Fly press arms

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

I need an arm for the press,. they typically fit into a tapered boss, anyone any ideas as to where i might get one?

thanks

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

[Nick HulmeParticipant @nickhulme30114]

Unless you can find a scrap press I can't think of a source, I've never seen a press with a spare and I've never seen one on it's own.

I'm sure you could fabricate one if you have the use of an arc welder, you'll want the optional spherical weight(s) and somewhere to put it, your press will not fulfil it's potential without weight(s)

– Nick

[peak4Participant @peak4]

I was quite fortunate, as I found a small fly press at a steam rally without an arm, so It came dirt cheap as no-one wanted it. Roll on to a different steam rally a year or two later, and I came across an arm without a press or weight, albeit with too large a hole in the central boss.

It's octagonal and tapered, but a sheet of stainless, carefully bent to shape made up a shim to fill the gap, and it works fine.

Roll on a year or so and a different steam rally/autojumble where I found a cast iron ball to complete the trio; the paint even matched the previously acquired arm..

I've just been using it to bend up some 25x5mm stainless bar to fit roof snowboards to the new house.

Edited By peak4 on 24/12/2016 20:40:36

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

Thanks, ive given up and bought a new hydraulic press instead.

[Nick HulmeParticipant @nickhulme30114]

Keep looking or make one, hydraulics don't replicate all the capabilities of a fly press, a fully equipped workshop needs fly, arbour, toggle and hydraulic presses

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

That’s dedication for you windy.
Giving up after a one day search over Christmas

[HacksawParticipant @hacksaw]

When i were a lad , ….

The circus came to the village ,and the ring master i guess , comes in the forge asking if we could straighten their tent pegs. Now , the boss rarely turned away extra work for us "boys" , and agreed , probably a £1 each .

( That was what road breaker points cost to do anyway , "Pound a point " )

And there arrives, dozens and dozens , if not hundreds , of these bent 3ft x 1 1/4 " tent pegs , made from Re-bar , for the Big Top . This means lots of coke burnt ££££..and a striker £££ (with the sledge hammer ) (2 blokes time .. money ) . So the boss goes off, and buys an hydraulic press , top model, brand new !! Most modern bit of kit in the forge ! All shiny and new !

So we get one hot , slip it under the press on a "bridge"and start pumping….and it straightens it like butter in seconds !! The pressure gauge barely moves……. Next one , just cherry red, pump pump , straightens it , piss easy !! Pressure gauge still barely registers anything…

"Right lad , we'll do 'em cold… "

1st one cold .. the needle nears the red..but it does it ! Quite a bit of effort needed to pump it mind. A few more and there's this almighty BANG ..and two bits of 1 1/4" rebar hurtling across the forge …No-one killed

All the rest had to be put in the fire first .

You never can tell what scrap was made into rebar ! I think that one was an engine block or brake disc once.

And thats why fly presses are great , a wee , bob bob bob ,nice an gentle .. And hydraulic ones are all or nothin

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

I totally agree with one and all, but two weeks of searching and nothing, regardless of cost and a tight deadline made me go to the dark side. God bless my soul.

[Author]

Posts