Improvements to a Harbor Freight 20 Ton Hydraulic Press Part 1
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 เม.ย. 2018
- I made some mods to help fix some short comings of the Harbor Freight 20 ton Hydraulic Press.
Please Note: I am a beginning machinist and I do not pretend to know everything. Please always operate machinery in a safe manner and if you don't know, find a reliable source. DO NOT COPY ME. I make a lot of mistakes. I provide these videos for entertainment only. - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
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The changes you made are all worthwhile, and definate quality-of-shop-time improvements. Carry on, sir.
Thanks.
I found that the finesse that comes with the manual actuation of the bottle jack came in handy for my uses.
I'm just not sure about that knob, I find it better/quicker/easier to weld a rod on for a handle.
I read that in "Quality of Shop Time" magazine Swim suit edition last month.
I need a functional bearing press, but cant afford a fancy store-bought,, i have some steel pipe & rusty bolts,,,,
You have just inspired me to get back out in my workshop. Thank you!
Right back at ya. It's the great comments from the community that re-inspire me to try new things, so thanks.
These are GREAT IMPROVEMENTS to a press system that has not changed in decades. Good work and ideas - thanks
Thanks. I have had at least an equal number of ideas recommended by the people commenting on the videos. Add all these up and Harbor Freight could really have a decent product, for a price that the average home shop hobbyist could afford.
Love this video! And envious of the time you have to improve your tools. I have the same press and as soon as I got it installed I began thinking of the ways I want to improve it. You've captured all of these here in this video. Well done!!!!
Very kind, thanks. If you scan the comments others have suggested even more good ideas.
I was just looking for a harbor freight 20 ton press review and I found this gem. Great video. You seem to really know what you’re doing. Respect.
Thanks. I am only just beginning, but love the subject.
Great video and some nifty ideas that I will definitely use. Thank you!
On my press I also added four castors on the legs so that I can move it around my small shop, or get it out of the way.
I did the same much later. Very useful.
Nice work. Great ideas. Love the oversized knob to relieve the pressure. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comment.
thanks. i have been considering getting one of these for home and maybe our robotics team. these mods look like it improves the usability significantly. thanks - keep up the great work.
Robotics team, very cool. Thanks for the comments.
Hello. Loved the hand knobs for the on/off bleed control so much that I made them for my hydraulic jacks. A wonderful mod for a hydraulic jack. Kind regards, Al
It's weird, but I was totally focused on this project and didn't think of the mod in general terms. You are absolutely right. Great idea, thanks.
I was looking forward to some ideas to make my HF press a little better and BAM!...I found an incredible channel! Subscribed! Thanks for sharing man.
Thanks for the sub and the kind words. Much appreciated.
Good choices for improvements! Also I really like the knurling on the bleeder valve. Great tip for improving efficiency when replicating parts on the lathe.
Thanks. I try to share as I learn.
Just wanted to say thank you for the tips. It worked out good for me.
Glad it helped!
Great mods! Bet it's more useful than when it came out of the box! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks. I have a couple other ides floating around in my head and if they work out, I will share them as well. Cheers.
Good video! Do you get your material for free? You make a lot of chips, and chips are wasted material. I'm a retired machinist. So I'll give you a few tips. You are running both materials way to slow. Both materials like speed and positive rake tools. I noticed the inserts looked like 1/32 radius a .015 or 1/64 will give you a better finish at the feed you were using. I like all the changes you made to the press. I have the same one, only much older. Try making thin rubber washers for under your height pin knobs that way you can hand tighten and remove easier. Pinning the plates was a good idea. You might want to scout your local scrap yard for some heavy flat stock for the heavier press operations. I envy your machines! The issue with carbide endmills is they are brittle. Rule of thumb for tools is use the shortest tool that will do the job. I noticed the 1/8" endmill was very long and not suited for a side cut unless fed slowly. Again not enough speed and in this case too much feed for the depth of cut. Carbide is not forgiving it will not flex when stressed it will break. Lubricant is extreemly important for tool life. You know your feed and speed is good when your chips look like 9s and 6s. Long stringy chips are very dangerous and are a sign of dull tools, slow speeds and insuficent feed. You are doing well. I don't mean this as a critasizem, just as helpful info. I worked with some machinists that never learned these things. Keep it up!! I'm subscribing!!
I do not take it personally at all. I welcome constructive criticism and, as a beginner, I would be a fool's fool if I did not take advantage of those with more experience. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me and quite possibly others out. I love the rubber washers idea. Thanks for the suggestions of feeds and speeds. I have used coolant on my lathe exactly once and my mill never. I have to admit that I bought both machines new and really hate corrosion. I know that the coolants have rust inhibitors in them, but am still a bit afraid. Thanks again.
As a beginner, i like this video and the ideas. But your comment makes the value - short and easy to understand. Thanks to both you and Dudley Toolwright.
Machinist Handbook:
Will give you more info than you will ever want to know.
Metal cutting is all about speed, feed, cutter and lubrication. As you noted, with the diameter change the surface finish changed. Book will get you into the ballpark and experience will get you home. There is a time for carbide and a time for HHS. Most of my specialty bits are HHS because they are so easy to shape and sharpen. I do have a dedicated tool cutter grinder and it does precision grinds but I still like the quickie touchup a bench grinder allows.
In school I wanted to be a machinist and took 5 credit hours of machineshop but Uncle Sam had a different game plan. Those hours gave me enough background to be able to machine 'stuff' all over the world for different career paths I've taken and the experience that has come from it has made me the 'machinist' I am today.
There are things I do by the book and things I do by experience.
AND I modify just about everything to either make it better or fit my work ethic.
