How big of a press do you need for dimple dies

[scherp69]

I'm thinking about getting some dimple does. Just wondering how big of a press I would need to use them. I wouldn't do anything thicker than 18 or maybe 16 gauge sheet metal. The local shop has 12 and 20 ton presses on sale this weekend. Thanks in advance.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

I'm thinking about getting some dimple does. Just wondering how big of a press I would need to use them. I wouldn't do anything thicker than 18 or maybe 16 gauge sheet metal. The local shop has 12 and 20 ton presses on sale this weekend. Thanks in advance.

If you have a choice, get the 20 cause you can use it for other things.

[BBC71Nova]

Buddy of mine uses dies with the HF 20 ton and it does ok. Hobby use not production.

[raustinss]

I'm sure I got mine at the same store your thinking about getting yours.....princess auto...lmao...i got their 30 ton on sale last year, crushes beer cans really well and, bending wrenches to replace power steering lines on a 98 sts. Other then that great tool

[scherp69]

If you have a choice, get the 20 cause you can use it for other things.

Buddy of mine uses dies with the HF 20 ton and it does ok. Hobby use not production.

Thanks guys. Yeah I do have a choice. The 12 is on for $150 and the 20 is $300. From there it jumps to $1200 for 45. Don't need one that bad.

I'm sure I got mine at the same store your thinking about getting yours.....princess auto...lmao...i got their 30 ton on sale last year, crushes beer cans really well and, bending wrenches to replace power steering lines on a 98 sts. Other then that great tool

Thanks. The one I'm looking at is at KMS Tools actually. I've looked at the ones at Princess Auto, but KMS has theirs on sale this month.

[Sieg]

The 20's frame is a flexi-flyer without being welded up. That said mines still bolted together but it doesn't see much use let alone max capacity loads. For the price you can't complain too much.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

is it the one that comes with the gauge? Price isn't too bad.

Honestly, if you are just using it for tin work....this would be just fine.

http://www.kmstools.com/magnum-1-ton-arbor-press-5294

Learn how to weld and you can make a deep throat mount for it.

[Sieg]

Jet has a decent collection of presses too:
http://www.jettools.com/us/en/c/metalworking-forming-presses/350/?Filter=1&Reset=true

[scherp69]

So looks like I'm going to have to do the wheel bearings in my step daughters car so a press may be in the cards now. I was looking at them today. They have the 20 ton press on sale for 350 and the owner will give it to me even cheaper as he has too many display models. They also have a 45 ton air assisted set up for just over $1000. Most of what I will be using it for is the odd wheel bearing, etc or using dimple dies on the thickest 18 gauge sheet metal. Is it worth the extra money to get the bigger unit? With the the 45 ton, how thick could I go with the dimple dies? Not sure if I would use it very often, but would be nice to be able to do 1/4". Thoughts??

[scherp69]

The one that Vince posted a link to above is the 20 ton one and here's a link to the 45 ton one http://www.kmstools.com/magnum-45-ton-hydraulic-shop-press-897

[Vince@Meanstreets]

So looks like I'm going to have to do the wheel bearings in my step daughters car so a press may be in the cards now. I was looking at them today. They have the 20 ton press on sale for 350 and the owner will give it to me even cheaper as he has too many display models. They also have a 45 ton air assisted set up for just over $1000. Most of what I will be using it for is the odd wheel bearing, etc or using dimple dies on the thickest 18 gauge sheet metal. Is it worth the extra money to get the bigger unit? With the the 45 ton, how thick could I go with the dimple dies? Not sure if I would use it very often, but would be nice to be able to do 1/4". Thoughts??

It really depends on the dies that you use. Obvously the thicker the metal the more wear you will put into the tooling. I don't see a reason to go thicker than .120 wall.

With the right tooling a 25 ton hand press can punch through 1/2" steel.

[scherp69]

Thanks Vince. I ended up emailing the company that had the dies I was looking at. They use a 20 ton to do 1/4" chrome moly so I figured the 20 would be good enough for me. Going to get it today and I ordered the dimple dies yesterday from these guys http://www.tmrcustoms.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=226&zenid=bb90f916368d398ecbe09a099be281ec I got the Craftsman set.

[Revved]

I bought a set of the Mittler Brothers punch and flare dies a couple weeks ago... they come with a 1/2" fine thread bolt and bearing to hold them together. Drill the 1/2" centering hole... assemble the punch and die and I've run them through 18g with my dewalt electric impact with ease. Very. Very. Nice.

Just punched a 1 3/4 hole in a firewall yesterday buy just running through the punch but not enough for the flare.. a tap or two with hammer and dolly and it was a perfect hole on a flat firewall.

