I had built/rebuilt this press. I built the frame probably when I was 17 or 18. It used a 20 ton bottle jack which was complete pain in the ass but worked marginally satisfactory for 20 some odd years. I bought the 4 3/4 bore cylinder at a swap meet for little nothing. Motor came from something I scraped. I bought new pump for everyone's favorite place surplus center. I had a little bigger pump on it but it stall the motor out buy the time it build pressure. I dont remember the displacement off the new one...its small. Right pressure relief is set at 1500 pissys; and that's about all it will suffer for now till I get bigger table pins and add to the top. 14 ton at the moment. Want to hit 18 ton
I've got a Dake press I got at a auction. It is 25 ton manual. The pins on it are 3/4. The steel on that one looks everybit as strong as my factory built one. I would think you could increase the relief pressure some to get more out of it. I think mine is made from 6" channel. I got a smoking deal on it. Paid $200 for it about 10 years ago
I think the frame has plenty there. I drilled all the holes 1 1/16. My old half inch drill and I did not much like that. I order 1 inch 4140 from mcmaster carr. Like to give it the onions at 2000 pissys
Here it is a full stroke.. I wanted the rod to damn near come to the table that way it sorta eliminate janky set up with pushers and parallels. There is table top that is removable if necessary. Most pressing can be done threw the hole....and I was tired shit falling through and landing on my feet. The other is press brake my nephew made. Very handy. One of those things that you'd think you would never need till you got one. With the cylinder filled retracted has large working bubbles cutting down on table orientation. Will probably cut a 3x6 hole in side frame to allow a shaft. It is 3/8 webbed
Handy setup! -- my presses are a Continental 25 ton and an hf 12 ( i think) ton,---little one does decent, BUT throws stuff out and have to watch how you set work in there so it flys the other way IF it goes airborne! lol!
"A machine you build yourself is a vote for a different way of life. There are things you have to earn with your hands."