On my agenda is a mod for my carriage feed to make it infinitely variable so I don't have to change gears and so I can have a rapid reverse travel.
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I too did my engineering apprenticeship but have to admit this guy is pretty useful for a beginner. My old Myford has been sitting unused for 10 years.
Life & everything as usual gets in the way. But he has inspired me to get going again. Thanks Dudley.
Great set of suggestions and improvements/customizations.
Thanks. I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know.
That air-powered hydraulic jack is my favorite automotive tool. Especially as I get older and less limber. It is especially a delight for lifting an RV. Five stars!
Thanks. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
VERY GOOD
Man...great ideas! Thanks for posting. 👍
I appreciate the kind words, thanks.
I thought I was watching a HF review video when all of a sudden this really great machining video appeared out of nowhere, I had hours of enjoyment replaying the lathe spinning round and round.
Thanks. I try to balance the machining with the project results. It is a difficult balance and sometimes I miss. I really appreciate the feedback, thanks.
@@DudleyToolwright I meant I liked the machining, I was pleasantly surprised that it was much more than a review and immensely impressed by your machining talent!
I enjoyed your video. I especially like the knob added to the release. I had to weld a piece of i beam across the top of my press for reinforcement. I was starting to get a slight bow in it.
I have a video where I push the press to see if it can deliver 40,000 lbs and you probably won't be surprised at the results.
Love the idea with the pins for the anvil plates. Made the change myself and it works great. Thanks!
Thanks. The idea came to me after the second time the plates slid off the crossbeam and almost hit my foot.
I don't have the drill press, but I just cut a square piece of plywood and JB welded to anvil plates.
Thanks for these improvement ideas. One suggestion for those who don't have a metal lathe...a 1/2 pipe threader works great on the 20mm pins. Once threaded, put on pipe caps to keep them from sliding out. The air jack upgrade is the bomb!
Great suggestions, thanks.
Your absolutely amazing! Nice work Sir!
Thanks for the kind words.
awesome work with the lathe wish I had one loved working with one in high school but to expensive for me I all so loved the improvements you came up with to make this press better thanks for the video Chris
Thanks 👍They can be quite expensive, but it's the tooling that really gets you in the end.
Well done and the knurl came out nicely.
I appreciate the kudos, even if I screwed up. I like them too, thanks.
Funny I was just planning to do something similar to my HF 20T press and I find your channel. Subscribed. I seem to forget that having the tooling I have now allows me the ability to make much nicer items than I was originally planning. I guess I'll soon have a similar video. LoL.
I look forward on your take on improvements to this press. I have sub'd as well. Thanks.
Just finished my Bridgeport knee/drill adapter. I think I may start on at least the jack release knob this week.
I look forward to seeing how it turns out.
Ever thought of using a porta power cylinder with air over hydraulics foot control box??
Hi. Another retired machinist (cam and lever screw machines - nothing digital), but I kept the old Clausing 13" lathe and manual 1953 Bridgeport mill. My "day care" was hanging around Dad's shop, running a belt-drive South Bend lathe at 8 years old!
Anyway, the only quick step I'd do would be in the chamfer. Instead of taking the time to change tool holders, I'd pick up a file and do it by hand!
I switched to the HF air jack, also. Worked fine for a couple of months, then the air motor stopped working. Jack still worked manually, air motor makes the correct noises, but the crossbar doesn't move.
Good to know. Thanks for the info and I hope to hear from you again in the future. I am all ears. Lets not let manual machining go the way of the dodo! We need people with experience to share the hard won knowledge. Thanks again.
I did the same cylinder change you performed. However, I used roll pins instead of dowel pins, cheaper and less work over having to ream the holes. Great ideas.
I don't know why I always forget about roll pins. They are so very useful and more forgiving than dowel pins. Thanks for the idea.
Very cool upgrades and video. Nice work buddy. 👍👍👌
Very kind, Thanks.
I like your modifications. I've also welded a few modifications to mine with my everlast welder. I should post a video with them at some point.
I agree. I would like to see them.
Next stop, jack plate ram extensions, with magnetic holders. Saves a lot of adjustments. Another great video!
I have putting some thought into the ram extension idea, but the magnetic holders ar intriguing. Where exactly are they used?
A counter bore inside with a neodymium magnet to hold them in place. MrPragmaticLee has a good video on making the extensions. th-cam.com/video/OMM56hnK7Bk/w-d-xo.html - Making them will be another good video. (Edited to correct inserted video link - MP)
Your link didn't work. Page not found.
flick22601 - Sorry about that. Don't know what happened. Try this one: https: //th-cam.com/video/OMM56hnK7Bk/w-d-xo.html
With you having a quality lathe & more machining skill/knowledge, Your improvements to your Harbor Freight 20 ton, along with the purchase & addition of the pneumatic jack, REALLY IMPROVED THE 20 TON PRESS!!!! I LIKE IT!!! Mine was the 2,632'nd thumbs up!!! lol
Thanks. I really appreciate the encouragement.
I bought a 20 T press years ago on sale at Princess Auto in Ontario Canada for $99. I use it when rebuilding Muncie 4-speed transmissions. Last time I used a lathe was in all my years in HS alone with the other shop classes. I was going to go through as tool & die but changed my mind and went the IT route. I still use the vice today that I made in machine shop back in 1973. Nice job on the lathe and mill work. 👍 I like that knob you made.
Thanks. I never had the opportunity in high school or I might have taken a different career path. Life seems to come around though. Cheers.
Would love to have the parts you made for my 12 ton Harbor freight Press. Great video and great work.
Join the list. I appreciate the sentiment. I have no easy way to mass produce any of these items, I wish I did.
