How to Make Your Own Hydraulic Jewelry Press

An inexpensive hydraulic press makes it possible to "puff" metal into shapes like hearts, stars and triangles in far less time than it takes when done by hand. Furthermore, this technique allows for the creation of textural and three-dimensional forms.

This class is tailored for students who own or are considering purchasing a hydraulic press. Learn how to assemble one on their own frame and cylinders.

How to Build a Hydraulic Jewelry Press

Hydraulic presses are indispensable tools when working with metal, allowing you to create forms from intricate details to symmetrical structures with precision and ease. But buying one may be costly. Here's where a homemade version comes in handy: this video shows how easy and economical building your own hydraulic press can be: just follow this DIY guide from start to finish and you're all set! Once everything has come together, your press is ready for use!

Begin by measuring and cutting pieces of I-beam to form the frame for your press. Next, attach sheets metal pieces to the I-beams as motor mounts; finally add spring-loaded mechanisms to return the main arm to its starting position.

Finally, connect and test the hydraulic system before adding anti-slip pieces of metal to the frame for safety and aesthetic purposes. Alter an old pair of shears as an intermediate handle before making a lever arm with it for main arm movement. Finally, finish by adding anti-slip pieces of metal for both safety and aesthetic purposes to complete this project.

After your hard work, the time has finally come to use your new hydraulic press! For some extra inspiration and tips on making the most of it, watch Richard's video. He suggests using roller-printed metal for added interest, as well as manipulating dies to form curves and points in your metal. He suggests annealing every time you use your press so it becomes softer and easier to shape.

Bonny Doon's hydraulic presses are engineered and constructed to be among the safest on the market, featuring quality rams that allow users to start forming metal right out of the box. Created for jewelers by Bonny Doon themselves, these hydraulic presses offer jewelers an invaluable way to expand their metal forming skills and create custom forms. Play around with silhouette dies for making stylish pierced earrings or give riveting a try; with proper maintenance and care your hydraulic press should outlive its lifetime!

Materials

Hydraulic presses are invaluable tools for metalsmiths. Their innovative technology makes forming metal into different forms quickly and effortlessly; you can create hollow forms, make symmetrical pieces and produce series of identical parts without the tedious process of hand forming or chasing each one individually. A hydraulic press also offers superior precision over other forming methods.

Metalsmiths can purchase commercial hydraulic presses, but for an economical option homebuilders may build their own. All that is needed for homemaking a press is a strong steel frame, hydraulic ram, dies to use in it and dies that take up less floor space compared to other designs - these components should make up the necessary pieces of a C-frame press design.

Dependent upon the size and purpose of your press, you will require either a pancake or blanking die and silhouette die as well as rubber inserts to achieve desired depth of your pressed metal. Richard shows how to cut and weld steel plates together for a welded press as well as making an equally strong bolt together version.

For optimal performance of a hydraulic press, proper maintenance and operation are crucial. Maintenance involves checking fluid levels, replacing hoses as necessary and performing regular inspections - these activities can help avoid accidents while optimizing machine efficiency. Be sure to follow manufacturer's recommendations regarding safe operation as well as using appropriate fluid for your equipment.

If you're searching for the safest hydraulic jewelry press on the market, look for Bonny Doon hydraulic presses as these models were specifically engineered and built for jewelers with high-quality rams suited for jewelry-forming. Bonny Doon presses are more economical than other presses so that you can begin creating right away; laboratory presses also exist so you can test different forming methods before investing in larger production models.

Tools

Hydraulic presses are invaluable tools that make metal shaping and bending effortless, as well as embossing and texturing metal surfaces. However, while there are several kinds of hydraulic presses on the market to purchase, their cost may prove prohibitive for jewelry studios on a budget. If this tool would add value to your studio but doesn't break your budget entirely then consider creating your own hydraulic press instead for less than half the price!

Make Your Own Hydraulic Press | Make Hydraulic Presses for Fun and Profit

Once you have all of the parts for a hydraulic press assembled, it is time to assemble it. First, drill four holes in each piece of metal stock that will become holders for your hydraulic ram. Thread two washers and nuts onto either end of pipe running through holes before screwing threaded stock ends into top platen of press.

Once your hydraulic ram and platen have been assembled, it is time to test your machine. Place your silhouette die onto a flat piece of metal with some urethane for cushioning pressure before placing a piece of "puffed metal" atop and pressing down with pressure on top of the die.

Once again, urethane rises between metal and die, which is actually beneficial; it gives an impression of shape onto the metal and makes it much simpler to remove it from its die and complete its creation. That is why silhouette dies come in such an extensive array of shapes: circles, teardrops, diamonds ovals and hearts are just some examples.

Safety

Machine shops and factory floors may not always provide the safest work environments, even when stringent safety protocols are complied with. Equipment used within these settings can often be inherently dangerous if they are improperly maintained and operated; heavy-duty hydraulic presses present particularly high risk if left improperly managed and maintained; these presses serve many specialized and general uses alike, and an improper setup or use can increase injury risk considerably.

The hydraulic press is an indispensable tool for metalsmiths, providing speedy solutions to many processes from cutting disks and hollow forms formation, to creating textures. In this class, students will discover its endless capabilities while covering the basics of using one in jewelry making.

A hydraulic press is an extremely powerful piece of machinery capable of creating tremendous amounts of pressure to break through metal and other materials. However, its many moving parts may become worn over time due to age or simply from general wear and tear; regular inspections and fluid checks are therefore important in keeping such machines running efficiently.

Oil leaks are one of the primary concerns with hydraulic presses, often due to loose fittings, damaged hydraulic lines or contamination in their lubricant. If left unchecked, this could lead to system failure and chemical hazards for nearby operators - both being potentially deadly consequences.

Lack of adequate pressure is also a frequent issue, requiring timely inspection and repair. A press that has not been properly adjusted or serviced regularly could experience low pressure levels that lead to inaccuracies and slower production times, potentially impacting accuracy. When this occurs, noticeable cycle times decrease or finished products exhibit inaccuracies that should prompt prompt inspection and repairs as soon as possible.

An industrial-sized hydraulic press may be large and expensive, but it is possible to create a smaller version for home or small-scale use at an affordable price. To build your own hydraulic press, start by welding lengths of metal tubing together into a miniature table-like frame for the press head, followed by coring out a hole large enough for it in a wooden tabletop and welding on one-way valves and tubing.