Had to pick between a power hammer and a press for my first big tool upgrade

I saved up for about a year and had $3,500 set aside for a new piece of equipment. It came down to a used 25lb Little Giant power hammer or a 12-ton hydraulic press from a local guy. I went with the press because it fit in my small garage shop better. It's been great for drawing out stock, but I still have to do a lot of the shaping by hand. Anyone have tips for getting cleaner bends on a press without a dedicated die set?

3 comments

3 Comments

patking2mo agoMost Upvoted

Solid choice on the press for space. Cleaner bends are tough without custom dies. Try making some simple radius blocks from scrap steel. A piece of round bar welded to a plate can work for a consistent curve. Go slower than you think on the hydraulics, let the metal move. Sometimes a few light presses work better than one big smash.

caleb_ellis2mo ago

My buddy tried that exact thing patking mentioned with the round bar. He rushed the press and ended up with a weird flat spot in the middle. Learned the hard way that slow wins the race.

nathan19329d ago

Does the voice in your head tell you to go faster when you really should be crawling? I made that mistake too. Tried to get a crisp 90 degree bend in one shot and ended up with a piece that looked like a sad taco. Cheap steel dies from a scrapyard work fine if you grind them to shape, just don't expect perfect results on the first try.