Good ideas for your press. One more thing you might do is make a parts catcher to go under the press. A box with padding of some sort, like absorbing mats, will keep the shaft you just pressed out from being dinged on the end when it hits the concrete floor. It is especially important when broaching key ways. You will cry if your expensive broach hits the floor and snaps in two.
Safety note: NEVER try to catch parted off lathe work in you hand. I've seen guys get badly cut doing that. Save your bamboo chop sticks from the Chinese restaurant. They make excellent tools to catch parts.... I also use them for shear pins on my lathe's drive rod and lead screw to replace the suicide steel roll pins the lathe came with.
Milk crate with a cardboard box inside
I usually put a rod in the tail stock and feed it into the hole of something I’m parting off. That way when it falls off the rod catches it and you still have both hands free
Excellent point and after broaching your point was even better illustrated.
Ive got the same 20 ton press, swapped out to the air/hydraulic option. I have also swapped out the hollow jack base that travels vertically along the uprights using 4 inch U channel and welded a similar pusher beneath the centerline of jack piston eliminating compression of previous installed box tubing. Nice video, thanks for sharing- regards
Thanks for sharing your approach. I have gotten a ton of great ideas from other peoples solutions and improvements.
@@DudleyToolwright you're welcome
excellent video, I have the exact press....wish I could make the same upgrades to mine, but I can't....love to watch you work, thanks for sharing sir.
Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate feedback of all kinds.
I flipped the cross member under the jack, then welded a plate across the cross member for the jack to set on. I drill through the crossmember for the ram pin then welded it to both the pin and the plate under the jack. Now I have a place to store all the pieces used on the press. I use wedges on the sides to keep the cross member from moving. Enjoyed your video. Probably better than Snap -On with your improvements.
I love your suggestions. There are just so many creative people out there. Thanks for the comments and ideas.
Thats a good idea but my pump leaks so much it would be full of oil in no time
Clayton Parks,Better than Snap-On ?Let's not get ahead of ourselves.He has made a cheap press much more user friendly,but at the end of the day,it's still just a cheap knock off.
I was more interested in the machining process. I’ve never seen it done before.
Pretty cool vid.
Thanks, I really appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Excellent video!
Generous, thanks.
I have the same press and I like your improvements, especially the knob on the pressure relief valve. I don’t have a lathe but I can come up with other ways of doing it.
Thank you very much. This video is fairly old, but I am still using the mods. Best of luck on your own approach.
If you're ever worried about the jack handle slipping out (like after it gets grease/ hydraulic fluid/etc on it you could always cut a slot for an o ring in it so it's held in place more positively
Great idea. Thanks.
Swag offroad sells knobs for these jacks, they also sell a great press brake for it. When I installed my air jack I used all 4 springs, very fast return and they aren't being over stretched like if you only use two because of all the preload needed.
I like this idea as well. The two springs really aren't great and I was wondering about longevity. I did get two more springs for the return plate on the air motor jack. I should look to use those. Thanks for your many good suggestions.
I have that press & that air-over jack. The air-over was definitely worth it. I also made a knob for the release valve, but just purposed a knob that I had.
I use my press almost exclusively as a brake, with some cobbled together dies. For that use, I found that there was too much front-to-back play in both the topmost jack-driven beam and the lower, fixed apron. I fixed that by drilling & tapping them for bolts which bear on the columns. "Bear" just enough to take out slop, but not bind.
Thanks for the ideas. I was planning to use mine for a press brake as well and your suggestions will be very helpful. I love to benefit from others experience. Learning the hard way gets old fast.
Great video. I am a professional mechanic and we have this same press at work and it works fine for pushing out bearings and bushings etc. I also have one at home now too and it works fine for everything so I have no complaints.
Thanks for the info! Excellent feedback.
You got a like and sub from me, impressive work sir!
Very kind of you. Thanks for the kudos.
Dudley Toolwright you're more than welcome.
You are the Man!
I knew a man, but seriously thanks for the comment.
Interesting video, especially for those of us who are NOT machinists. I offer as an observation & NOT a criticism, that for people like myself that are not perfectionists, you are attempting to make honey out of dog shit. In your short video I learned a great deal. My grandfather used to tell me that when you know NOTHING, it is not hard to learn something! I really enjoyed your descriptions & your demonstrations.
I think you gave a fair assessment. I chose this press instead of something better like a Dake, because 1. Dake's are really expensive, and 2. for the challenge. I really enjoyed this project and intend to do more like this in the future.
Excellent video sir, really appreciate your upgrades to your press. All of your upgrades are things that I want to happen to mine. Looking forward to seeing your next video sir. This was my first video and a new subscriber too.
Thanks you very much. I hope I continue to entertain.
I plan on picking one of these up in the near future so this was really helpful. Which item number did you get because I read one is significantly superior to the other. Great video! Just subbed.
I am not sure. I tried to look up th eold receipt on the website, but they only track web orders. Sorry I could not have been more help.
Dudley Toolwright not a problem. Just curious. Thanks for trying anyway!
If you decide to mas-produce these upgrades minus the air over hydronic jack I would be interested in a purchase.
Good job and great work btw.
Keep up the good work making these videos..
Thanks. I don't have access to any CNC type machines so mass production is probably not in the cards for me, but I really appreciate the compliment. Cheers.
@@DudleyToolwright I second Larry's comment...
Great mods. I also mounted a HF boat trailer winch and ran cables over some pulleys to the work table to lift it evenly , it was about a $25 mod and well worth it. Great video sir.
Nice. I haven't used this press much yet, but if I used it often, I bet your mods would make it a heck of a lot easier to use. Thanks.
Can you post some pics? Or describe the set up?
