How to Make a Ring Using a Hydraulic Press

Discover the fundamentals of hydraulic press use to craft stunning shapes out of metal, such as bracelets, rings, beads and small vessels. Mastering this tool and technique will enable you to produce something extraordinary!

Hydraulic presses consist of a sturdy frame into which is installed an hydraulic ram. They can be purchased for about $1000 or constructed yourself for less money using bolt together methods.

1. Select the Metal

An hydraulic press makes it possible to create your own metal blanks - from strips of metal or even old inner tubes - using your hydraulic press, from which you can make bracelets, cuffs and pendants from these blanks.

Hydraulic presses come in many varieties, yet all function essentially the same way. A frame, cylinder with piston and ram inside it and set of hydraulic hoses transfer fluid between these elements via hydraulic power to transfer hydrauic fluid between cylinder and frame through hydraulic power. Hydraulic power creates high pressures and heat levels which may wear on some materials more easily than others; for this reason the best hydraulic presses use durable, sturdy materials that withstand both.

Hydraulic power is generated through the pressure built up within hydraulic fluid. This pressure is transferred from the cylinder to the die by way of a ram that either travels horizontally or vertically according to press design, driven by an eccentric gear or crankshaft to press against and shape blanks against them.

Hydraulic presses have long been in existence, and their basic principals remain unchanged. Pascal's principle-pressure throughout a closed system-holds true.

In this workshop you will explore the limits and discover new design opportunities with metal. You will learn the fundamental operations of a hydraulic press before learning embossing and silhouette forming techniques as you create earrings using a pancake die. Finally, more advanced anticlastic and synclastic techniques will be explored while making pendants and bracelets.

2. Make the Die

Hydraulic presses use liquid to transfer force using Pascal's principle and are classified either as oil presses or water presses depending on which liquid transfers the pressure. Large total pressure hydraulic presses can be found used for forging and stamping processes while smaller presses may also be found used in machine shops for blanking and forming.

Hydraulic pressure is applied to a platen and then applied directly to the metal and die, pushing against it with hydraulic force in order to create the new shape desired by hydraulic forming blocks positioned over it and dies, pushing against it as hydraulic press is used. This type of forming is often done on pipes to make them rounder and thinner. A hydraulic press may also be used for stretching metal sheets into larger contoured parts such as flanges, bellows or turbine disks for jet engines.

Richard demonstrated two methods for pressing metal: using a vise and hydraulic press. When using the former, Richard begins by sizing and annealing his metal, adding three or four rubber inserts onto any negative spaces in the die, along with Plexiglas to prevent sticking of pressed metal on its bottom surface. Finally, cranking his hydraulic press until desired depth was reached.

After pressing, a ring must be cleaned and annealed again for further processing before being polished. Annealing helps eliminate wrinkles caused by pressing metal into its die, and Richard provides information on adding additional inserts for thickening it to create an impressive and unique textured surface that looks stunning when complete.

3. Set the Bed

The hydraulic press is a large machine that utilizes hydraulic power to crush something, also known as a machine press or Bramah press after its inventor, Joseph Bramah. A hydraulic press works using Pascal's law, which states that pressure in confined fluid remains constant when exerted force is transferred across its area; by harnessing this principle hydraulic presses can increase your force with minimum effort to press heavy materials with greater effectiveness.

Hydraulic presses feature a plate called a "bolster," typically bolted directly to their bed, that features holding features like T-slots or tapped holes to secure tooling to it. Once hydraulic fluid is released to lift and push up on the plunger against this surface, pressure will apply against anything between it and its target surface; crushing any of its target materials between this pressure.

Before using a hydraulic press, it's vitally important to inspect its condition thoroughly. Be on the lookout for leaks and make sure all fittings are tightened securely; keep hydraulic fluid clean; ensure all hoses are coupled; use tape or color coding on hydraulic lines in order to avoid cross-coupling; tape off or color code lines to avoid accidents caused by cross-coupling and tape off any suspected leakages - or else the hot, high-pressure spray of hydraulic fluid could injure yourself! If detecting an imminent threat is imminent, be careful before undertaking repairs as this could otherwise result in injury from hot, high-pressure spray of hydraulic fluid escaping and spray back out into your face!

Always ensure you wear and follow all necessary safety equipment when operating a hydraulic press, including wearing your required safety equipment and adhering to appropriate procedures. Be mindful of potential dangers such as pinch points, crushing or mechanical injury, chemical exposure and airborne contaminants. If any discomfort, pain or numbness occurs immediately inform your supervisor.

4. Crank the Hydraulic

When an ordinary mallet or hammer just isn't up to the job, use a hydraulic press instead to apply significant force with precision. These powerful machines are used for metalworking applications including cutting, bending, drawing, coining and forging metal into shapes impossible to do manually.

Hydraulic presses come in all shapes and sizes, from table top models to massive presses that apply hundreds of tons of pressure. Programmable hydraulic presses provide flexibility in terms of force application as well as maintaining full pressure throughout their stroke - this makes them suitable for many manufacturing and production operations.

Mechanical presses rely on crank mechanisms to generate force; hydraulic presses create their own pressure using fluid. This allows them to apply force more gradually while reaching higher levels of pressure than mechanical presses can achieve. Furthermore, hydraulic presses tend to be quieter - a perfect choice for offices concerned about noise levels.

One of the primary applications of hydraulic presses is in automotive parts manufacturing, from windshield wiper blades to gear housings. Hydraulic presses also have extensive uses in industry from steel fabrication to creating electronic components.

Hydraulic presses have multiple purposes in addition to hydraulic baling: this process compacts different forms of waste metal into more convenient formats for storage and transportation, or for repurposing. Furthermore, scrap balers may also be used to crush and compact various industrial equipment and machinery for reuse purposes.

5. Release the Pressure

Hydraulic presses can be an indispensable asset to jewelry-makers' arsenals; however, they also present significant injury risks. This course will teach you how to safely operate and utilize a hydraulic press in your jewelry-making journey. We'll cover the various metal types available for production with hydraulic presses as well as how to apply and release pressure safely - plus various tips and tricks for using pancake dies and accessories such as pancake die holders! Additionally we will discuss manual versus electric presses, press parts maintenance procedures as well as differentiating between manual vs electric models and many more!

Hydraulic presses work by exploiting Pascal's law, which amplifies force exerted by small areas of material being compressed. This principle lies at the heart of many machines including hydraulic presses.

The press itself consists of a strong steel frame with an internal hydraulic cylinder mounted. When you turn on the pump, oil flows into the cylinder through an opening connected to its piston rod and creates pressure which moves one plate against another plate. A pressure gauge monitors this amount while there's also a relief valve to safeguard against overflow.

Hydraulic press rings can be stunningly fascinating pieces, whether they're creating something symmetrical or abstract. Richard offers some of his most popular techniques in his collection of pressed metal jewelry; including roller-printed shapes with curves or points for manipulation as well as how to use the press to make personalized shapes and textures in metal; then using pancake dies along with other tools for even greater creativity.