Hydraulic Press Restoration: Retrofitting a Table Lifting Winch to the Press 

Remove the handle and fit a hex to the shaft. Then you can use your drill with a socket to operate the winch. Modify the handle to fit the hex also. Best of both worlds. You certainly have some lovely, generous viewers Keith.

Minor safety concern. Flip the cable clamps. The saddle piece goes on the loaded cable. Remember the mnemonic "Never saddle a dead horse." Which means don't put the saddle on the dead cable. Love your stuff Keith. Keep going man!

I am glad to see you could use that second winch I had. If I had known you were going to show my pictures, I would have made Gus the shop dog sit for the photos. I had to chuckle at your comment that the table moves a little slow because that is exactly what I said the first time I used mine. That's when I added the PVC pipe to increase the diameter of mine. Don't use a drill to run it. The worm gears are not hardened, and will gall pretty quickly. I tried that once.

Thanks for sharing 👍

Great idea. Nice of your friend to donate the winch . Smooth operation for sure. Have a great day and a good Labor day weekend. 👍

You put your cable clamps on backwards. Look up never saddle a dead horse. Nice looking project. Looking forward to next video.❤

Great video Kieth. Best wishes from the UK.

I'm so glad you have 2 shop cats making cameo appearances sometimes. Ginger looks so happy and content!

Remarkable how generous the machinist community is with time and parts.

Looks like it all ship shape. Another great video.

I am sure liking this post. They all need to come with these. When are you going back into machinist mode eh ? you have been in millwright mode for a week now, LOL. It is great to have a press to repair a press eh, LOL. This is so much better than trying to get a shop crane over it to make this happen. WELL DONE KEITH ! Your back can be your new best friend eh.

I enjoyed Ginger making an appearance.

You don't need to work, Hoomin. Pet me. Pet me. Pet me... You and this community you built are going to change the world, my friend. I suspect you are interesting a new generation in machine work, and in just plain fixing things and making them work again.

Keith: Machinery Handbook has a section on wire rope, and they say it is very important to put the u bolt against the dead end of the cable, and the clamp against the live end of the cable.

Great looking press.

Nice unit. Very lucky to have so many people to support your projects. One accessory that would be great for this press is a press brake for forming metal. Thanks for sharing.

Great video Keith! As far as the cable, (wire rope) goes, I tig weld the ends to prevent them from fraying out. It just melts the strands together.

Mr Rucker grate lift

Kudos on another great shop enhancement. Back at the start of this project you removed 2 angle iron cross pieces and upgraded with square tubing. A simple, heavy duty wooden tray sitting on the cross pieces would protect them from damage as well as protecting the floor from really heavy pieces. Add a lip around the edge and the tray would also make it easier to retrieve small pieces.

The saddle on the cable clamp should be on the load side of the cable and it looked like you had it in reverse. Very good videos by the way.

And like most people , you put the cable clamps on the wrong way round. Never put a saddle on a dead horse. The saddle always goes on to the the cable as it comes off the winch. That was how I was instructed decades ago when I erected tower cranes.

Keith. Please rotate the cable saddle 180deg, the saddle should be on the side. The old saying “ you don’t put a saddle on a dead horse “. Stay safe and well 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Good job Keith! A suggestion for the press plates. I put some pins on the under side of the plates to stop them from sliding forward and backwards. That is a precaution to save my toes. Tat way they only slide sideways.

Looking great

Great job

Very nice winch solution Keith, I like it.

Not that it matters on this light application... The cable clamps are on backwards. The mnemonic for u-clamps is "Never saddle a dead horse" The saddle is the cast part and it always goes on the "live" part of the cable as the u-bolt piece crushes the "dead" end to hold it in place. Crushing the live end is not a good idea (if youre lifting heavy loads). Thanks for the great videos!

Thanks for sharing

That's one calm shop cat! One hit with that little dak-dak and both my girls would've torn the place apart getting off the bench! THEN I saw greasy green footy prints all over, but nope! The cat was drugged for his appearance, wasn't he?! LOL!

Nice solution

I think most people are really generous and kind. Most of us are very happy to give to others when we have something we know someone else might need, especially if it's something that we're not even using. The issue is usually with connecting to those we can help. The internet, I think, has been a great enabler for that. Whether it's Craigslist's free page, specialty forums, or RU-vidrs sharing their skills and interests, there's a big old world out there to share with. Even when I cannot help someone myself because I don't have what they need, it makes me feel good when I see others doing it. I taught the kids I worked with for over thirty years that one of the best ways to make yourself happy is to try to make other people happy. And seeing people do good for others is a secondary way to spread good-feeling. This video had lots of that. Thanks, Keith! You share what you have with all of us whenever you male and post another video.