I’ve made a bunch of presses pretty cheap. I started by using old garbage compactors. I’ve made them with cheap tie cylinders from tractor supply. My latest adventure through a junk yard yielded several pieces of structural bridge beam, the packer cylinder from a garbage truck a 12v hydraulic pump from a tow truck, old control valves from a back hoe and I bought a 55gallon drum of 10w oil. All together I should work out to near 75 tons of pressure on a point load or 60 using a flat plate with about 4 foot of piston travel
That sounds like a really interesting project. I would love to see video(s) on that build. I am sure that I am not alone here either.
Ahh a chance to practice machining. Wish I had a metal lathe so I could make stuff like that. Anyway I went with the air over hydraulic on the old harbor freight 20 ton press. It is yellow and a bit taller I think. WARNING!!!!!!! Don't forget to remove that trigger lock off the air valve. That thing will lock accidentally when you least expect it and 20 tons will ruin a project fast. Ask me how I know. Still watching your video so maybe you did. Sure hope so.
I didn't and didn't even think of that. I probably would have after something terrible had happened. Thanks for the great suggestion.
Yeah the whole hindsight thing. You might as well take advantage of mine. I'll tell you what happened. I was replacing an idler pulley on my nephews '96 suburban and the new pulley had the bearing cockeyed in it. So I thought I would just finish pushing it in straight with the press. Got it down there close and let go but it kept going. By the time I got it stopped it had smashed the pulley up beyond any hope of using it. So I ripped that lock off and pulled the bearing out and put it in the old pulley. I use the air to get close and then use it manually for the delicate work. I figure most people will but some projects can be expensive or irreplaceable. Just really glad I learned the lesson on something relatively cheap.
Same thing here. Absolutely, remove that trigger lock!
Hello, No reason you couldn't do the same thing I did making my own press years ago. I used a heavy wall (sch 80 as I recall) pipe under the jack base mount to which I welded a 1 1/2" NF nut (NC would also work) I faced off the several bolts of different length (grade 8) and now I have a push rod of variable lengths and can also use it without any bolts. Nip off that one HF has welded on and do the same if you so desire. Like your air jack as I have been looking at them for a few years and will get one soon. I will get the larger one as my press was built to max out at 50 ton. Six feet tall by 48" wide. At the time thirty years ago I was doing larger work but now a smaller would do fine. Nice modifications. Take care. Doug
Thanks for the ideas. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your ideas. I will definitely use them. I have been thinking about various solutions to an adjustable push rod. It would make the prep work so much easier. The big boys seem to use an acme threaded shaft, much like the piston on the bottle jack. I even considered sacrificing the new/old bottle jack ram for this purpose. Thanks for the ideas.
Awesome video! Good job on the mods! Liked and subscribed.
Thanks and welcome.
Crocks in the shop. Now there's a confident fellow right there! Excellent mods! Cheers! Zip~
Good eyes. I get at least one piece of swarf in them every time I work out there, but my wife gets upset if any swarf gets in the house. As a result, I wear different shoes in the garage and leave them there. I usually find myself going in and out at least several times, every time I work out there, so I opted for the much less than perfect Crocks option. Perhaps dimwitted fellow? Cheers.
Mori Seiki with a bar loader , okuma . Like video
Spindle speed ok for an open machine with chuck pressure safety first. Tool life no blue chips. 👍
Thanks for the suggestions.
I like the idea of the pins to secure the plates but I always seem to need them to be offset towards you or away from you for odd objects that need to be pressed
Interesting. I did not consider that. I was going to make a flat plate to press against, perhaps I should reconsider how I will pin that one. Thanks for the perspective.
Dudley Toolwright - +1 just like Brandon said somehow I never have a press job where things are perfectly straight/align so the plates must and need to be "everywhere". I even had them in a vertical position on ocasion!!
Although I leave one suggestion that works for me, it's cheaper, easier and don't get in the way... thin rubber glued to the face of the plate. will not "lock" them in place, but the surface tension is enough so they don't slide everywhere.
An old mouse pad or a tire tube are perfect for the job. Felt pads used in chair legs also work well. Cheers. ;-)
Thanks for the great ideas and your perspective of experience. I never considered that I would want the press plates anywhere but centered.
Flip the plates over when the pins interfere.
Robert Masarik think about that.
I will incorporate your very good ideas when I make my own press with my everlast welder.
That sounds like a great project. I hope you shoot video of it and share.
Great Video!!! Good upgrades. You should make and sell a upgrade kit.
Keep up the excellent work!!!
I think I would need a CNC machine to make any money on them. I barely have enough time to make a video a week as it is, but thanks a bunch for the encouragement.
I have the older orange 20-ton press think I paid $79 for it. The first thing that broke was the arbor plates snapped right in half while I was using them HF wanted $40 for new ones I passed and had a local steel supply company make me some good hardened ones from steel stock cost me $30.
You are not the first to want me about the arbor plates. I hope that Harbor Freight is paying attention and mods their design. Maybe they already have, because the way my plates cut, lends me to think they were not cast iron. Thanks for you replacement suggestion.
I think the new ones your press has steel ones. My orange press plates are in 7 pieces now lol. I use an old i beam as a base and a 2" thick stage weight to press on. I also had to replace the top beam the old one buckled so bad. The bottom hasnt because I flip it from time to time but I may box it in to add strength. Cant complain the press paid for itself the first time I used it.
What would you charge to make another one of those release knobs for the jack if you would
You are one of many. If I had a CNC machine I could probably make them for a reasonable price. I don't. Perhaps I will make a few and sell them at a loss for my viewers. Thanks for the request.
