Upgrades for an arbor press (right out of the box)

I am not a huge fan of using a hammer to punch holes or set eyelets and fasteners. I saw the use of an arbor press in various other videos, so I made me a press station with some bolts and a cutting board.
The snap fastener receiver is friction fit.

[@infamius100]

*Works perfectly for my use as a heated press **MyBest.Tools** Space between the ram jack and the base is a little tight. Make sure you set the ram jack arm so that it's in a position for you to get maximum leverage on whatever you're pressing. You may have to unbolt the front plate of the press and realign the ram in the teeth so that the arm is not at an awkward angle when fully cranked down.Other than aligning the ram in the teeth with the crank arm this .5 ton arbor press comes out of the box pretty much ready to use.*

[@fredir3596]

These are great mods. I’ve been fiddling around with my arbor press for years, these will help make my work easier. One thing I added to mine was a wooden base so the press is more stable during use. I also drilled holes to accept the tools when not in use.

[@lavachemist]

I like that center marking method using the brad point drill. Really great idea! I've never seen that one before.

[@oldnavcat]

Shop cat cameo made this vid even better. Great pacing. I just bought this same press. You gave me several ideas. Thanks.

[@deneicesmk]

That Just Changed my life!! I love the cutting board mod. I am going to make one for my press.. Not sure I can figure out the hole punch and snap die, but creating a new surface with the cutting board, I can do! Thank you!

[@smu1129]

I seem to lack the ability to communicate what I am doing, happy that you found something useful nonetheless.

[@ecaff9515]

Great idea and process. Thank you for sharing. Bless you.

[@bartrabiej]

Nice one buddy! I just bought one and looking for upgrades. Good job! Thanks.

[@edgarderschmied4497]

Cool press!

[@richardsandidge8954]

Super idea !! Going to do this to mine tomorrow. Thanks

[@ameliaedwards5817]

Excellent Shop Cat!

[@stevenl7878]

Nice work! BTW, your the fastest hacksawer on the internet!

[@garyantley3973]

heck yeah! Good video. would have been funny if you painted the press too! LOL I am converting mine into a "clicker" to make knife cases. Now after watching your video, I will also be making these modifications too. Snap setter and rivet setter are on the top of my want list and your video just made that happen. Thanks for posting it! gda

[@smu1129]

Glad it was helpful and have fun building it.

[@genaroaviles8555]

I need to do this to my arbor press/perfect job thanks

[@maggiealena]

I like I like! I love it even😀 I finally broke down and got an arbor press. Great idea. I can make one of these. I have plenty of cutting boards. I was thinking of putting all my 20 and 24 rivet on one and a top for the anvil so I don't mar my projects. Super cool idea.

[@MrAriano65]

Buena idea, gracias por compartir su experiencia saludos cordiales desde Chile 🇨🇱👍

[@huppscustom]

good job. Like your skills.

[@tysonpalmour2466]

Dude! Nice work

[@rastafari4264]

cool tool :-) very impressive- thanks for this video!

[@timbotimbo4476]

OUTSTANDING!

[@mikegeer5185]

Well done!!!

[@johnnyc.5979]

So the story supposedly goes that Nasa spent millions developing a pen that writes upside down and underwater, and they made it for the Apollo trips. The Russians being cheap and practical figured out that a pencil would easily serve the purpose without spending a ruble. Supposedly. Who knows if this is true. Along the same lines, you expended much energy to make something that I admire, and am jealous because I don't have the talent to do the same. Excellent work in all sincerity. However, I went to Harbor Freight and bought some flat magnets. Attached to the Arbor press, and attached my stitching punches, cheap metal punch frames, and also the tool that does rivets and snaps. It works as well without issues, and I don't have to drill or sand anything. I only need to have a solid metal plate and poly board below that to support the compression of the pressings. You're welcome.

[@KiltedBlackDragon]

would love to have this done

[@Durnstaros]

Have the exact same press and did most of the same upgrades, except I also made a flat plate that mounts to the same hole.

[@MrSoloun]

Good idea, thanks

[@foxyredsheri]

Solid product

[@myxrprecious8807]

Good job!! Rotary Puncher!!!

[@makeupwithmonica4762]

Your a G for that one. *thumbs up

[@brendabrittain1806]

I had my arbor press modified to use for snaps, rivets, gromets etc. a while ago. I just now got around to trying it and it doesn't press down enough. Could you do a video showing how to adjust the thing with the notches so it goes down a little more.

