videos about political corruption and conspiracy!

[@paulkinzer7661]

I think most people are really generous and kind. Most of us are very happy to give to others when we have something we know someone else might need, especially if it's something that we're not even using. The issue is usually with connecting to those we can help. The internet, I think, has been a great enabler for that. Whether it's Craigslist's free page, specialty forums, or KZbinrs sharing their skills and interests, there's a big old world out there to share with. Even when I cannot help someone myself because I don't have what they need, it makes me feel good when I see others doing it. I taught the kids I worked with for over thirty years that one of the best ways to make yourself happy is to try to make other people happy. And seeing people do good for others is a secondary way to spread good-feeling. This video had lots of that. Thanks, Keith! You share what you have with all of us whenever you male and post another video.

[@k2smd]

Not that it matters on this light application... The cable clamps are on backwards. The mnemonic for u-clamps is "Never saddle a dead horse" The saddle is the cast part and it always goes on the "live" part of the cable as the u-bolt piece crushes the "dead" end to hold it in place. Crushing the live end is not a good idea (if youre lifting heavy loads). Thanks for the great videos!

[@alandaters8547]

Kudos on another great shop enhancement. Back at the start of this project you removed 2 angle iron cross pieces and upgraded with square tubing. A simple, heavy duty wooden tray sitting on the cross pieces would protect them from damage as well as protecting the floor from really heavy pieces. Add a lip around the edge and the tray would also make it easier to retrieve small pieces.

[@mkegadgets4380]

You put your cable clamps on backwards. Look up never saddle a dead horse. Nice looking project. Looking forward to next video.❤

[@paulblankinship9964]

I was going to add the same thing you always put the saddle part of the cable clamp on the tension side so you don't cramp the individual strands of wire

[@weldingman57]

Rigger/ironworker here. I now have a brain aneurism from screaming at the video. “ DONT saddle a dead horse”.

[@richardsurber8226]

That's amazing to have a "guy" that has an old piece and you give a new job to extend it's useful life. This channel is so useful, Thanks Keith

[@edsmachine93]

Great idea. Nice of your friend to donate the winch . Smooth operation for sure. Have a great day and a good Labor day weekend. 👍

[@TomLow-gf8pb]

Hello Mr. Rucker, I really enjoy your videos! FYI- you installed the cable clamps on backwards. The round part of the clamp goes on the piece of cable that does not carry the load. Sincerely, Tom

[@robertlevine2152]

Keith, Nice job! You might consider fitting a plate on the drum to separate the two wires. If by chance the wires. cross it can jam bury one of the wires. If you decide to add a positioning device to move your cylinder left and right, look no further than your lathe or mill. A lead screw, nut, and. a DC servomotor could be the answer to moving the hydraulic cylinder assembly. Bob

[@UKDrew]

Awesome as Always . You put the Cable Clamps on Backwards hehehe

[@ramosel]

Keith, you are doing great with the weight loss. I hope it is all intentional.

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Very nice winch solution Keith, I like it.

[@aldenfish6073]

Great video Keith! As far as the cable, (wire rope) goes, I tig weld the ends to prevent them from fraying out. It just melts the strands together.

[@peterhobson3262]

That's the same idea that sailors use when whipping the end of a fiber or nylon rope.

[@markosborne2650]

I watched this entire restoration. Very impressive. The only thing I would have done different would have been , put an electric winch, but that's just me I guess. Again Great Job.

[@Joel-st5uw]

Really nifty winch for the job! I hope nobody forgets to slack the cables! Perhaps a good "insurance policy" would be a spring loaded momentary switch with a roller arm along one cable run: if the cable is taught, it holds the switch and locks out the power pack. Slack the cable to release the switch. Would be another cool retrofit!

[@patrickcolahan7499]

Nice unit. Very lucky to have so many people to support your projects. One accessory that would be great for this press is a press brake for forming metal. Thanks for sharing.

[@thanebaxter]

Looks like it turned out extremely well. Thank you for sharing your process. I was a little confused with how the hydraulics were going to work out. Seems I just didn't know how your power pack worked. Glad I was able to see it in action, answered all my questions.

[@plainnpretty]

Now you have a nice working press good job

[@scottpecora371]

Keith: i was on the Redline web sight looking at presses and they offer for $149.00, or you could likely build your own version of a protective screen that slides down out of the way when not in use or needed. But i could see the virtues of having a screen when making high-pressure presses. They also have an assortment of press options that you could likely make, but it would provide you with some interesting ideas. Lookin' great! You know shops need a good shop cat, or shop dog.

[@oleran4569]

Good job! That's the press you've needed for years.

[@timmienorrie]

Been fun following along. Those 1 inch high tensile plates are a godsend and the winch is superb. Kudos to the gentlemen involved.👌👌👌👌👌

[@yvesdesrosiers2396]

Good job Keith! A suggestion for the press plates. I put some pins on the under side of the plates to stop them from sliding forward and backwards. That is a precaution to save my toes. Tat way they only slide sideways.