I have the same press and all i did was use a 2 inch piece of copper tubing which fitted tightly over one of the pins and rotate it that way. It only needs to turn 1/4 of a turn anyway. I agree with better blocks. Those black one are brittle. I have snapped one with an almighty bang. Now that you have drilled it, it will probably break easier. I like the airpump will have to look for one, I use a very short stick to pump it down quickly . I love your lathe. JD
A very useful addition to my press is 2 pieces of foot long I Beam 4 inches by 8 inches. I use them to hold steering knuckles for removal of wheel bearings. I like the mods you made. The handle in particular is one I need to do, sick of putting up with the supplied one. Will have to find a knob somewhere that i can make fit. No access to a lathe but that would be nice to learn at some point. Thanks for the vid.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing.
Dudley . You make some good vids . You also answer almost every comment . Thats cool . One thing though , the haters will be haters and you cant do anything about that . You would save a ton of time by just answering the constructive comments and forget the guys that say ' Ya but you have a lathe " .Thumbs up Dud .
You are very kind, thanks. I try to steer every comment towards some constructive thought. I don't mind criticism, if it helps me or others. I certainly don't have all the answers. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
for the 1/8, just get HSS instead of carbide. still gonna break, but even cheaper and a bit more forgiving.
Good idea, thanks. I wished I'd thought of that.
@@DudleyToolwright not too late, I'm sure you'll break more ;)
Doing holes in plates can work. But be careful, as these are not the best quality cast iron, and they’re known to break with explosive force. The holes in the inside will weaken them along the edges of the shelf, increasing the chance of that occurrence.
Thanks for the warning. I'm going to test that idea soon. My press plates did not cut like cast iron, but still could be brittle. Cheers.
You did a nice job on this press!!! Some very nice ideas for me to scratch my head with!!! I was thinking of adding some heavy duty caster wheels on my so I can move around in the shop!!! Some times the part I work on is big or clumsy and it would be nice to roll this press up to the overhead door or straight to the back end of a pickup!!!
👍
Art
Casters could be a very nice idea. My only concern is possible safety issues, even though I can't think of any.
great work, we do not have harbor fright here but have the same type of cheap shops here, i made my own 50 ton press ( only because i had the steel to build it ) but used an air motor jack as well, for fast response time / saves a lot of hammer work when i fire up my forge / well done video
Thanks and I really respect the ingenuity in making your own. I thought about trying it and one one front was the cost of the raw materials being more expensive than the final product and the second, I am not sire that I would trust my welding abilities when forces like these are involved. Cheers.
Tony, be aware that the press plates are cast iron, and I have heard of them shattering on these 20 ton presses. I have a 40 ton press so I got some that are machined steel.
I like your idea of putting the pins in the plates! I have dropped mine on my toes before!
The new models come with steel plates instead of cast iron. In fact I just picked up this same press today!
Thanks for the comments. I had some concerns about putting any additional holes in the plates as they can be expected to see upwards of 40,000 pounds of force, especially since I am not sure about how large a safety margin, Harbor Freight products build into their tools. If I had to guess, they would be less than a Dake. The turnings from the drilling suggest steel over the powdery chips of cast iron, but I am no expert. Thanks for the comment.
A friend of mine has a similar press, I don't know what brand, but he told me the accessories like the plates can cost more than the press.
Dudley Toolwright cast steel. They snap easy
InsideOfMyOwnMind yea look the cost of the steel alone! They are cast steel because it’s super cheap.
I would raise the whole press by at least a foot for better position of use .
I like that idea. Thanks. I might very well do that. It makes good sense.
This is the number one complaint I have about mine! Just too damn short! I'm only 5'9", I can't imagine a really tall guy using one of these. It should come with knee pads?! :D
Great video!👍🏻
Thanks for the visit
I just bought the same press last month. I glued two magnets on the top, so they hold the bar, keeping it from rolling off and easy to grab. I also placed washers around the pins of the pump mechanism to keep it from wobbling so much.
I lag bolted it down on 4' 6x6's.
For $130, it saved me much more than that, being able to replace a carrier bearing in my truck. Yes, it's a cheap tool, but for a shade tree mechanic, it's a great shop item. Wish I would have bought it years ago.
Nice mods. I agree - its very functional and a bargain for the cost.
Sweet! If you want more subs, feel free to embed your video on our homemade tools forum; looks like you're one of us :-)
Thanks. I did.
I really like the valve release handle. I might do it just as a lathe/mill project. I'm always on the look out for easy yet useful projects that don't call for a lot of material. Thanks.
Thanks. An improvement on the design might be to make the whole shaft knob as one piece. It is not an overly complicated part. I didn't think of this idea until after I was done.
So that the end of knob is the part that threads into the jack? Thanks @@DudleyToolwright
There is a "T" handle on the shaft that acts as the valve to let the jack down. My knob was designed to fit over the shat and "T" portion. A better solution might be to build a knob on an integral valve shaft. It doesn't look too hard and the tolerances don't appear to be that tight.
Ahh yes. Makes more sense. Thank you. @@DudleyToolwright
Excellent job... When I built mine I used a 12v Hydraulic Dump Trailer Pump... I built one before using a Dentist Chair 110v pump that worked trick... Just a bit slow (faster than hand pumping) and the solenoid made it nice.. For the release, I just grind it square and drill and tap so I can use a spigot handle... It ain't got to be perfect... It just gotta work.
Nice solutions. Thanks for sharing those. I have very limited knowledge of hydraulics.
Seems to me you could have just made your own press?
True. I considered that option, but my welding skills are more amateurish than my machining. I was a bit concerned about the forces involved relying on my welds. Thanks for the suggestion.
