Hydraulic press

[Colin OsborneParticipant @colinosborne20186]

[Colin OsborneParticipant @colinosborne20186]

Hi all,

Well, I've completed the mods to the compound slide and the saddle and I am very pleased with the results.

Now to get on with changing the supplied headstock bearings for the tapered type.Not too much of a problem, but… (there's always a but!) the dismantling requires you to press out the spindle and bearings. I have not got a hydraulic press but I was thinking about getting one anyway. Does anyone know what the press weight (tons) the spindle and bearings will require?

The reason I ask is because I do not have much room and the press will have to be one of the bench types. I have seen two weights 4ton and 10ton. Either would be ideal but the 4 ton is £50-£60 cheaper. If I can get away with it, the 4 ton would do me fine as I don't envisage using it that much, although it will come in handy.

Yes, I know, some of you will say get the higher rated one, you never know when it will be needed. But when I was working we had three presses, a 10 ton a 50 ton and a bl**%y massive one. The big one was only used twice in the 22 years I was there!

Cheers, Colin.

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

If this is the C3 lathe, then bearings and spindle can be removed with some pretty basic drawing gear….

Neil, where are you please?

Neil has some pictures of the basic stuff required…threaded rod, spacers, nuts that sort of thing….

I didnt use a press when I did mine….iirc…

Edited By John Rudd on 03/02/2017 19:11:49

[Colin OsborneParticipant @colinosborne20186]

Yes Neil. where are you!!!

Thanks John, I did think about a bearing removal tool that has the weights that you slide along a bar and it acts like a hammer. Trouble is I never liked them. Or, rather, they didn't like me! Still have all my fingers, but only just.

Let's see what Neil can come up with!.

Colin.

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

Colin,

I didnt mean using a slide hammer…..thats likely to throw the headstock out……

Using threaded rod down the bore with spacers on the casting to jack the spindle out…….I've seen some pictures but cant remember where…..

<shouts> Neil……help….

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I'm here.

To be honest I am surprised I looked at this thread – 'Hydraulic Press' doesn't really seem to be intended to get my attention… contrary to popular opinion I don't read EVERYTHING!

Cripes should you use a 4 or a 10 ton press?

I used some 1" angle iron, plenty of M10 studding and a picador flywheel puller.

Rather than dig up my article, you can follow Arc Euro Trade's photo-based step by step here:

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/projects/C3_BC/pages/

But if you don't want to use a press, you should be able to drift the spindle out of the front bearing without any damage . My description of how to do this on an X2 mill (which is effectively the same spindle) is here:

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/reviews/MEW201_p52_58_X2_Mill.pdf

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 03/02/2017 19:40:02

[Colin OsborneParticipant @colinosborne20186]

Hi Neil,

Yes, I have seen the step by step guide, I've printed out the relevant pages so I can use them in the workshop. Your method was quite ingenious!

It's not that I don't want to use a press, in fact, I like the idea of having one, it's just that it would seem easier and possibly safer, as far as sod's law goes for me! I would hate to end up damaging something that would cost a packet to repair/replace. However, if it comes to it, then I'll be using your method, I don't really fancy whacking the end of the spindle, albeit with a block of wood protecting it! Now, that IS asking for trouble as far as I'm concerned.

John: That's another reason I didn't fancy using the slide hammer, as I said, we don't get on together.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Colin.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Colin,

A 4 tonne one will be fine, it's more about constant force that absolute force.

I have a long reach broaching press with a 16" travel but it's only 10 tonne in fact I suspect it's not even that.

I know this will do bearing changes on the Sieg's as i have done loads and the pressure gauge hardy breaks a sweat.

In fact a 20mm keyway broach and that's a big baby, only gets up to about 4 tonnes. If a broach start to get over 4 tonnes you know it's tipping and taking a larger tapered cut.

[Colin OsborneParticipant @colinosborne20186]

Thank you very much John, I was hoping that the 4 ton would be okay. I have to go to my son's in Worcester tomorrow and I hope to pick one up there, it will be a useful addition to the small workshop!

From my experience in the past we used the 10 ton press far more than the other presses, and that was usually overkill anyway. As you say, it's the constant pressure that tends to work. We have left a job in the press before now and gone and had a cuppa and found, when we came back it had done its job! Once it went with a loud 'crack' and made one of the mechanics spill his tea.

Cheers, Colin.

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