Making A fly Press | Part 3 - Ram block, Gibs and Leadscrew

G'day everyone,
This is part 3 in the making a fly press for the workshop series. In the previous video I made the base and welded up the frame. I also tapped the large 40mm square thread for the leadscrew.
In this video I hope to get most of the other parts made. This includes the ram block which the leadscrew drives to apply force to parts. I will also make the guide block and gib strips which will keep the ram block in place. I will also use the helical milling set up to mill the leadscrew.
I will also be heat treating the leadscrew to add some strength to the screw, reduce galling between the thread and the nut and add some wear resistance. I did have to delay the heat treating by a few weeks due to a total fire ban, but I was able to do it once the heat and wind dropped.
I hope you enjoy the video.
#machining #diy #flypress
Making A fly Press
Timestamps
0:00 - Machining The Ram Block
3:25 - Machining A Split Retaining Ring
5:55 - Machining The Leadscrew (Helical Milling)
12:14 - Making The Ram Block Guides and Gibs
17:13 - Oiling Groove?
18:00 - Assembly
19:11 - Case Hardening The Leadscrew

[@artisanmakes]

Part One - kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2OygZqXmL1-qs0 Part Two - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJ7OoJajjcqcb7c

[@declanallen5833]

Absolute legend this man here

[@LittleAussieRockets]

I didn't know you were a New South Welshman. Ford ever reason? I thought you were in Victoria.

[@ladderkicker]

Your chuck can hold up larger square stock easy.remove the chuck jaws and put then in backwards, thats why they are step downs to hold flat against the jaws as its clamped they use dead blow hammer to make sure its seated well

[@Xtian982]

I enjoy these videos far, far more than watching someone in a million dollar workshop with seemingly unlimited access to material. It’s more satisfying watching the mix of raw talent, determination and making do. Keep it up man

[@alan-sk7ky]

17:52 Artisan put some string wicks in the oil grooves to hold the oil 🙂

[@spdy3926]

This is a great idea !

[@bluebanana6753]

A tip to packing the charcoal. Weld a nut on the tube. Then use a drill with a low torque setting. It will shake it really good.

[@JJayzX]

I was just thinking about that when he was packing it, I was like hey he has an impact driver, should be good vibrator.

[@davidl6566]

That's a really clever way to use ugga duggas!

[@mortcs]

If you have a Sawzall you can remove the blade, push the cutting guide against the object to be vibrated and pull the trigger.

[@GarethKing1]

Air hammer on low psi

[@philmenzies2477]

@@mortcs or a jigsaw

[@edwalshe2688]

Hi from Ireland. Although I will never have the knowledge, equipment or materials you have, I really look forward to your videos. Your attention to detail, craftsmanship, and mellifluous narration results in a deliciously viewing experience. Often times I don’t know exactly what you are making, and why, but the result is always soo satisfying! Thanks for your videos.

[@JimPudar]

Lead screw turned out great! Very impressive part to make in such a small shop.

[@haydenc2742]

awesome! A sawsall or jigsaw pressed up against something and run makes a great "vibratory settler" for the charcoal to ensure it's packed in well enough Can you use a little bit of HDPE sheet for shim/lubrication if/when the guide block starts wearing Keep em coming!!!

[@zactron1997]

Bush fire is no joke, good call just waiting for the end of the total fire ban. Anyway, love this series! I really like seeing all the parts come together for a larger project like this.

[@lawmate]

Awesome work! When you do the hand turned helical milling, try using an end mill suitable for high feed milling. Either one designed specifically for high feed, sometimes they're called torus cutters, or just an end mill with a large corner radius. When you cut with the high feed technique, all the forces go up into the spindle, rather than sideways, so you're much less likely to break the end mill from turning a bit too fast. It's a good technique for slotting like this. You can then do a finish pass with a square end mill

[@meymoto4810]

I love the Pho spoon for packing charcoal lol.

[@MattysWorkshop]

Fantastic job, definitely an industrial fly press, cya next week mate, cheers

[@russtuff]

You're making excellent progress, I'm excited to see it in use.

[@howder1951]

Awesome work, and amazing for the size of equipment you are using. You are a great tribute to DIY'ers everywhere, cheers!

