So I need this thing on wheels for space reasons. Its gonna block the garage door basically if I need to get stuff in I have to move it.
I think I am going to reuse these 4 leveling casters I have been saving forever in my drawer.
I also changed the bed to be bolted in place with adjustable height holes. Added a lower permanent crossmember to replace it for stiffness. Any reason not to do this?
The legs of the press... The 6' vertical pieces made of 5x3 tube.
I think what he's attempting to say, is that your tubing has a wall thickness that might not be adequate to hold the bolts without elongating, or otherwise distorting, the holes in the tubing. So...........if you weld a bit of plate where the holes will be, it would increase the wall thickness at that location. In other words, you be increasing the thickness at the hole through the tubing by 1/2" if you choose 1/2" plate to reinforce the hole. More meat to resist the force the bolts apply to the tubing.
I think what he's attempting to say, is that your tubing has a wall thickness that might not be adequate to hold the bolts without elongating, or otherwise distorting, the holes in the tubing. So...........if you weld a bit of plate where the holes will be, it would increase the wall thickness at that location. In other words, you be increasing the thickness at the hole through the tubing by 1/2" if you choose 1/2" plate to reinforce the hole. More meat to resist the force the bolts apply to the tubing.
Im not sure because he posted a picture of his press and stated his uprights are 1/8" wall tube and in his photo theres a pin through them. In my example the pin is just substituted for a bolt.
Worst case I just weld it at one height but I would prefer a range of adjustment. That said the height of the hydraulic pump reservoir might make that an issue regardless for mounting space. I need a smaller reservoir though I found them online for like $60. I would just like to prove the system works before throwing extra money at those items.
Picking up the 1/4" tube this week anyhow. It has to be special ordered I guess 5x3 isnt a common size.
Last edited by BrooklynBravest; 01-28-2022 at 07:40 AM.
I guess he was referring to the very bottom horizontal as the legs.
So the question I guess goes back to how hefty does that wall need to be. 10" channel can be varying thickness. I see most of these builds using more tonnage without much for the uprights.
If I have to laminate it I will, but the lack of symmetry with the top thickness makes my OCD sad...
Bolts are not quite the same as pins, in that they can be tightened, imparting some friction to resist movement. However in your design that may or may not be much because the uprights are tubes. One option would be to bore large holes in the tubes and weld in heavy wall tubes so the bolts are supported along their entire length and can be tightened against the ends of these horizontal welded-in tubes. Those tubes would not need to extend beyond the surface of the verticals.
I think his concern is that 20 tons pushing on 2 bolts(1/2 total load, one side only) in two 1/4" walls may cause the tube below the bolts to deform stretching the holes out. I suppose an engineer could calculate the movement based on the contact of the bolts with the bottom radius of the holes(precision might be a factor) and the yield strength of the tube material.
Bolts are not quite the same as pins, in that they can be tightened, imparting some friction to resist movement. However in your design that may or may not be much because the uprights are tubes. One option would be to bore large holes in the tubes and weld in heavy wall tubes so the bolts are supported along their entire length and can be tightened against the ends of these horizontal welded-in tubes. Those tubes would not need to extend beyond the surface of the verticals.
I think his concern is that 20 tons pushing on 2 bolts(1/2 total load, one side only) in two 1/4" walls may cause the tube below the bolts to deform stretching the holes out. I suppose an engineer could calculate the movement based on the contact of the bolts with the bottom radius of the holes(precision might be a factor) and the yield strength of the tube material.
This is the fix. Drill larger holes & weld in sleeves or bushings for the bolts to go thru. Problem with thru bolt connections on tubular members is the tighter you pull the bolts, the more you squeeze the tube. Bushings or sleeves eliminate that deformation of the tube.
This is damn near made of paper and supports 20t without flinching.
That's 20t, not 40t, and with larger pins than the bolts that have been mentioned. I'm not too worried about catastrophic failure. That's a low bar to clear. It's the holes deforming over time that would worry me. Maybe that's 1 use, maybe 1000. I'd much rather build for 1000. You don't think you'll use it much, but a well built machine just sitting there will call for more projects.
That's 20t, not 40t, and with larger pins than the bolts that have been mentioned. I'm not too worried about catastrophic failure. That's a low bar to clear. It's the holes deforming over time that would worry me. Maybe that's 1 use, maybe 1000. I'd much rather build for 1000. You don't think you'll use it much, but a well built machine just sitting there will call for more projects.
Fair enough.
So how about I use 1/4” wall DOM and sleeve it as suggested?
Which then leaves the question do I do a single 1” pin on each side (not gonna use bolt) or do I do a pair of 3/4 pins?
If I do a pair I’m worried I will have alignment issues trying to get 4 holes to line up at different locations.
I anticipate the bed will weigh around 100-150 lbs if I make it 6” tall. So moving it will be a 2 person operation for sure.
Last edited by BrooklynBravest; 01-28-2022 at 09:30 PM.
Master Welder
Originally Posted by Boostinjdm
Mine are 36".
farmersammm liked this post
WeldingWeb Artisan
Reply With Quote
