20-Ton Press Built From Scrap Iron

20-Ton Press Built From Scrap Iron FARM SHOP Tools 34-4-37 Larry Genge, Glovertown, Newfoundland; ph 709 533-2798, l_dgenge @yahoo.ca: "I built this 20-ton press from scrap metal, using 10-in. channel iron for the side posts and 6-in. channel iron for the bed. I can use 3 different sizes of interchangeable dies with it, ranging from 3/4 to 1 1/2 in. The hood springs off an old car help raise the bed. My cost to build it was next to nothing - the biggest expense was $100 for the jack. I got the channel iron in return for repairing someone's road tractor, which was a day's work. "I got tired of the flimsy handles coming unscrewed on my imported drill press. The press had three short, thin screw-in handles that stuck out at an angle and provided no leverage. The handles pulled hard, and I couldn't keep them tight because the threads often stripped where the handles were screwed on. "To solve the problem I replaced the handles with a big 12-in. dia. wheel that came off a valve. The wheel has four l1 by 1/2-in. dia. metal handles welded on with knobs, scrounged from hydraulic control levers, friction-fitted to the ends. When using small bits with the drill press I just hold onto the wheel, but when using large bits I hold onto the handles to get more leverage. The improvement in the way my drill press handles now is beyond belief."

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