Hydraulic press forging dies

NickWheeler

NickWheeler

Joined
Dec 3, 1999
Messages
9,437
This thread is mostly for Michael, since he's building his new press. But instead of tacking the images onto his other thread, I thought maybe if I started a new one---- others might chip in and show some of their press dies.

This is not all of mine, but it's the ones I use the most. (well, two others are in Michael's other thread).

Combination drawing/welding/flattening die. This is one of the most basic, and staples of them all.

press21mv.jpg


Extreme drawing, or tight radius forming (like from bolster to blade on a forged integral).

press37md.jpg


Hot cut die, made from a piece of small RR rail turned on edge, with the webbing sharpened. This idea is 100% borrowed from Don Fogg.

press45ew.jpg


Another RR rail hot cut, this one for cutting width-wise (I simply cut the rail off, and sharpened the web)

press59wm.jpg


Squaring dies

press66nc.jpg


Ladder pattern dies

press79xh.jpg


Texturing dies

press81sb.jpg


-Nick-
 
I just wanted to add-

Making pattern welded steel, and accomplishing patterns, is all about controlled distortion.

If you can control the way the layers distort, you can control the pattern you end up with.

The dies don't just move the metal. They distort the formation of the layers.

If you keep that in mind, you'll realize there is an infinite amount of possiblities with a good imagination and the right dies.

:D

-Nick-
 
It is weld splatter. I cleaned the die shoe off, then held the MIG gun about 3 iches from the surface and fired away.

The left half is "sharper" and the right side has been ground down for less penetration while texturing.

:)

-Nick-
 
That first set of dies are like a set I have also. These are the most useful dies I own and stay on the press 95% of the time. The back dies are used to straighten out billets. If anyone out there does not have a set of "T" dies you really need to make you a set.
 
the T die < most popular favored by many> as in the first pic has a large unsupported over hang couldnt it cause stress on the press? and dealing
with that much pressure possibly be dangerous??
 
killerknives-

The T does have its weakness. If you were to try and squish something out under the lip of the long dies, then you would break the die. A guy that came to my shop didn't really understand the fundamentals of moving hot metal, and did just that. (I was watching, I just turned away for a minute).

All I use them for, is straightening a long section of hot steel. This can be either a billet, or a blade itself.

Michael-

MOST of the die sets are same top and bottom (mirror image of the other).

The RR dies you use with another flat die. I like to use the one that's on edge on the bottom, and the other one on top so I can see it coming down through a billet; I painted this one the wrong color though. They're SUPPOSED to be blue on bottom, white on top.

This comes in handy, as you can grab them with only looking at them out of the corner of your eye, rather than stopping and looking them over to see which is top and which is bottom.


-Nick-
 
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