[@hagsmich]

Nice video, I like how you rounded the plastic on the table saw, very ingenious. Where did you get the flaring tool die for kydex rivets?

[@smu1129]

Thanks and excuse the late reply, I'm not that active on the 'tube. I got the idea to round the plastic from a Diresta video called "table saw tips" or something. I ordered the flaring tool with the first batch of kydex eyelets but have since switched to the CKK flaring dies - and modded my press further.

[@smilingdog54]

Thank you

[@bixo5191]

Buena máquina...donde la puedo conseguir?

[@HeaanLasai]

I'm a student, and I'm planning a project about producing cheap, high quality prosthetics for children after unplanned limb amputation. I have experience on the CNC machines, and I designed my tools in a CAD/CAM program. But I know little about mechanical press machines. Common in traffic accidents. The goal is to develop a very cheap way of making high quality prosthetics, so that children, regardless of the family's economy can get high quality prosthetics. *May I ask you for guidance on selecting an arbor press?* 'Main question 1:' A press has a ram moving up & down. I'll use a ram rod to compact powder into a cylinder. *Is there any standardised fitting, letting you mount the tool's ram onto the press ram?* A ram mechanically fixed in place would probably make results more consistent. But I can't drill a hole into the ram of the press, thread it and expect it to be straight. And a home cooked solution would likely not be strong enough to last the 10.000 press cycles needed in this project (100 items, 100 press cycles per item). 'Main question 2:' To get repeatable results, I'll need to accurately apply the exact same pressure during every press cycle. 'So I'll need to use some cheap, but reliable torque limiting method. What method would you use, if you were a student with little experience in machine shops?' I don't have a welding machine, but could probably borrow a MIG from a local workshop. Haven't MIG welded for ~8 years, though. So if you know of any short cuts or cheats to let me limit torque in a consumer grade arbor press, I'd be very grateful! A few more questions: What are the common pitfalls? What should I (as a non-machinist) think about? And is there anything you wish you had known before you bought your first mechanical press? 'Project:' A planned amputation caused by infection, cancer etc. lets you plan the amputation, to make the stub as good as possible for a proper fit into the prosthetic limb. If the amputation is caused by trauma, you have to work with whatever is left when the patient comes in. Meaning that adapting a prosthetic to fit this irregular stub require more work to get it right. Most manufacturers charge a lot, with good reason. But the child who needs the prosthetic shouldn't be denied a proper prosthetic just because the parents are poor. I've proposed a way to combine low cost methods to replace the expensive methods in a way that nearly any local machine shop could manufacture them, using workarounds so neither exotic materials nor ridiculously expensive machines would be needed. Production takes more work hours, but since the expensive machines aren't needed, the hourly rates include "renting" the machines for x hours. This new method eliminates the need for specialized machines. And I've put effort into making the method adaptable, so machine shops can work with tools and skills they already have. To lower the costs further, the tools are designed to be made with the cheapest techniques possible. Any machine shop can just order the open-source tools manufactured to fit the machines they already have, and I'm working the design over so the tools can be made using cheaper methods, eliminating as much CNC work as possible. The prosthesis will be made by gradually filling a cylindrical tube with a powder, and compacting it after each addition. The powder is then sintered under an inert atmosphere. Calculated the pressure needed, c:a 10 kN / 1 tonne of force will do. I'll need to manufacture 50-100 different prosthetics. Each press will only ad c:a 1.75 - 2.25 mm (2/32-3/32 imperial inch) of material in the tube, so filling each tube will need c:a 100 press cycles. The more time I can save from each press cycle, the more realistic the project becomes. If it's possible to mount the ram to the press plunger, so that when the plunger is raised the ram follows it up would be perfect. The tube the powder is compacted in is 225 mm (8 7/8 in) long. The ram needs to travel 175 mm (6 7/8 in) during the first presses. If it could travel 200 mm, I could add each increment of powder without removing the tube, meaning more consistent results & quicker production. 'Background:' In children's prosthetics, custom fitting, allergies, growth & money are the main hurdles. Because of how varied a child's growth is after an amputation, prosthetics need to be custom made with more advanced methods than adult prosthetics. But I think I can produce prosthetics fitting just as well as the most expensive ones do today, at less than 25% the price of a low-end prosthetic. Growth is a factor. But if the patient doesn't get new prosthetics made within weeks, a month at most, after growing out of the old prosthetic the patient can get a number of irreversible problems. Delaying the next prosthetic limb can cause the irreversible formation of binding tissue, shaped like a cauliflower. That tissue can't be removed surgically, since any cut into that tissue triggers the formation of new binding tissue, 200-500% the volume of the previous lesion. *Once it's there, it's there.* This method would also eliminate the problem of allergic reactions to the prosthetic, fairly common in children. The low-end prosthetics are prone to trigger the creation of a new allergy. Not just an allergy to this specific resin, a "cross reactive hypersensitisation", meaning a lifelong allergy to ALL related resins. But because many parents can't afford to buy an $8000-100.000 prosthetic limb every 3-6 months, the ones they can afford are usually not customised enough. Current manufacturers aren't prepared to look into cheaper methods, since that means lower profit margins. 'Compared to '3d printed prosthetics:' 3d printed prosthetics are a scam. Prosthetics need to be made by casting a duplicate of the limb, and working outwards from that. FDM parts are also way too brittle under environmental extremes such as hot summers and cold winters. My method is stronger than most industrially manufactured limbs, while also being easily adjusted with common off-the-shelf woodworking tools if a machine shop can't afford the task-specific tools I'm designing. I'll sell the tools at zero profit, and also publish all plans and documentation openly for free.

