The Metal Artist Forum

You guys gave me the fly press fever and finding one here is quite hard so I am making one

The 4 start thread is nothing for me to do but I need to know how many thread per inch you have on a num 4-5 fly press or how much are you moving in one revolution

there is no saving in making one I have a days work in the frame plus one for the screw and nut and one more day for the ram and guide
but if it cures my fever it will be worth it

here are some pictures of the frame and fly wheel[attachment=6376][attachment=6377][attachment=6378][attachment=6379]


and is the nut in bronze or in cast iron?

Cool project. I hope it works. So far it looks like you have a very solid frame going.

I have the #5, and I'll go take some pics and measurments of the screw in the morning and post them up.

the big problem your going to have is finding a screw and nut that are a pich fast enuf ! you need a fairly stiff pich (like 1 revolutinon a inch) to get the benefits of a fly press like one you buy ... good luck !

no problem for the screw and nut i can do 1/2 thread per inch x4
I will post some picture of the turning it would be nice to show how it is done

so that is one rev for 2 inch travel I think that it is to fast

thanks

Bazz my man.

Once the guys get to know a little better you they won't ask questions like can you come up with a certain thread, or anything else related to skill, improvisation etc.

I recall a thread a while back all about the horrors of spinning SS and there you were setting up your own lathe from truck parts to do just that on a large scale. Taught yourself too as I recall. You have no idea how you had Paul chewing nails over it too. Made me laugh a bit.

It reminded me of Dad's shop, he had a couple of lathes built out of truck parts. He also didn't think SS was such a bogeyman to spin, neither did I.

Keep us in pics while you build that bad boy. Heck, show us what else you've been up to.

Frosty

yes please do, and what I find even more interesting as other than the multi start thread and nuts (don't forget the stop nut). Is your tracing cutting table and your industrial strength work mate work holding table. After you get down with the other stuff could you show us those also!

Bazz,
Nice work; non-machinists don't realize that cutting multiple start screw threads was once, at least, something every respectable machinist was knowledgeable of: I had an older friend who was a retired machinist from Long Island, and he liked to tell the story of how his volunteer fire dept. had contests on how quickly they could couple up the hoses; John's solution was to make multiple start threads on the couplings for his team and use their "secret" weapon to win all the contest. I think most of the negative comments on the web about building your own flypress comes from folks who either don't understand about multiple start threads (Shawn posted a very good explanation a while back) and want to use a big acme thread, or think that multiple start threads are something beyond the realm of mere mortal men (and women) to comprehend, much less machine. Good on you for dispelling the myth.

I see that Freddy is going to get you information on his flypress, so I won't repeat that here. I have the so-called super 5 which Blacksmith's Depot) sells and it has a bit heavier flywheel at ~125 lbs. The female threads in the Indian flypresse frames are cast in, not machined I believe; they definitely are not bronze. I think they are a 4 start thread, but like Duck I sometimes suffer from old-timers' disease and can't remember "stuff."[Doh!]

The only potential problem I see with your approach may be that your frame may not be not heavy enough, but what do I know. All the commercially built fps that I have seen have rather massive cast iron frames to withstand the considerable torsional loads and the sudden stop at the bottom. Your flywheel looks a bit small, but one can't really tell from the photos the scale of what you are building. Keep up the good work and please send more photos as your work progresses.

Like PT, I'd really be interested in seeing more details of your flame cutter; now that's something I'd like to build, and I especially like the fact that yours does not rely on a magnetic tracer.

Thanks again for sharing, and you do great work

Dave and One-eyed Eddie on the Edge of America where the temp. today is supposed to be in the low 80's and it is only the middle of March

I had no idea you were a machinest let alone a knowledgeable one ! Thats great! you will injoy haveing a flypress ... and the ability to make your own screw and nut makes the cost much lower ...cant wait to see the tooling you come up with! keep us posted!

Thanks for your comments every one

Machining multi threads isn't that hard for one ill do it on a lathe but for a small lot it is usal`ly made on a milling with a dividing head connected to the feed screw with the good gear ratio and becomes as simple as making a key way

My fly press fly wheel weighs 80 lbs it could be bigger but it is all I have

I do need the press for ligt work so I can bring close to my work and some time in scafold you will see why lower I did always use my iroworker for my fly press work here is an example [attachment=6398] [attachment=6399] done
cold

Hey Frosty remember the power hammer that we talked about the one that ran with gaz as a linear explosion engine well you will see it running before the end of the year , so you wanted to see what i was up to. heres a picture of some work in progress[attachment=6400]

the tall one close to the stove is one of 3 water carrier that one is the man and a women and a small girl is going with it have to be done in 30 day( That is the reason for the fly press ) the two on the work bench is going out next week end


PT and David the flame cutting machine is magnetic but for wood pattern i just walk with it made with a wiper motor and a train set control the magnet came out of a welding one like you see on it[attachment=6401]

here you see some May June and July project [attachment=6402]3 Dolphins bigger than life and 2 birds 4 ½ feet high
it will all be cut with this machine

Neat work Bazz!

It's interesting to me how creative building tools and the process itself can be. I look forward to seeing more of your work. Looks like you have some very cool projects happening there.