I watched half of your video and have a hard time figuring out why a guy that has all this machinist equipment would even visit a harbor freight store
Excellent question. I go to Harbor Freight for three reasons: one I am a hobbyist and have limited funds, so I pick my expensive items to buy. I am very lucky to be able to afford some nice tools and have a very understanding wife. Secondly, and probably most importantly, most of my viewers also work on limited budgets and I like to offer affordiblei deas to them. Finally thirdly, I love the challenge of improving on existing designs. Besides, buying the raw materials to make my own press would be more expensive than the HF press was complete.
Like the rest of us, the more saved at HF, the more to spend on other stuff, besides I like HF, have bought tons of stuff as good or better than brand name for 1/4 to 1/8th the price.
The video itself was awesome easy-to-follow easy-to-understand great job. I was just looking into purchasing one of these presses. And you pointed out a lot of great improvements that needed to be done now I'm not sure if I want one due to the fact I cannot manufacture any of these improvements
It will work without them, but it will be harder to use. You should be able to pin the plates with a hand drill if necessary. If you drill into it and the chips come out powdery rather than stringy, replace the press plates, because they are likely cast iron and dangerous. Some of the other changes I made are for convenience. If you want a better press, you are likely looking at close to, or over $1000 new. The Harbor Freight press is under $200.
@@DudleyToolwright Thank you for the reply and feedback I really only have one job right now I know throughout my life. I'm sure I can use it. I particularly like the hydraulic valve release knob that you made the pins holding the table I would never be able to manufacture for the caps. the pins for the plate I'm sure I could do no problem. Nice to know about they made cheap out and give you cast instead of steel,,,,, if you happen to make any of these items again. The knob and and end caps. I would be interested. Thanks and enjoy the rest of the afternoon
I will remember. Thanks and best of luck.
Great set of mods/upgrades.
FYI- I learned not too long ago that one needs continual lube while using a parting tool on the lathe. Helps with finish & tool life.
Thanks for the recommendation. Much appreciated.
Please stop giving that horrifying company your money. Harbor Freights business model is the essence of everything that's wrong with this country.
You make a very good point. We live in a throw away society with nothing made to last with Harbor Freight and the like, square in the middle of the problem. However, I am torn because without them, there is zero chance for many people to own their own tools and build/repair things at home. I get that they sell a lot of crap, but it is affordable and often usable. I am highly sympathetic with your point of view and thanks for the comment.
It's not HF who is to blame. They just took advantage of what our very own government has done to this country. We are caught in the middle. HF is no different than most any other retailer. They all sell China made products and it is near impossible to buy American at an affordable price. The laws, restrictions, liability and taxes in this country prevents companies from making an affordable product. Where as in China, they can produce products on the penny to our dollar. Nobody likes to buy China products but sometimes there isn't an affordable choice.
@@halfstep67 dude it has nothing to do with taxes or regulations stop the right-wing radio Party Line bullshit. Jesus Christ my family's own businesses inside was hell set before I was born. my dad was a staunch right-winger until the party lost its Collective fucking mind about the time that George Bush Senior and his buddies in Canada and Mexico drafted NAFTA and then that idiot Bill Clinton signed it into law. You know it's funny everybody fucking blames Bill Clinton when it was a collective Republican party effort for years going all the way back 2 Richard Nixon to form a North American Free Trade Agreement. That was just one of the nails in our coffin. Wages have not kept up with productivity in this country if people were making what they should be we would all be able to afford American made products but introduction of Japanese first and then Chinese in Taiwanese products built on slave labor and sold for the price of a cardboard airplane his skewed this countries economics so badly that there will never be a recovery from the situation. I buy for example American-made or German made insert for my lathe they're like four thousand times more expensive then Chinese made. because they're better I don't care what they fucking cost that is helping America American companies that pay good wages to American workers or sometimes German I will admit but the fact is I buy the best for what I need. If I can't afford it I save up twice or three times or 10 times longer that's just a fact of life I don't run out and buy something from fucking Harbor free that's going to chip away at our economy.
Yeah our government is fucked over this country but we're all blaming the wrong fucking group it wasn't the fucking taxes Jesus Christ people they don't companies laugh about that whole situation because you can end up paying almost no taxes if you just do your job as a business owner and take all the deductions you're supposed to. It's not even that hard because even a small mom-and-pop store like we started out with had a tax accountant to pursue that. They pay for themselves 10 times over.
Tax is left in the hands of purchasers like me and you does a hell of a lot more for this economy than tax is left in the coffers of a business. A business doesn't buy upper portion amount of goods for the amount of tax breaks it gets it just sits in the bank or goes in the guy's pocket that runs and owns the company if it's a small company which most are in this country. but when a person has the money they immediately spend 90% of it because they have to do to live and that boost the economy people don't know what the fuck they're talking about when they blame the tax code or tax code before deductions is high nobody can argue with that but with the phenomenal avenues that have been provided for companies to pay zero tax most do if they don't have their head stuck up their ass.
It's funny because you can sit back and listen to right-wing talk show host talk about the terrible regulations in this country and all regulations are nothing compared to Scandinavian countries that their economy is booming. And the only difference between are CEOs and their CEOs is ours make about 570 X what are average worker makes and there's make about 11 times what their workers make. Our system of government was bought and paid for by Corporate America 60 years ago and it's gone downhill ever since you can change the tax code as much as you want and it ain't going to change a fucking thing because our system of government are rules and regulations are legislators themselves are geared towards making individuals rich and only the individuals that are paying them. And anyone that cannot see this after all these years never will because they're choosing not to they would rather root for their own party and be right at any cost then concede one line of text that they've ever typed
@@halfstep67 Chinese manufacturers can and do make items to any quality level specified by the customer. They make it exactly how the customer wants it. Harbor Freight wanted a 20 ton hydraulic press they could sell for about $150 so that's what they got, just like most of the rest of the tools HF sells. They could make a 20 ton press that is the equal or better or any built in the world in China. Precision and quality are measurable and can be obtained by any manufacturer. It boils down to what the people ordering the tools/parts want.