[GregWeld]

I bought a set of the Mittler Brothers punch and flare dies a couple weeks ago... they come with a 1/2" fine thread bolt and bearing to hold them together. Drill the 1/2" centering hole... assemble the punch and die and I've run them through 18g with my dewalt electric impact with ease. Very. Very. Nice.

Just punched a 1 3/4 hole in a firewall yesterday buy just running through the punch but not enough for the flare.. a tap or two with hammer and dolly and it was a perfect hole on a flat firewall.


I like you're kind of thinking Sean!

I'd have just used my Hougen RotaCut and there'd be no need for the dolly and hammer. LOL

Holes in sheet metal are one of those things that takes lots of different "ways" to do them. Twist drills are a no no... and "hole saws" do more damage than they're worth.

[dontlifttoshift]

I'll just leave this here...... http://www.milwaukeetool.com/m18-knockout

[GregWeld]

I'll just leave this here...... http://www.milwaukeetool.com/m18-knockout



That thing is bad ass!!


My Hougen's go up to 3".... You can't even buy anything larger if you wanted to. They also need clean sheet metal to center up on. This bad boy goes bigger with up to 4" punches and doesn't need to have metal to hold center on. Sweet.

For those that don't know about them STEP DRILLS are the proper way to "drill" holes in sheet metal. Not a twist drill.

[dontlifttoshift]

The only problem is, right now, all the dies are conduit sized. I think a custom draw bar and it would work with the MB punch and flare dies.

The best step drills come from Harbor Freight.....seriously.

[mach1stang]

I recently contacted a sales rep at trick-tools about dimple dies and what size press would be best for them. He was very helpful but he said dimpling is kind of a black art deal and couldn't recommend a exact size press for just dimpling as it depends on the end user and their end result goals. He said he could tell me what size press would PUNCH the same size hole in the same material and said in theory that would be more than enough to dimple. But in the end we settled that for dimpling up to 1/8" chromoly up to a 3" hole a 50-55 ton press would be best. Now like he said he doesn't know exactly but as I brought up to him the bigger the press the bigger the actual work are will be also which is something you have to keep in mind.

[Revved]

I'll just leave this here...... http://www.milwaukeetool.com/m18-knockout

That is freaking awesome!!! I've forwarded it to everyone I know that is an electrician!!

The only problem is, right now, all the dies are conduit sized. I think a custom draw bar and it would work with the MB punch and flare dies.

The best step drills come from Harbor Freight.....seriously.

You are right... I bet it wouldn't take much to make a custom draw bar... but I am serious that for sheet metal (I've done as thick as 18g so far) just the 1/2" fine thread bolt and bearing the MB set comes with punches and flares with no inkling of hesitation. Always be liberal with lube on threads anytime it is used for drawing.

I have always hated cutting with holesaws... In fact I think i've still got a bone spur in my jaw from where one caught and the drill came around on me a few years ago. Plus the fact that the hole takes 10 min to cut and is never "perfect." This punch tool takes about a minute and is beautiful!

Harbor freight does have some cheap step drills (uni-bits) and they really are the best for holes up to 1" ish. I think the biggest I've got is 1-1/8" I've probably got half a dozen 1/2" step bits around.. I use them all the time!

That thing is bad ass!!


My Hougen's go up to 3".... You can't even buy anything larger if you wanted to. They also need clean sheet metal to center up on. This bad boy goes bigger with up to 4" punches and doesn't need to have metal to hold center on. Sweet.

For those that don't know about them STEP DRILLS are the proper way to "drill" holes in sheet metal. Not a twist drill.

I had never heard of Hougen before so I looked them up. Looks just like the Blair Rota-Broach spotweld bits I use. I guess I had never looked to see if they made them in larger sizes. I have a drilled spotweld shape scar on the inside of my left knee from where one walked while I was drilling sideways sitting on a stool so I can vouch for how well they work!

[dontlifttoshift]

The bolts with the MB dies are consumables, I have thrown away a hunnert of em easy. The dies are very hard and the threads still look good in those.

[Revved]

The bolts with the MB dies are consumables, I have thrown away a hunnert of em easy. The dies are very hard and the threads still look good in those.

Yeah... just a fine thread 1/2" grade 8 bolt. Glad to hear the threads in the dies hold up well. I was worried about long term effects of using an impact on them but not enough not to do it by hand. :G-Dub:

[David Pozzi]

Thrust bearings are available to reduce underhead friction. If you can't get them from the die MFR, get them from a conduit punch MFR like Greenlee. They won't reduce wear on the threads, but will make manually turning the bolt easier.

[dontlifttoshift]

They come with thrust bearings, I use an air ratchet, not the impact.