just wondering about the press under how to guide: Building a Pneumatic Press Frame, it appears that the materials are slid in from the end?
this appears difficult as the mould & bladder is awkward and heavy and would be difficult to get into place.
has anyone modified the moldel to make it easier to use? or any thoughts/tips
Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:44 am
by knightsofnii
once you start stacking all that stuff, it gets reallly heavy.
try to work with as little press parts during layup as possible.
try to set up your press with the bottom mold and top mold and bag and cat track already in place in the press frame, use a cassette for layup and you can do it by yourself no problem
a bent cassette will go in press easier
a flat one will lay up easier but may have issues with loading or materials shifting.
Re: Skibuilders.com
Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:35 pm
by Wannabebuilder
pearsey wrote:just wondering about the press under how to guide: Building a Pneumatic Press Frame, it appears that the materials are slid in from the end?
this appears difficult as the mould & bladder is awkward and heavy and would be difficult to get into place.
has anyone modified the moldel to make it easier to use? or any thoughts/tips
I have one of these and I have done some dry runs and have not pressed anything yet but in my best estimation I will require the help of another person, but I can do it by myself it's just a bitch.
Modifications include: none so far but if I were to build a press: bigger steel and welded, but I can weld, so.
Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:32 am
by jono
If you can build a side loading press you should because they are way easier to load. The press used at folsom custom skis and at kingswood in NZ are good examples. The easiest would be a press where the bottom mold stays in place and you do the layup directly in the press and then fasten the press without moving the mold/layup at all.
I use an end loading press. It can be a pain to get everything to slide into the press without catching the sides on anything. Over time I have grown used to this set up and it isn't much of an issue to load it by myself. My press has a skateboard truck/wheels attached that makes it easier to slide the mold in and out.
An advantage to end loading presses is that the critical parts holding it together under pressure don't move or require adjusting every time you press. This allows for a beefier setup and avoids opportunities to forget or misalign the parts of the press before running it under pressure. The critical parts holding my press together are spread out along the length of the press rather than being concentrated on the ends like some of the side loading presses. This eliminates most deflection issues.