Famco Arbor press

[JoeE.]

I snagged a 6C Famco arbor press at auction today. It is missing some of the compound handle mechanism. I've tried to download some pictures from ebay to figure out what I am missing.

The part that the handle fits in is missing. I dug all around the shop it came out of and couldn't find it. The ratcheting part is there, just not the compound.

I see Famco is still in business. Will call them tomorrow and see how much some of them pieces will set me back. Probably more than I paid for the whole press~$225.

It was in a building that the roof had caved in and it was way back in there. That S.O.B. weighs a frickin ton. Pretty good shape and a good deal except for the missing part.

Could be that it isn't too complicated and I could just build it if I could just see one to copy.

[JoeE.]

I called and talked to Famco, was informed I could print a catalog page off the internet to see what part I needed.

I wasn't around the computer or the machine and described what I thought was missing, and asked what that'd cost.

Balancing arm~ $414 plus shipping- twice what I paid for the press. ~sigh~

Now, at home during lunch, print off the page. Their catalog page does show some good drawings, just not good, dimensioned, mechanical drawings to copy from.

[Peter Miles]

If they are still selling the machines and parts for them, they have no reason to publish the drawings.

[Craig Donges]

Peter;

I am in agreement, if they are still selling parts, why release a dimensioned drawing?

Craig Donges

[smootz]

I have a 5 Ton floor model with an adjustable knee.

If by any chance it is a shared part I may be able to help.

PM me.

SCOTTIE

[JoeE.]

Originally Posted by Craig Donges

I am in agreement, if they are still selling parts, why release a dimensioned drawing?

Well, a guy can wish, can't he. They wouldn't have had to be actual dimensions, just drawings proportionate in size to the size of the part in real life. The drawing for the compound block was proportionate to the real thing, but the balancing arm was nowhere near. That threw me way off on trying to make a drawing of something I didn't understand the mechanics of.


My major problem is trying to understand how the handle operates when in simple and when in compound. I took the drawing I printed off their web catalog and stared at it for a long time whilst standing in front of the machine. I think I have it figured out, finally.

I've never seen one of these in the flesh and had to try and understand the mechanics involved. Pressing in simple is straightforward. Compound leverage took some head scratching.

The part I am starting to make is 1-1/2" thick steel 3 inches wide and 7 inches long. I will whittle on that a bit to make the first part of the balancing arm, then go from there. Bad part is that at first I was just guessing on raw material lengths and cut the part 3 inches too short. I had to cut of another chunk 3 inches long and put both halves in the mill and bevel the edges and weld them together to make the piece long enough!

When I get done I will take a picture (maybe a movie) and post it in this thread so you can see what was causing me all the trouble- and see how a compound ratchet press operates. I should buy a coconut and squash it first thing!

[bosleyjr]

The 6c is nominally a 15 ton machine. If it is similar to the Dake, it weighs about 1800lb and lists for $11,750. Might be worth buying the part!

[JoeE.]

Well, I finished the part last nite and put it on the machine and it works great. Weighs about 20 pounds! I made all the pieces and tacked them together and tried it and everything fit OK, so I finished welding it. This took about 2 days worth of time. Hardest part is trying to design the part on the fly with nothing to copy off of.

For the counterbalance weight, I used the striking part of a brand new monster 3-1/2" striking wrench I had bought at a freight salvage auction! I'd hate to think what that wrench cost new. But, it sure looks good.

First thing I pressed was shaft stuck in a 1-1/2" pillowblock bearing that the setscrews were seized up in. Put it in simple and the lever on the press was getting a bow in it with my weight hanging on it. Put it in compound- a bit less pull, and POW~ split the bearing where the set screws were! Shoved it right on out!

Now, try to find a place for this monster and get it out of the middle of the shop floor.

I took a bunch of pictures but ran off and left the camera up at the shop. Will edit them in later.

[PixMan]

Well, show us a photo of your handiwork then! Sounds like you got it done right, so let us see it.

[JoeE.]

Well, I brought the camera home (with dead battery) and downloaded what pictures I had taken. Don't have one of the finished item, just as a work in progress. Tomorrow I will go take some more pix and edit this post to show them. That big cast iron cone was at the auction, too. I'm 6 foot plus- to give an idea of how big the press actually is!








The block pivots on that pin




The simple leverage pin is protruding out of the right side of the red painted assembly



Notice the green 3/4" pin......




The green pin is engaged thru the milled slot to create compound leverage





The drawing at the top right on that page is what I am trying to copy!




a Dumont arbor press- it is a heavy monster, too.



an Atlas Mandrel press- out of the railroad shops here in town

[Limy Sami]

Good fix Joe,............ a guy can't have too many presses eh?

[smootz]

Originally Posted by bosleyjr

The 6c is nominally a 15 ton machine. If it is similar to the Dake, it weighs about 1800lb and lists for $11,750. Might be worth buying the part!

A 6c is 15 tons? My 5r looks just like it at a glance. In fact it appears to be the same machine. Maybe the gearing changes the capacity? I always assumed it to be rated 5 tons. Is it actually higher?

SCOTTIE

[JoeE.]

Originally Posted by smootz

A 6c is 15 tons? My 5r looks just like it at a glance. In fact it appears to be the same machine. Maybe the gearing changes the capacity? I always assumed it to be rated 5 tons. Is it actually higher?

SCOTTIE

It goes 1)Plain lever style 2)Simple ratchets and, 3)Compound ratchet type.

The "R" version has the advantage over the plain lever press in ease of operation because of the ratcheting ability of the operating mechanism. The "C" machine ratchets, too, but with the added feature of compound gearing.

From their literature it says your machine is a 6 ton affair with an 80 to 1 leverage ratio compared to my style of machine which says 200 to 1 ratio with 15 ton capacity. It is like dropping your truck tranny down in granny low gear!

[MICK 1958]

I see that you did get a good deal on that arbor press, and as far as the 414 dollars was twice what you paid for it...it is still a deal...I have seen 4 of these in the past two years and they each went for over 800 dollars, even though they are that cumbersome

Now, I do think you wasted alot of time making that part....if you figure the average man in the US makes about 140 to 170 per day....gross I believe the figure is....you could have been working overtime or making something at your home shop to offset the cost....and I am aware of the pleasure of doing things yourself....I have slovak in me also....

whcih leads me into the story of when I worked for the public transit agency here in town ....I worked in the major overhaul portion of the shop....and we were proud that we could fix anything... a man brought in his wifes curlers and heating unit because they didn't work anymore.....

so, after 8 hours at 22 dollars per hour and a circuit breaker that our electrician made fit....he took it home and brought it back in two days later with the case melted over the curlers.....because the circuit breaker actually would open to regulate the heat....and our electrician thought that it would work....but the most funniest part of the story is that it cost 19.99 to replace the whole curler set.....????

makes me wonder ............are you going down the same road....

Mick

[JoeE.]

Here is a picture of the leverage arm on the machine.

I am on vacation this week. No money lost doing this, except chopping up that striking wrench to use for the counterweight on the back of this handle. As far as wasting money, the place I work at~they would step over a dollar to pick up a dime.

[jmead]

That was one big slugging wrench, what was the nut size?