The community that you've built here is incredible, Keith. I'm amazed at what you're able to do because of your viewers and/or people that they know.

I done many press table lift using boat trailer winches, I've modified them by inserting a piece of 2 1/2" tubing in the drum to have a bigger starting point. I.m a bit surprized that a press of that quality does not have a table lift at the origin. very good add on to that press very good video

Keith, Nice job! You might consider fitting a plate on the drum to separate the two wires. If by chance the wires. cross it can jam bury one of the wires. If you decide to add a positioning device to move your cylinder left and right, look no further than your lathe or mill. A lead screw, nut, and. a DC servomotor could be the answer to moving the hydraulic cylinder assembly. Bob

Ooh so sweet Ginger the pussycat ❤❤❤

This type of content is so nice as a contrast to the endless videos about political corruption and conspiracy!

That's amazing to have a "guy" that has an old piece and you give a new job to extend it's useful life. This channel is so useful, Thanks Keith

Great looking press Keith, nice job! Just one bit of advice when using Crosby clips on wire rope. Remember the old saying "never saddle a dead horse". The "saddle" of the clip, should be on the load bearing side of the cable, and the U-bolt should be over the "dead" or tag end of the cable. Granted this project isn't the Space Shuttle, but proper practice is proper practice.

17:07 Wish the hydraulic pump worked so quietly.

Keith, actually, to speed up the hoisting and lowering you could use any of your cordless drills - with an appropiate adapter of sort.

Wire rope clamps are backwards. "Never saddle a dead horse". Saddle should be on the live end, not the dead end.

awesome projects as usual Keith!

I've replaced those straps countless times on our hot hoists that we used when I was a lineman. I've never seen that particular model though; our had releases as they were ratchet hoists.

I have setup two different presses. The first one used a double cable both going up and over to lift the table. You get tangles and trouble this way, The second time I tried the other way which was much better. With only one cable on the winch it goes up to the top around a pulley and back down to lift the table from one side. This would never work as is. So another cable connects to the table where the first cable connected and goes down to the bottom across the the machine to the other side and then up to the top where it turns around a pulley ang goes down to lift the other side. I found this to be better than trying to drive 2 cables on one drum that tends to jam and tangle. Nice press nice job.

Still should add a shield between the pack and the press.

Nice addition to the shop. I'm sure it will be quite useful. I don't know if the wire rope will tangle in the winch but, a couple of eye bolts in the strap guide holes could help. Thanks for sharing.

Other than what you've mentioned, I'd probably want to make a sheet metal cover, insulated with foam, to knock down the noise of the pump. Overall, though, that press turned out way better than I expected when you first started the project. Nice work!

Ginger❤❤❤

i sent those plates. i hope they will make good use of the press. ive have a 20t press in my shop and have never needed more force. only more space. ive used our 150t press at my work and it has a power unit and talk about dangerous! you can change the force by 20t in the bump of a switch. that 60 will be similar. the cool thing about that winch is it will raise the table even if its loaded with a 100lb part.

Good job! That's the press you've needed for years.

You could use an impact drill to raise and lower it too.

I ha ve to say, Ginger didi all the heavy lifting in this video. Quit slacking, keith! ;) Great content, anyway.

Hello Mr. Rucker, I really enjoy your videos! FYI- you installed the cable clamps on backwards. The round part of the clamp goes on the piece of cable that does not carry the load. Sincerely, Tom

Looks like it turned out extremely well. Thank you for sharing your process. I was a little confused with how the hydraulics were going to work out. Seems I just didn't know how your power pack worked. Glad I was able to see it in action, answered all my questions.

Nice addition to the shop. I wouldn't worry about the speed of the winch. Afterall, how often will it get adjusted?

Your cable clamps are on backward. The ubolt goes on the dead end of the cable. The ubolt bites in and damages the rope enough to weaken it slightly but will hold even if the clamp is a little loose. If the clamp slips it will be the saddle that does so hense tightening the loop as long as the saddle is on the load side of the rope. Don't stagger the clips either.

😛😛😛😛😛😛❤❤❤❤❤🦾🦴🦾🦴👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Could swap the handle for a weighted wheel. Something like a half a kilo cast iron weight from a lifting set. The mechanism is way overbuilt, so it should easily take that weight, which in turn will make it easy to rotate.

