So, while rebuilding my drive shaft I was reminded that I've always wanted a shop press. I'm just gonna build one and be done with it. We have lots of left over steel from storage racks when our shop building was owned by a lumber company. Gonna build a double H-frame with a manual bottle jack and it will reconfigurable as a chain hoist, so 10' tall and wide enough to drive a truck through. I figure kill two birds with one stone and use half the floor space.

Got a mix of 2.5" and 3" steel tubes. I think this will all be 2.5" tube because there is more variety in those pieces.


Got four of these 2.5"x 2.5" tubes, so they will become the 10 ft uprights.


They also came with some heavy duty plate brackets which I will reuse as press plate/spacers and hoist hangers.


The cross beams will be adjustable in height and removable using 1" dowels and cotter pins (like a squat rack at the gym). Gonna use a 1 1/8" hole saw to cut through the uprights, so the dowels don't fit too tight or get wedged.

 

Given the size of this thing as you describe it, that seems like awfully thin walled tube for the intended purpose. It might be OK for the vertical members but the horizontal members should probably be wide flange I beams.

Also, do your arm a favor and spring for an air over hydraulic bottle jack. You'll be glad you did.

 

I would like to use an air cylinder eventually, but I'm gonna use the bottle jack that I have in the short term. I'll save up in the mean time and when I have more heavy duty type work I'll get the air cylinder.

I think the tubing that I have on hand is 1/8" sidewall, but I'll measure tomorrow to be sure. I wish I had more 3"x3" tubing because it's even thicker.

As far as the horizontal members, I was planning to make them deeper by doubling the tubing and welding an open web of steel rods in between. It's labor intensive, sure, but It'll cost far less to buy the rod than large channels or I-beams.

Here is a rough mock up for what I have in mind:

 

Hmmmm. Maybe aught to just build a narrower (say 3' wide) frame for now and save the big wide hoist for later.... That would take care of the majority of my hoisting/pressing needs until I have to yank the cab on my truck or something....decisions. It would make this build a little easier and I could probably just used two stacked tubes without webbing for each beam.

so many holes....

 

Here is the sidewall, btw. I'd guess that is 11 ga or .1233" just a hair under 1/8" thick.

 

I see one very obvious point of failure in your design. You have tabs sticking out off the end of the horizontal members with holes in them for the adjustment "pins" to pass thru. Under load these tabs will probably buckle and tear. If you redesign the horizontal members to increase their spacing so that they are outboard of the vertical members and have their bottoms resting on the adjustment pins things will be MUCH stronger. As a side benefit, adjusting the vertical height of the cross member will be much easier - lift it up, re-position the adjustment pins and lower it onto the pins. You can even make up 4 spacers that are as thick as 1/2 the distance between holes to give you twice as many positions.
Also, some quick calculations indicate that you horizontal members will weigh in excess of 110 lbs. You might want to fabricate a manual winch, pulley and cable assembly to raise and lower it.

 

That's a good point about the tabs. I think I would rather increase the leg depth and put the beams inside so they are captured and so I have the gaps for side entry to the press zone. I was also thinking a block and tackle for adjustment. Even if I can lift it or feel like it I won't be the only user. I think I'm also gonna limit width to 3 or 4 feet initially. I'll build the big 8 foot beam later when I actually need it. I'll have a semi-permanent top beam that is bolted and diagonally braced just for rigidity during press use, but that will be replaced with the long beam when needed. I also like intermediate spacer idea. Thanks for the input. Keep it coming!

 

Finally got the holes all drilled. I'm surprised how well the diablo hole saw lasted, but it did have carbide teeth.



I've got enough 3"x3" tubing for the horizontal members and it's much beefier with a 3/16" sidewall.




These are the reused brackets. They will serve as press plates and anchor points for the chain hoist depending on configuration. I'll even be able to reuse the existing bolts.

 

Here is the revised mockup. Not shown are return springs for the cylinder, various bolts and a couple brackets, but you get the gist. I am doing this in between my honey-dos

 

Got the 1" dowels cut and chamfered.


Quick check to see if everything will fit in the middle as planned.



Inserted the stretchers and dowels and checked alignment corner to corner.


After some tapping with a sledge I can get it within 1/16" difference. Good enough for me.



Begin welding...


And first leg is done

 

Curious...How many tons is the bottle jack you plan on using?

 

I think the one I have on hand is a 12 ton jack. Not a monster, but I don't have lots of monster pressing tasks yet, either. I'd be surprised if it's even capable of 12 tons, given it's a Harbor Freight unit.

 

I also plan to have a structural engineer at our firm examine the frame and beams once it's built to gauge the size of chain hoist I will install and later an air cylinder if necessary/appropriate. I won't add lift or press equipment that the frame won't handle.

 

Leg #2 complete

 

I mean no disrespect, but typically you have the engineer review the plans and intended materials before you build it, not determine limitations of an assembly after it's built.