Our government didn't do this to anyone. In the 1700s all manufacturing in the US was in cities where the workers and customers lived because you couldn't make money otherwise. When the railroads came along in the 1800s manufacturing moved outside the cities into rural areas where land was much cheaper and workers could be found that would work for lower wages compared to those in the large cities because the costs of living in those rural areas was much lower. They could ship raw materials in and finished goods out back to the cities. They could even ship them economically to smaller communities by the railroad. There was similar uproar about forcing them to bring the factories back into the cities where they had been based. What we are seeing now is just the same thing globally. If you want to know why America was such a huge manufacturing base it was because of WWI and WWII. The rest of the western worlds manufacturing abilities were crushed during the world wars. Since America was so far away we were able to make everything the world needed for a few decades. Now the rest of the world has caught up and there is no advantage to making it in the US. The bottom line is that it costs more to make it here no matter what laws and tariffs are put in place. The only thing trying to force manufacturing back to America does is hurt US consumers. We either pay higher prices for goods made in the US or higher prices on foreign made goods because of tariffs. It takes more money out of our pockets to try and bring back US steel and manufacturing. The genie is out of the bottle and there is nothing anyone can do to bring us back to the 1940s through 70s manufacturing domination we enjoyed.
I bought a HF press because I occasionally need to use a press. I can spend $150 on it and have it when I need to do small jobs or pay $25 to $50 each time I need a press to a local shop that will do it for me. Financially it was the best use of my money and time to buy the press. I don't use it commercially and that's not what it was designed for. It was made for occasional use by people at home. I have already used it enough times to justify the purchase and it's still like new.
The laws in this country protect workers on the job (osha) and protect their rights. Environmental regulations make sure they aren't poisoning the air, water, and ground in the areas where they are located. The taxes go toward making the communities they are based in better. Those places make use of the roads, fire, and police services as well as many other tax payer funded programs locally and at the state and federal level. Liability? Not sure what that is about maybe you think they shouldn't be held financially responsible for faulty or dangerous products that cause harm to the people using them.
I don't care where something is made. I buy the product I need. If I need a cheap press I buy a cheap press. If I needed a high quality press for commercial use then that is what I would buy. Nobody is buying a $1200 commercial press for their home workshop unless they have more money than they know what to do with. 99.9% of home users will never need that expensive press and a cheap chinese press will work just fine for what we need to do. If you own a shop and make money with a press then get a good one. Nobody would be able to afford to do anything at home if everything was made in the US. Everything would be priced out of reach.
If you want to be mad at someone be mad at the GOP who don't want to do anything about paying workers a living wage. Wal Mart employees get about $6 billion a year in government assistance because Wal Mart is not forced to pay them a living wage. So you and I and every other tax payer in the country subsidize Wal Mart employees pay. Every other company in the nation that pays minimum wage is the same way. Maybe we could afford to buy more American made products if those companies paid their employees enough to live on instead of paying them as little as possible and letting the government pick up the slack with food stamps, housing assistance, and other programs.
Your lack of knowledge about the root causes of manufacturing moving overseas and why Americans can only afford to buy less expensive foreign products is very telling. You have a strong opinion about a subject but you don't know the first damn thing about it. You simply think that because you want something to be true means it will be. That's not how the world works. You can't bring back the good old days. You can move forward and work toward actually making the nation stronger with good legislation and leadership or you can sit on your porch thinking about how great things used to be and watch China, India, and a lot of other countries sail right past us on the world stage because you wanted to MAGA. Your ignorance of global trade coupled with your opinion that the US can strong arm the rest of the world is a major problem for this country. We have 330 million people and the rest of the world is about 7,100 million people. They really and truly don't need us. They can get anything we can make somewhere else and they will as long as people like you refuse to accept that we will never be the manufacturing giant we used to be.
@@ClownWhisper ,In response to your long-winded diatribe about Bush,The Republicans,etc,I would just say Clinton was the president when NAFTA was enacted.It was his job to see that Bill for what it was(a Bill that was ruinous to American businesses)and veto the shit out of it.He didn't do this,evidently he spent his time chasing tail and getting blow jobs in the WH instead of looking out for America's interests and her people.The Republicans aren't innocent,they played their part as well but it was CLINTON who allowed NAFTA to get passed.It is the single worst piece of legislation passed in the history of our country,In my opinion,and has done the most damage to our country.
I love the knob, good job
Thanks, it is probably the most used improvement.
I also put a knob on mine. I like the pins you put on the bottom plates, I might do that too.
Thanks. I am not sure why in this instance Harbor Freight does not include, at least, some sort of plastic knob.
Nice upgrades. I need to do some of those to mine also.
Thanks. There are a couple other ideas floating around my head for improvements on the hydraulic press, but I need some time to work them out. Thanks for the comment.
I also took two electrical conduit 'minerallac' straps and bolted them to the top press support facing up to hold the jack handle. Works great.
I am not familiar with those. I will have to look into that. Thank you.
Very cool video. You are more handy and creative than I am. I have a lathe, surface grinder, and a couple Cincinnatis that I use at my sharpening business. None of them are CNC. I want a mill eventually. I really enjoyed this video
Sounds like you have a lot of really nice tools. Perhaps you'll find a project that sparks your interest. Thanks for comments. I appreciate them.
Great mods. Thanks for sharing. I'll probably copy all of them :)
Very kind. Thanks.
