Building a hydraulic press

[fizzy]

You might be better buying one that size. A large single acting jack with an air powered pedal / reservoir will be £1500 new, then you’ll need to mount it somehow and steel will be £500 if not more. 50t presses are only £1500. You would likely get something bigger second hand for less. I made a bench top 25t press but I had everything kicking about, it would have been cheaper to buy one that make it if I had to buy the materials.

The air pedal is around £200 new.
There are plenty of rams/jacks on Ebay for about £250.
I have some materials lying around and our local steel stockholder is pretty generous with offcuts etc. RSJs and channel aren't that expensive. I think the build cost would be around £700. I keep hearing about bargain presses but I am still looking.

 

[awemawson]

If at all possible Fizzy get a double acting cylinder rather than spring return on a jack. Inverted jacks never seem very satisfactory to me, and they weren't designed to sit on their heads.