Want to modify shop press for quick change adapters

[14-Bolt]

I bought this 30 ton shop press used a few years back and have been dealing with the ram being welded on crooked. I would use shims to seat bearings square. Well today that ends. I am cutting it off and want to reweld it square. I want to make or buy a press brake adapter in future. I am either going to tap the bottom or machine a lip around it to make tool changes easier. I will drill and tap any punches I make for a set screw. Anybody do anything similar? I rarely buy chinese tools, because of this type of crap.

 

[BadDog]

Wow, and I thought my old 20T HF press was crooked. That's embarrassing, or at least it should be for the person that did the work...

In any case, my 50T has a hollow pin (that is actually square) about 2" in diameter. The socket is something like 1.5" (I forget exact size), and it has a simple threaded hole with bolt in the side. I make plugs to fit it, and turn a small groove in the side at the bolt location. The bolt goes loosely into the groove (no tools) so the tooling does not fall out. But the stub bottoms in the socket so the load is transferred directly through pin-to-pin with no load on the retaining bolt (other than gravity when not pressing). Works for me.

Nice thing is the normal push plug is soft(ish) steel and deforms a bit before damaging things. Nick was over and we did a bearing swap on his 14FF carrier (at least I think that was the one) with one bearing being a bit of a pain. The plug surface distorted a bit with quite a lot of grunt on it, but was easily removed and turned back square/flat.

 

[14-Bolt]

Thanks for the reply, anyway you can post up a pic. Sounds excactly what I was thinking of.

 

[BadDog]

Flash washed out the bolt, but it's pretty obvious where it is. And it looks like my memory was off on the size of the pin, but all it does is hold it from falling out and centered under the press pin.

 

[BadDog]

Oh, and if you haven't already, get some good press plates. That looks like it might be a HF (or similar unit). Not sure if it applies to the larger units, but the 20T came with some downright dangerous cast iron plates. My plates (4 of them) are flame cut from 2" AR plate used for heavy transfer equipment in the mining industry. If it's possible to damage them with that 50T press, I've failed to find the way so far (and those that know me know that's saying something).