[@raulkaap]

Actually, during quenching in a plastic container, you are supposed to melt a hole in the bottom with your hot part.

[@julias-shed]

Great progress 😀

[@rjung_ch]

Like this project of yours. 👍💪✌

[@vanhasteloy]

Project coming together nicely, good job. I think you made a little mistake with the oil grooves. They should be in the sides on the fix piece and not on the movable piece like you did. Because when you now move the ram down the oil grooves get exposed and all oil will just flow out which makes them pretty much useless.

[@davidbillington9654]

My Sweeney and Blocksidge flypress has lube grooves in the ram from the factory, IIRC many makes are that way.

[@davidbillington9654]

A bit of further information on my Sweeney & Blocksidge flypress, the lube grooves in the ram run from the top of the ram, open at the top, and run 60% of the way down the ram. When the ram is fully down ie the stop collar against the fly arm the grooves are only exposed by 8mm, that's not a position I've ever used it in so in normal operation the bottom of the grooves would never be exposed and oil lube retained.

[@argee55]

Looking forward to the finished product.

[@MakeMasterProduction]

Great work! For the burs left from the helical milling process after your last pass to depth you could try putting in a countersink bit and setting the depth just so it touches and chamfers the peaks of the thread and then run it though one last time. Keep up the great work!

[@wmweekendwarrior1166]

Good stuff

[@alevans51]

I always wanted to see a lead screw cut. Impressive!

[@NineWorldsWorkshop]

Fascinating watching your design process! My little number 3 flyress has a split nut rather than a split ring so it screws into the ram block rather than being bolted. Same effect but way more difficult to fix if something gets damaged. Luckily I realized that I was missing a pressure disc bearing that goes between the arbor and the ram block, otherwise there would have been a bit of empty space between the two so the split nut would have taken the full transmission load instead of zero. Thanks for sharing all this process, it's a delight to watch!

[@baini92]

At 3:50 thanks for using pliers to remove the chipagetti, I've hurt myself a few times on those by forgetting to do it.

[@artisanmakes]

Same here. More times than i care to admit

[@alyl603]

Nice

[@Vikingwerk]

Impressive work

[@boringbrodi1772]

You are Cooking out videos Keep it Up Thanks for the entertainment

[@deanohit]

Love seeing the shop made cutters doing a great job 👍

[@212caboose]

Absolutely fantastic work, as always!

[@TheDistur]

Fun to see the progress

[@harkbelial]

Great job.

[@msmith2961]

Someone buy that man a 4-jaw chuck 😆

[@GOGIISLEET]

i have no clue what you are making but the videos have been good and great to watch.

[@canadianrabbit4838]

Reverse engineering is the best engineering.

[@scaler1179]

Very ambitious project. Looks real good. Kudos.

[@yogeshpatre]

You are great passion for your work Keep it up 👌👍

[@lumotroph]

Amazing!

[@allthegearnoidea6752]

I have really been enjoying this project. Your Tig needs practising but your still better than me. Thanks

[@SELG88]

why do i enjoy watching that stream coolant flow? so awesome

[@SethKotta]

Looking forward to your 4 jaw chuck build

[@grahamwilson8843]

Great video, man. Stay safe!

[@gingerninjaneering]

Awesome build, mate. I like your work

[@BIGWIGGLE223]

Shit yeah!!! This is a great build series!! Loving the content! Keep it coming!

[@jonasschindzielorz]

wohoo new video

[@joelD2460]

Keep up the work cuh

[@wildgophers91]

were you not worried about the leadscrew bending / distorting during heat treat?

[@artisanmakes]

Not really. Its quite a low tolerance build (something like this does not need to be high tolerance) so it can handle a bit of change and still work. Unless it comes out like a banana it'll be fine. The salt water should have helped get rid of any steam jackets that were a big cause of my parts warping in the past.

[@tlange5091]

Interesting point about saltwater! I had the same question about potential warping the screw.