[@wedge999]

Cool mods!

[@klasspodcast4396]

You can also use a magnet on end of press holds your metal tools. Not as sturdy though. I'm sure it's been asked what's the cats name

[@Pratapushine]

Nice

[@chris5355]

A bit late to this video - how about fitting a drill chuck to the base - then any tool (within reason) could be added?

[@smu1129]

Better late than sorr ... NEVER, better late than never. Hope you liked it. The drill chuck is a cool idea - I modded the press further, didn't make a video of it tho. The chuck would have to be mounted on the base level, to avoid clearance issues, I think. And I am not sure how well those chucks handle pressure, even those little presses pack a punch. But I do think it would be worth a try.

[@josebeneditodesousaoliveir1496]

Qual o valor dessa prensa? E onde encontramos pra comprar

[@ttnt8883]

Totally impressed

[@MrAriano65]

Genial👍

[@MrLibbyloulou]

I came to this by accident......but i think your talent is wasted....top job my friend...@@@@@@@@@@@@@

[@Craftpari]

😊👍

[@mico26az]

Good job can you send me link to buy that rivet die or where did you get it thinks????

[@smu1129]

That rivet setter thingy came with the rivets I bought. You can get a pro version at tandy leather, I think. Or pretty much any online retailer selling leather goods.

[@beller5853]

Only one Mod left to do, the most important: MOUNT the Press!

[@smu1129]

Very true. The little guy has since become his own place.

[@DancingD44]

Is there already a hole in the ram when purchased?

[@smu1129]

No, not in the one I got. Maybe other variants have that.

[@stonefish98]

3:23 That's hawt.

[@georgecurtis6463]

What press was this ?

[@patrick2748]

A 1-ton press from Harbor Freight. With coupon, I bought mine for under $60. I haven't modded mine with the drilling yet.

[@georgecurtis6463]

@@patrick2748 ok, thanks. Seems hf is no longer carrying them.

[@elizabethgarcia4645]

you should make them and sell the, I would buy one.

[@smu1129]

knifekits.com has something similar for sale. But thank you for the kind words nonetheless.

[@urjnlegend]

Can you punch holes in kydex?

[@smu1129]

That question never occured to me. I'll try it and post the results.

[@urjnlegend]

How can I also mod my press to use a hole punch? Also, I was thinking about modding the dies from a hand held sheet metal punch to do it with. It's the one with blue handles on amazon

[@camerahammerwoody9196]

I gave up!! I have no idea what you were trying to do. The fast forward, plus the jump cuts on the video withe limited explanations on what was being done left me totally confused. Sorry

[@smu1129]

Sorry, that was not my intend. But I agree, after some distance over time: my youtube-fu is weak. Thanks for watching anyways. Maybe I'll be able to make a better video in the future.

[@keatman]

As a leathercrafter I totally understood what he was doing all the way

[@jodyjohnson3146]

Why cant you talk?

[@urjnlegend]

Jody Johnson he can, I'm more confused at your lack of a channel??

[@carlrudd1858]

Is it just TOO MUCH for you to explain what you're doing? I mean come on, man.