Fly press resources

[Peter Mills 3Participant @petermills3]

Hi, does anyone know of a good resource for information about fly presses? I have been searching for old books etc and have some nice ones on general sheet metal work, but can't seem to locate anything dedicated to fly presses. I own a Norton 3s which I am renovating, and would like to start making some tooling etc. There are some useful youtube videos, but I was looking for something more original to shed light on all the possible uses. Thanks in advance. Pete

[Peter Mills 3Participant @petermills3]

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Stamping dies are stamping dies, whether used in a fly press, crankshaft press or hydraulic press, they all use the same principles. So you might look at some old books on general stamping press tool and die making. There are a few on Google books. I dont think the flypress was ever a popular enough home workshop tool for there to be home workshop type books on their use. (No doubt now I;ve said that, someone will come up with the exact thing!).

 

 

Edited By Hopper on 03/01/2019 08:57:54

[Anonymous]

Agreed that flypresses do seem to be quite rare in the home workshop. But Hopper is right, there are plenty of resources for press tooling, albeit not directly related to flypresses. I've made stamping and press tooling for my flypress just using the generic literature as a guide.

Andrew

[AJWParticipant @ajw]

I recently sold a Hadley No2 flypress, very useful at times but I couldn’t justify the space it took up.

Alan

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Peter, I had a copy of this at one time. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Fly-Press-DVD-Blacksmithing-Forging-Wrought-Iron-/250299483954?_ul=EC

It is quite informative, but not exactly like a Bible.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 03/01/2019 13:34:39

[Peter Mills 3Participant @petermills3]

Thanks to all for your quick replies. I suppose in my ignorance I thought there would be some nice old books covering, what seems a bit of lost knowledge. I'll take the advice and search for general stamping press tool and die making. I do have a nice set of books on sheet metal work, by F Horner and J.A. Oates which covers a fair bit of stamping work in volume 2. Most of the web resources seem to be focused on using them as a anvil. You are right Alan, they are hard to justify the space, but I think they are a fascinating tool with so many potential uses. Some of the things I was trying to find out are as follows: My Norton 3S has a thread inside the ram where the tool clamps in, which looks about 1" BSW. I had thought that these were normally either a 9/16" or 1" plain socket? It also has the slot at the rear of the throat, which I believe is for a bar to be inserted that then allows tubular work. Would love to see what these actually look like, so I could make one up? Pete

Edited By Peter Mills 3 on 03/01/2019 13:48:56

[Peter Mills 3Participant @petermills3]

Posted by Nicholas Farr on 03/01/2019 13:27:38:

Hi Peter, I had a copy of this at one time.

**LINK**

It is quite informative, but not exactly like a Bible.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 03/01/2019 13:34:39

Thanks Nick. I did come across this and it does seem that many people use them for forging and wrought iron work these days, especially in the US.

Edited By Peter Mills 3 on 03/01/2019 13:49:08

[BOB BLACKSHAW 1Participant @bobblackshaw1]

When doing fine limit sheetmetal work in the 70s most small jobs were done on a fly press. Shop made guillotine, notching tools, punching holes using machine punch and dies, bending small jobs using Promecam brake press tooling, all to fine limits.

If I had the room a fly press would be top of the list, its endless what can be achieved with one with shop made tooling.

Bob

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Peter, some seem to have a threaded hole in the yoke, while others don't, maybe they were threaded by request when ordering. The slot in the back does seem to suggest a bar can be fitted, but I do have one that is a bar fly press, like the one at the bottom of the scan below.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 03/01/2019 14:28:56

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

Loosely connected but the Jewellery museum in Birmingham is worth a visit they used many fly presses for punching, forming, blanking etc have a look at the link its well worth a visit with many interesting processes "we" use in our hobby, **LINK**
John

[Peter Mills 3Participant @petermills3]

Fascinating stuff and a big thanks to all for your input. I have not seen that catalogue before, so it gives me an idea of what a bar might look like. I am just getting around to do a strip down and clean up, hence the questions, and found that the disc in the yoke is missing, which explains why there is so much slack. The museum looks interesting. I am often over Birmingham way for work, so you never know. I am looking forward to making up some tooling for this. A nice project for the rest of the winter. Thanks again.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

My press came with a collection of dies made with metal strips soldered onto plates that were used to press damp cardboard to emboss it into the sides of HO scale model railway waggons. Dating from before plastic injection moulding.

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