IT RUNS! Heat Press - build thread

[jaywood]

Got some more done this week.

Here's the base fully welded up. Casters will be placed on the 4 corners, rated at 1000lb/caster (hope that's enough :p). There are 6 brackets on the 2x6 cross braces that hold the rams. I drilled them using a Klein step drill...wow. I always thought those step drills were overrated but wow....drilling 3/4"+ holes is so easy now. It drilled like butter!







Obligatory pic of welds again







Here are the 2 aluminum plates. They are both a bit over 4'x8'. One is 3/8" and the other is 1".





So I built another 2x3 frame that will hold the 3/8" aluminum plate. You can see it resting on top of the base. I also put up one of the upright supports just for reference. This thing is going to be huge. (BTW, I'm surprised these sawhorses are holding that much weight TBH).





And that's where I left off for the week!

[jaywood]

Got some more stuff done on the press. Took it off the "welding table" and put it on the ground. Welded on some casters rated at +1000lbs each.







All 6 rams mounted.

[gwb72tii]

Quality welds are a thing of beauty
Very nice

[jaywood]

Quality welds are a thing of beauty
Very nice

Thanks man :)

[tom d]

(BTW, I'm surprised these sawhorses are holding that much weight TBH).

why would you be surprise? lets say you have 650 pounds up there, there's 8 legs and so there's only 80 lbs per leg. each leg is a 1.25"x1.25"x0.125" and the stress is being held in compression. as long as the weight is stable and being held vertical those horses can easily handle three times that much weight or more.

nice job on the welds, wish I could weld like that.

[squidmaster]

That is extremely cool! Love the work!

[FlexdXJ]

You shit on all of our fab skills with those welds! Nice Job!

[jaywood]

why would you be surprise? lets say you have 650 pounds up there, there's 8 legs and so there's only 80 lbs per leg. each leg is a 1.25"x1.25"x0.125" and the stress is being held in compression. as long as the weight is stable and being held vertical those horses can easily handle three times that much weight or more.

nice job on the welds, wish I could weld like that.

Thanks for the comments. These saw horses are very old and rusty. Good design but not built to hold up a bunch of weight.

That is extremely cool! Love the work!

You shit on all of our fab skills with those welds! Nice Job!

Thanks for the kind words guys :)

[jaywood]

Just incase we ever have to dismantle this thing I made it so the supports can be bolted on/off.

[ST1G]

That aluminium couldn't have been cheep. Looks awesome. Great welds mate. Can't wait to see this thing done.

[JCarp90]

I hate seeing threads full of things you build. Makes me feel like a retard.

[jaywood]

That aluminium couldn't have been cheep. Looks awesome. Great welds mate. Can't wait to see this thing done.

I hate seeing threads full of things you build. Makes me feel like a retard.

Thanks for the kind words guys :)



Made 10 of these spacers/bracket things. They hold the top rectangle frame. The 1" aluminum plate gets bolted to this frame.



You can see the brackets here. 5 on each side.



So it was time for paint. I removed the rams and masked off the wheels/bolts. The paint used it rustoleum silver/metallic. Came out looking pretty nice.





A lot of the material won't be showing as it'll be covered w/ MDF and insulation so I didn't bother painted the internal struts.







Up next: Electrical and plumbing :p

[jaywood]

Got the 1" aluminum plate on today. Had to forklift it. It weighs around 600lbs.



Also put on the electrical box. All of the buttons/gauges will be mounted on the face.



Started working on the pneumatic side of things

[Fusion]

How do you plan to heat the plate(s)? What is the estimated pressure?
Looking awesome so far.

[jaywood]

How do you plan to heat the plate(s)? What is the estimated pressure?
Looking awesome so far.

Heating strips that run the width of the aluminum. There will be plenty of them so the heat will be nicely dissipated. Operation temp depends on what we'll be making, but max is 400 F.

Edit: thought you said temperature.....The pressure is sub 100PSI.

Thanks! :)