Keith, you are doing great with the weight loss. I hope it is all intentional.

Harbor Freight sells a worm drive winch that I've used for several different builds.

A nice touch would be to calibrate the gauge directly in tons. Bit off my mathematical talents, but I’m sure some clever person knows how to print off a nice circular scale.

"Never saddle a dead horse", The U bolt should go on the dead end, the saddle on the live side. Did yo have enough cable to lower to bottom spot?

Awesome as Always . You put the Cable Clamps on Backwards hehehe

That looks like a great winch. It looks like you put the cable clamp on backwards. The saddle goes on the live wire, not the dead one.

Great job Keith. What about a foot switch to operate the power pack?

Before you cut the cable off turn those clamps around. They are on backward.

Hi. When are you going to demo the champ drill grinder.

On other drill presses I've seen they have a lot more holes for the bed so that they can select the bed height closest to the stock/press head. You might want to drill a few more holes the adjust the table height to a suitable range for any action you want to make.

A simple way to increase the drum size would be to put some of the web strapping back on the drum and then drill a hole though the strapping and pull your cable through, no need to fasten the strapping down the cables would do that.

You put your clamps on backwards. never saddle a dead horse. U-bolt goes on the dead end of the cable

I never heard “never saddle a dead horse” before. Good information, thanks to other comment posters! 👍

Great rebuild of the press Keith. Great addition to the shop. You will enjoy having it and probably find many uses for it now that you have it. Thanks for sharing.

Use heatshrink tubing to bind the cut end of the cable to the load cable in order to keep it from fraying and it will keep it looking neat.

You should get a shop apron two inches longer. It looks like your slip is showing.

Now you have a nice working press good job

"pound to fit paint to match"

Just wondering why you didn’t leave extra cable on the spool to make a larger diameter?

Finally the kitty gets some skritches!

Been fun following along. Those 1 inch high tensile plates are a godsend and the winch is superb. Kudos to the gentlemen involved.👌👌👌👌👌

Cable clips on wrong, never saddle a dead horse.

id thread that shafted install a nut on it so I could use a battery drill with a socket to raise and lower the table

Ya never saddle a dead horse Keith.

Keith you’re blessed that press is so wonderfully restored

Really nifty winch for the job! I hope nobody forgets to slack the cables! Perhaps a good "insurance policy" would be a spring loaded momentary switch with a roller arm along one cable run: if the cable is taught, it holds the switch and locks out the power pack. Slack the cable to release the switch. Would be another cool retrofit!

The press is looking good I see several people that have said they would use a wood board across the bottom brackets I would make a box that would hold sand or sawdust because a friend had a 1/2” pin hit the floor and knocked a 1/2” hole in the floor of the shop could have been a bad day but my friend has double coverage the good Lord looks after fools and drunks

Hi Ginger !

General principle - never make the fastening on a cable or rope take the direct strain. Always wrap a turn around the bar first, then lock it with the fastening (or knot).

you saddled a dead horse

Are you needing to be a machinist again, ? LOLOL I am sure you wouldnt mind eh, LOL.

You've already got electronical components on it, why not put a powered wench with a up/down switch???

Never saddle a dead horse by looking at your video you put the saddle on the crosbe clamp on the dead end of the rope

nicely done! man that crank is smooooth. That turned out really great. You could just make a bit for the drill that looks like a tuning fork and use that to crank it. That way you don't have to modify it at all and you can use it for other things like the handles on other machines 😁 a multi-use tool

Why not just weld a hex bolt head where the handle attaches and use a cordless drill with a socket to crank it ... ?

Very nice job Keith 👍🍺😊

Mellow shop cat, mine would have bolted (pardon the pun) as soon as I pulled the trigger on the impact drill. Press is looking awesome Keith, nice mod.

For your press heads, what about an internal o-ring vs a setscrew?

Hi from Australia, I agree, make a set of different slugs/dies. Press plates might be better off doubled when you cut a profile for pressing, 2 inch thick is better than 1.... at 60 ton. You can keep all the different the press plates on the bottom rails, as I'm sure you will have others to add. Consider a motor to power up/down to save you shoulder. That's a high ratio. Enjoying what you do, Keith.

All the good quality Workshops and Boatyards have an Inspector Cat 😸😺and yours is adorable 😻😸😺

If it was stick welding vertical up is the only way. With MIG vertical down is way easier, faster, and looks way better. The exception would be flux core or dual shield.

I watched this entire restoration. Very impressive. The only thing I would have done different would have been , put an electric winch, but that's just me I guess. Again Great Job.