Always enjoy watching someone's ideas come to life. A couple of machining suggestions for you. Get a vee block to hold round parts in your mill vice. A vee block provides three point contact on the circumference of a round part. Holding a round part with two point contact on the circumference is not secure and the part can come out of the vice while you are machining. Also, get an arbor and a selection of slitting saws. Turn your work sideways, put your mill in back gear, use a very slow speed, use cutting oil and slit your slots. You will not break any cutters if you take your time and you will won't be breaking any more little carbide end mills.
Thanks for the very helpful suggestions. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. I am completely onboard with the Vee block idea, I just don't have any small ones at this point, but I intend to solve that issue. I like the slitting saw idea quite a bit. I have some, but have only ever used the very thin ones. Next time.
I really like all the improvements you have done to that press, it is
" Im PRESS ive " lol
Punny. Thanks.
Excellent video sir. Thank you
Thank you for watching and commenting.
Greetings from Australia, I have a similar press to this, I did the same thing to the blocks except I taped studs instead of dowels and the cross beams that sit on the height pins used to slide sideways and to stop that I drilled holes in them and put the height pins through the cross beams and that stopped the sideways movement and gained two more inches between the bottom of the jack and the plates
Great suggestion. Thanks for sharing.
I put 2 different sized lengths of PVC tubing over each spring to contain things should one break = Safety!
nice work!
Great idea. Kida like garage springs that have the rods running down the centers. Nice.
Definitely, like the upgrades, the cool part of this is the mods could be done with just a drill press, grinder some files and a some creative ideas in the hardware store too ,but having a mill and a lathe is always badass!
I love that you can see a way to make the parts with other tools. I am terrible at hand work and have massive appreciation for those that have decent hand eye coordination. If you choose to make similar parts by hand, I hope you shoot it and upload the results. I would love to see it and I am sure that I am not alone.
Dudley Toolwright It’s about figuring out a challenge without the right tools 😂 where there is a will there is a way. I would like to make a video of it honestly, If I can afford to do it, I’ll do it! Challenge accepted.
You make it and I'll watch it. I look forward to seeing it. It's easy to have a machine make an accurate part, but it takes skill to do it by hand.
Dudley Toolwright It will take me a bit too get the press ,but I can do it! I want to start a welding and repair/restoration company/youtube channel.
great stuff
Very kind, thanks.
I may make some of these improvements to my press. Thanks.
Your welcome. I am glad I might have helped.
Nice work bud !!
Thanks!
Those are Good ideas for the press, I need 2 of those knobs for my press and cherry picker
Thanks. I think if I had the project to do over, I would have made the whole part rather than a slip on knob. It wouldn't have taken much more work.
You always have good useful projects, thanks (Much like Mr Pragmatic Lee) I always find that my CCMT insert gets a much better finish on gummy steel for some reason than my CNMG or WNMG or even DCMT. Don't know why but it's always true for me on my 13x40 lathe.
Interesting note on the ccmt inserts. It might be fun to compare multiple insert geometries with the same nose radius's and see what differences we might discover. Thanks for the interesting observation.
Just subbed. Thanks now i can rig up a hydraulic tubing Bender for both rigid EMT and exhaust tubing. Saved us a lot of money.
Thanks for the sub! I am glad something I was doing was helpful.
@@DudleyToolwright i wonder if the same thing can be done with a engine hoist hydraulic cylinder. I may just go to Harbor Freight get the dimensions and weld something up
@@jdtv...9134 I'd love to see your project.
@@DudleyToolwright in do time. Funds are the main issue atm🖐🙏
Hi, my 20 ton uses an up side down jack which means you can fix the jack to the top frame. This removes all play in the ram arm making a much more accurate press when you have a part trying to “cock” to one side. There are TH-cam videos showing how to do this relatively simple mod. I took a more simple approach to stopping the support bars from slipping by drilling a 1/4” hole through the bar where they sit under the support frame and continued the hole through the support frame. The holes in the frame were then enlarged slightly and chamfered. Next I pushed a 1/4” rod through the hole in the bar and left about 1/4” sticking out both sides. Theses lugs lock into the hole in the frame and stop all movement. To remove the bars you just lift the frame slightly and rotate and pull it the bars straight out. Works very well and no machining. I love your videos and appreciate the time you take to make them. I just wanted to suggest another modification you could look at doing, the up side down jack, as it really does make your press feel and work like a much more expensive unit and the pins is just another answer to the same problem but for those without a lathe. Cheers mate, Stuart 🇦🇺
Great suggestions, thanks. I had briefly thought about an upside down jack but forgot about the idea when I got to the design. You make a lot of good points, and I think you are right that it would make for a much better operating experience. I like your support bar solution. That one never occurred to me. Necessity is the mother of invention. I realize that the more tools I get, the fewer creative workarounds I come up with. Thanks for the comments.
Ohhh you are so right about creativity! I have exactly the same problem. Just recently I bought and found all the parts to make something and thankfully just before I got started a much much simpler way dawned on me. I think in future I will make myself K.I.S.S it before I start.
Cheers my friend. 👍👍👍🇦🇺
K.I.S.S. it is. By the way, I've visited Melbourne where my sister and brother in law lived for 5 years and I love your country. Amazingly creative and friendly people. Cheers.
Thanks mate, that’s very kind of you to say. I’m in Canberra but we go to Melbourne 3-4 time a year to visit family. 😁😁🇦🇺
nice mods,i have the same press and will likely add a couple if not all of your ideas. i mounted mine on 7 inch swivel locking casters from home depot,in fact most of my equipment in the shop is on wheels which makes cleaning up and rearanging a breeze
I was considering casters as well. It is great to know that they work safely. I was a might concerned, because the manual said the press had to be bolted to the ground, but there was never a chance of that. I put casters at the opposite end of the spectrum from bolted. Thanks or the idea.