[@WireWeHere]

For milling the lead screw another method to consider is to tilt the spindle to the pitch angle and use and end mill parallel to a vertical tangent so the majority of the cutting force is upwards into the spindle. The radiused corners from this method does look good too. Your welded example looks better than cast with a 3 to 0 from my sons.

[@TikiFuelGaming]

Liked the superglue trick never tried it on a lathe but used it many times on thin parts in the mill

[@artisanmakes]

I've used it a few times on the mill too. Arguably I have had better results with it on the lathe than the mill

[@SupremeDoge35]

If you have a saw zaw you can take off the blade and let it vibrate against the packing tube it works great with canister damascus so I bet it would work for this.

[@ComradeJehannum]

Yeah I've friends who are effected by the ongoing bushfires here in Queensland. Stay safe and follow the fire rules.

[@tas32engineering]

Make a 4 jaw purchase in future. Don't use 3 Jaws on on raw metal. Great thread cutting. Thought that would be more suitable to lathe. But having a mill gives versatility. Nice solid build.

[@katzikon7734]

I have a couple of tipps for you. First, if you weld TIG, you can move slower and can do a few passes without any filler. The weld will look a lot better. If you mill, please roughmill only the diameter of the endmill in depth. It will last much longer...

[@KBLIZZ333]

#skills

[@OmnieStar]

This one has been a good project for sure! Sad everything is to small tho xD

[@unusualfabrication9937]

Nice, first?

[@JanBinnendijk]

Did you just use an Airbrush for MistCooling?.. Cool Idea!

[@davidbillington9654]

I popped in the see a machinist I knew years ago and he was milling a thread and told me he started with a HSS end mill and was getting the feathery edges as you are, he switched to a new carbide end mill and the problem went away. BTW he wasn't doing it on a mill rather his large lathe where he had swapped the compound for a Bridgeport M milling head and set the lathe to about 1TPI IIRC for the job which was to be a hydraulic oil cooler, it was heavy drawn tube and the oil ran down the thread and coolant down the centre IIRC.

[@TgWags69]

you could have put a soup can on top of the furnace to extend it up a bit and hold the heat in enough for it to heat evenly.

[@artisanmakes]

it was just more straightforward to flip it and get both ends up to high temperature for the best case hardening layer. Id probably want to build up some insulation around it if I were to extend the top upwards.

[@quadpop4643]

Brother if you would just slow down on your welding it would come out better. Use a technique like this do a slow 1. 2 count and Jack the puddle out and back.

[@artisanmakes]

I can fix that in editing by slowing down the footage :)

[@quadpop4643]

@@artisanmakes lol I meant no disrespect welding is one of the few things I'm good at I try to help anyone I can. Actually a better method on the real thick stuff like the fly press when you strike your arc let the puddle build up for a count of 2 and then use a zig zag pattern no more than 3mm out and back and 3mm forward each leg. I love your channel I'm a long time subscriber I have a lathe and a mill and keep up with your projects

[@artisanmakes]

None at all. I know quite well that welding has and still is probably my weakest area.@@quadpop4643

[@quadpop4643]

@@artisanmakes You could also stick weld the big stuff mig isn't meant for anything over 5mm actually unless you use flux core wire which is like a really long rod lol.

[@SergeiPetrov]

Maybe use a homemade roller screw with a long nut?

[@BTSensei]

⭐🙂👍

[@TechGorilla1987]

Do you speak as you're doing the machining with a lavaliere mic or do you do voice-overs for the whole video? The voice quality is superb.

[@artisanmakes]

All the voice over is done at a later date. Too much echo in the workshop

[@debeeriz]

it maybe a silly question but can you cut threads on a milling machine with a boring bar, or is there no way to syncronize the feed and speed

[@Codeaholic1]

Can't you back the jaws on your lathe chuck all the way out, turn them around, and put them in backwards to hold larger parts?

[@artisanmakes]

Large round parts yes

[@TalRohan]

very cool...or rather hot, the build is going well Its surprising just how hot Charcoal can burn once oxygen gets to it. I imagine there was a pin hole in the bottom weld and with the top being open to outside the furnace it started to suck oxygen in, its good job you didnt leave it much longer or you could have lost the whole bottom end of your screw. I have burnt more in a charcoal forge than I ever have in a coal forge Do you have a way of seeing how much force the press will give you when its finished? Thanks for sharing,

[@artisanmakes]

Bugger that could have been it. Didn't think there was a hole when I checked with water, although it could have cracked once it got up to temp. I am looking around for a hydraulic ram that I can stick a pressure gauge to measure the force but I haven't gotten around to that yet.