[@scottvolage1752]

Best helper in the shop Ginger.

[@kevinreardon2558]

Central repositories like this are great!

[@stephenadams3603]

And like most people , you put the cable clamps on the wrong way round. Never put a saddle on a dead horse. The saddle always goes on to the the cable as it comes off the winch. That was how I was instructed decades ago when I erected tower cranes.

[@clydedecker765]

On other drill presses I've seen they have a lot more holes for the bed so that they can select the bed height closest to the stock/press head. You might want to drill a few more holes the adjust the table height to a suitable range for any action you want to make.

[@z06doc86]

I really like the color of the press. Many machines would look good that shade. 👍👍

[@JoseDelgado-ho1cf]

Great Video, Keith 🙂 Can't wait for the video on those last details. Satisfying project so far! Maybe a couple pieces of angle iron on the backside of the 1 in. plates to keep them tracking inside the press?

[@badcat4707]

All the good quality Workshops and Boatyards have an Inspector Cat 😸😺and yours is adorable 😻😸😺

[@tiredoldmechanic1791]

Harbor Freight sells a worm drive winch that I've used for several different builds.

[@cropsey7]

Keith you’re blessed that press is so wonderfully restored

[@nathanwright8598]

Your welds look a lot better than some of the other ones on the press.

[@TexDrinkwater]

Other than what you've mentioned, I'd probably want to make a sheet metal cover, insulated with foam, to knock down the noise of the pump. Overall, though, that press turned out way better than I expected when you first started the project. Nice work!

[@Bottleworksnet]

Foam doesn't sound insulate well. Virtually zero. But there are good sound insulators available. And it's needed on that pump!

[@Hoaxer51]

It’s still not as loud as Fenner’s hydraulic pump on his press. Lol

[@joewhitney4097]

Great rebuild of the press Keith. Great addition to the shop. You will enjoy having it and probably find many uses for it now that you have it. Thanks for sharing.

[@alasdairhamilton1574]

Keith. Please rotate the cable saddle 180deg, the saddle should be on the side. The old saying “ you don’t put a saddle on a dead horse “. Stay safe and well 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@inspector1794]

Nice addition to the shop. I'm sure it will be quite useful. I don't know if the wire rope will tangle in the winch but, a couple of eye bolts in the strap guide holes could help. Thanks for sharing.

[@PhilG999]

@15:38 I used coated wire rope/cable and thimble clamps about that size to anchor my car shelter in the back yard years ago. Four ground augers holding it down. That thing has been through winds that I thought were going to blow the house away!

[@douglasbasinger2513]

I enjoyed the winch, hadn't seen one like that, thanks.

[@combatmedic1980]

A simple way to increase the drum size would be to put some of the web strapping back on the drum and then drill a hole though the strapping and pull your cable through, no need to fasten the strapping down the cables would do that.

[@beelerfamilyfarm]

Fine addition to the shop.

[@jacquespoirier9071]

I done many press table lift using boat trailer winches, I've modified them by inserting a piece of 2 1/2" tubing in the drum to have a bigger starting point. I.m a bit surprized that a press of that quality does not have a table lift at the origin. very good add on to that press very good video

[@KG-yn9qi]

Hey Keith good job! But the clamps the body or saddle goes on the live end , then u-bolt pulls the tag end into the clamp. For the weight you are lifting is okay you put them on backwards! Remember saying You saddle your horse! AKA the live side of the cable !

[@brycejeannotte7699]

That looks like a great winch. It looks like you put the cable clamp on backwards. The saddle goes on the live wire, not the dead one.

[@chrishill5166]

Great video Kieth. Best wishes from the UK.

[@TomTalley]

. I saw some guys use something like that with an angle section across the bottom and one in the press shaft to act as a bender or brake. Might be handy...thanks for the video, as always, a joy to watch.

[@thisolesignguy2733]

nicely done! man that crank is smooooth. That turned out really great. You could just make a bit for the drill that looks like a tuning fork and use that to crank it. That way you don't have to modify it at all and you can use it for other things like the handles on other machines 😁 a multi-use tool

[@davidgagnon2849]

The community that you've built here is incredible, Keith. I'm amazed at what you're able to do because of your viewers and/or people that they know.

[@bobbycresap4440]

Looks like it all ship shape. Another great video.

[@mikebuford5229]

Ya never saddle a dead horse Keith.

[@CraigLYoung]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@bobhudson6659]

I built a 12 tonne press from scratch about 15 years ago - works really well. Had a friend oxy cut some press plates. Suggestion. Instead of semi circle cutouts in the plates, get different depth right angle V cut outs on plates. I have always found there is more than enough surface area when pushing out circular shoulders etc. The V's are also much more flexible coping with different dia shafts/shoulders. Another thing I did was get different thicknesses pairs of raw spring steel. It is the raw material that leaf springs are made of before they are bent into an arc. The raw spring steel is approx 3 times more stiff than mild steel. Also the varying thicknesses of the pairs (length to match the outside width of the press) also means different widths of each plate. I have about 4 sets down to approx 1/4" (6mm) thickness (and about 2" - 50mm wide) up to 5/8" (16mm) thick and then with increased thickness, the material comes much wider. Even better, if you can get the spring manufacturer to throw these offcuts in the furnace when they do heat treatment for standard springs, then the material will be even tougher. However, the spring manufacture over here in Aussie land wouldn't do that. Even so they have served me very well over many years. You can use them very creatively, as recently as yesterday when pressing out front wheel drive bearings on a 1995 Toyota Echo (don't know what it is called in USA). Retired mechanic/machinist in Land Down Under.