[@geoffs7232]

Love the work, Do you have a patreon or other way to donate?

[@wiju]

I always thought a flypress works by having the weight on the handle, on the "low gear" side? From a physics point that would make a lot of sense, as energy is increasing with the velocity squared... So a quarter of the weight of that block with double the speed would make the same force... I know there is loss in the thread, but again, v squared.... Grats Julian

[@FamTech.]

Hey man love the series! I have been waching 2 years now. But what size are those cuting incerts you use un the lathe? Ate the dcmt11 or dcmt7 ? Or something else? And how long and wide is youre mill table?

[@artisanmakes]

DCMT 070204 are my go to. Inexpensive and they are very versatile. My mill table is 700mm long with just under 500mm of travel

[@ThanasisThomas]

Hey friend can you make a video how to sharpem drill bits?? for begginer machinists at home

[@cocon16_PW]

You missed the oportunity to test the lead screw as extrusion screw while packing the charcoal 😅

[@TechGorilla1987]

Is the semi-rough cut from the boring bar in the mill because of hand feeding the cut? Those seem to be more rough that all of your other machine work.

[@artisanmakes]

just trying out different inserts brands at the moment

[@Lucas_sGarage]

hey artisan I have a question i got a Logan 820 last semester and I'm in need of a qctp, and I saw those cheap aluminum ones, I'm thinking about getting one in the meantime while I get a better one, do you think that is worth the money )30 USD) or i should just order the correct one?

[@artisanmakes]

I used to own one. Even in my small 7x14 lathe it struggled once I started to machine steel. For a Logan machine I probably wouldn't recommend one unless you were in a hurry to get a qctp and has no other option

[@JoshuaDavidson]

Question: after you finish flood cooling, do you manually dry everything to avoid rust, or does the additive address that?

[@artisanmakes]

The coolant has additives to prevent rusting but as a precaution I dry up any large pools of coolant, and I usually give it a spray of WD40 or the like. I know people who run CNC machines with flood coolant and they never do this and they dont get rust

[@JoshuaDavidson]

@@artisanmakes Thank you. Late night hey :)

[@ironhead65]

Just before1:38 Was that actually a stubby bit? Or was that one of the ones you made by cutting it off and re-grinding it?

[@artisanmakes]

They're the same stub drills I ground back in that old video

[@christopher.m.estelow]

What size 4-jaw chuck would you need?

[@harkbelial]

Expensive one.

[@DaleDix]

​@harkbelial especially in Australia.

[@artisanmakes]

130mm is what im looking to get.

[@christopherdriscoll7282]

careful on agitating in quench, you don't want to distort the part.

[@artisanmakes]

I keep it moving to prevent a steam jacket from building up against the part as it cools. Steam jacket will very easily cause warping. Cheers

[@user-qo3dc5ww6h]

Very good M8, I am always excited when you make threads on a dividing head attachment and gears. Soo Good. Can I get you email somehow?I got myself a mill, so I would like to ask you a few questions about milling and stuff

[@raulkaap]

Does a case hardened part need to be tempered?

[@artisanmakes]

Depends on the application. Some times you can leave a case hardened layer as is, but I always do a low temp cycle in the oven at 130c to help relieve any stresses without changing the hardness

[@Austinificationify]

Was that the homemade fly cutter?

[@artisanmakes]

All of the fly cutters I used are shop made

[@prodigalson2670]

why do you put ground clamp on your vise like that, you will damage the bearings

[@artisanmakes]

No bearings in this vise. This vise is very awkward to get a ground clamp properly secured onto.

[@prodigalson2670]

@@artisanmakes put thrust bearings, it has drastic effect

[@askquestionstrythings]

Why not grind a HSS tool for the square profile and cut on your lathe?

[@artisanmakes]

You can't cut an 8mm pitch screw on this lathe

[@askquestionstrythings]

@@artisanmakesI see so with the stock gear options you only have threading options from 0.25－2.5㎜. I have the same issue with my lathe, I'm limited to a 4TPI with the stock gears. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what gears I'll need to cut a 2TPI thread. it's possible to cut different threads if you have the right gears assuming the gears you need can physically fit on the lathe.

[@artisanmakes]

Yes tahat is correct. Buy several of the studs that the gears run on that connect the motor gearbox to the threading gear box are fixed in place.so i would have to remake the entire rear gear assembly to change the standard gear ratios

[@askquestionstrythings]

@@artisanmakes My Lathe is the same way with most of the gears being on fixed studs. but there are 3 gears which can be changed to alter the gear ratios to get more threading options. If I want to cut metric threads I have to change these gears from the 40Tx127Tx40T to a configuration where the three gears make a 40Tx120Tx127Tx40T or a 30Tx120Tx127Tx40T configuration (120T and 127T are both on one gear) Diametrical & Modular Thread Pitch (Inches) can be done with a 60Tx120Tx157Tx50T or 55Tx120Tx127Tx35T. unfortunately, the manual doesn't cover all the options so I'm still trying to figure out the gears needed for a 2TPI... but I've been warned that forces on the gears increase on course threads and can risk breaking the gears so That's given me some new pause in trying to figure this out.

[@JoshuaNorton]

How come you never bothered to either invest in a metal bandsaw or tried to make an automatic hacksaw as one of your first projects? I am currently watching Part 1 to this and seen you in many previous videos that you manually hacksaw a lot. When I started out metalworking all the cutting to size I had to do made me so fed up with manually sawing everything for hours that the very first big project I did was automate my hacksaw by making a stand with a motorized excentric, a rod I bolted to my hacksaw and then put some weights on it to increase the bite. Worked like a charm 👌. Tho, I admit I eventually bought a metal bandsaw half a decade later.

[@johncoops6897]

Every channel has their "thing". A sneaky way to get viewer comments. The use of a hacksaw guarantees him heaps and heaps of "engagement" from viewers.

[@tr48092]

A press sure would have been effective to press out that arbor 😂

[@mechfan01]

Heh, you should rename this project "The Unconventional Fly Press"

[@MegaDirtyberty]

Strangth?...

[@stevecallachor1]

This steel would cost $300 where I live Stavros

[@artisanmakes]

That's about how much I paid for it. Small sections of thick steel plate and bar are expensive

[@teoteuteburg9369]

lets be german ERSTER

[@agnoeitai]

where does this accent come from?

[@cncshorts1075]

Australia

[@arminrichard1836]

I think you should really build yourself a bandsaw to finally end you hacksaw days. It pains me to watch you take forever to hacksaw yourself though thick plate and round stock. Also would love to see how you would design a bandsaw.

[@ryana2652]

Nice work, painful to watch lol. Your female thread should have been bronze. It would have tapped nicer and would wear your screw out less over time.

[@artisanmakes]

screws hardened so the wear will be minimal.

[@ryana2652]

@artisanmakes the wear will be minimal to the easiest part to make. Start thinking about having to tap another steel part when it wears out. I'd rather tap another bronze part. Yes, I understand that this is only for a hobbyist. Still, it's a cool build. I've enjoyed the series. Hurry up and make a power hacksaw 🤣

[@artisanmakes]

Lets be real though, this press will never get enough use to even worry about wear on the parts. That blue vise I use is probably 30 - 35 years old and the wear in the screw is only moderate. And I use that every day. Cheers

[@ryana2652]

@artisanmakes Ok. Your 30YO blue vice will be made of: 1. A steel shaft 2. A cast iron/steel body 3. If it's a cast steel body, a bronze nut will be part of the assembly. Im not shitting on your design at all. It's pretty cool, and I have absolutely no way of making this in my shed a better way. I still look forward to seeing the rest of the build.

[@artisanmakes]

Yeah. Cast steel frame. ACME thread and steel acme nut. It's vintage but it's cheap vintage. Cheers

[@DylanEdmiston]

quit a thing youre making