[@donsmith3167]

Great Job Keith, Nice Looking Press..

[@tomnorman5461]

Mellow shop cat, mine would have bolted (pardon the pun) as soon as I pulled the trigger on the impact drill. Press is looking awesome Keith, nice mod.

[@mjwint]

A bit disappointed, the To-Do List needs to include adding a "Vintage Machinery" sticker to the movable Bridge. Nice video series, nicely explained.

[@stancloyd]

The gear contact angles inside are such that no clutches, brakes, or palls are needed. It is called a non-overhauling gear set. It's designed to be a motion/power diode (one direction only) from input worm to output sector gear.

[@martineastburn3679]

You also have a massive foundry plate with all sorts of shapes and sizes cut out - Can be used for special items.

[@mattomon1045]

Hi Ginger !

[@johnyoungquist6540]

I have setup two different presses. The first one used a double cable both going up and over to lift the table. You get tangles and trouble this way, The second time I tried the other way which was much better. With only one cable on the winch it goes up to the top around a pulley and back down to lift the table from one side. This would never work as is. So another cable connects to the table where the first cable connected and goes down to the bottom across the the machine to the other side and then up to the top where it turns around a pulley ang goes down to lift the other side. I found this to be better than trying to drive 2 cables on one drum that tends to jam and tangle. Nice press nice job.

[@csnelling4]

Very nice job Keith 👍🍺😊

[@ericberseth5646]

I enjoyed Ginger making an appearance.

[@Bluswede]

That's one calm shop cat! One hit with that little dak-dak and both my girls would've torn the place apart getting off the bench! THEN I saw greasy green footy prints all over, but nope! The cat was drugged for his appearance, wasn't he?! LOL!

[@southernrrman]

Finally the kitty gets some skritches!

[@kevinsaunby982]

Thinking about those cross plates - weld some strips underneath parallel with the support beams and the plates will not move front to back but be free to slide sideways.

[@donmedford2563]

Great looking press.

[@assessor1276]

Very nice work Keith!

[@belatoth3763]

Nice feature that it keeps itself in position, but you should not forget to insert the crossbars before it goes under pressure.

[@mattomon1045]

Mr Rucker grate lift

[@davidgagnon2849]

I've replaced those straps countless times on our hot hoists that we used when I was a lineman. I've never seen that particular model though; our had releases as they were ratchet hoists.

[@walterplummer3808]

Turned out great . Thanks for the videos.

[@josephkrug8579]

That press turned out great. :)

[@theharbinger2573]

You also need some much stronger V blocks. The new press looks good.

[@dolvaran]

General principle - never make the fastening on a cable or rope take the direct strain. Always wrap a turn around the bar first, then lock it with the fastening (or knot).

[@dynamiteralph]

Wire rope clamps are backwards. "Never saddle a dead horse". Saddle should be on the live end, not the dead end.

[@sparkybell11]

Excellent job done

[@Mudgrove]

Hi from Australia, I agree, make a set of different slugs/dies. Press plates might be better off doubled when you cut a profile for pressing, 2 inch thick is better than 1.... at 60 ton. You can keep all the different the press plates on the bottom rails, as I'm sure you will have others to add. Consider a motor to power up/down to save you shoulder. That's a high ratio. Enjoying what you do, Keith.

[@pault4513]

Our 100 ton nugger uses 1 cable secured to the bed on one side and pully on other it reduces the amount of cable build up on the winch drum Also need a big chunk of wood under the bed on the bottom of the press to catch pieces that drop down

[@MrKotBonifacy]

Keith, actually, to speed up the hoisting and lowering you could use any of your cordless drills - with an appropiate adapter of sort.

[@shortribslongbow5312]

Very nice press congrats.

[@nickharrington6326]

awesome projects as usual Keith!

[@propulsar]

Good project.

[@johnlee8231]

Nice solution

[@yosmith1]

Whenever I think I have too many projects, I just have to watch Keith :)

[@jamesdstallard8743]

For the love of all that's right with the world; please, pet that kitty!

[@tacticalrabbit308]

You could use an impact drill to raise and lower it too.

[@n1ztb]

It's funny because i just did this to my press last week! 😅

[@glenc90240]

For your press heads, what about an internal o-ring vs a setscrew?

[@migueltorres6073]

Looking great

[@hassmakki]

Awesome work 👍🤩

[@timf6916]

Great job