Stuck press

[Smouser]

I recently bought a little punch press / power press / mechanical press and it appears that it is stuck in the downward position. The flywheel cannot be turned in the direction it needs to turn. The flywheel can be turned backwards, but it appears that a clutch type of device just makes the flywheel 'freewheel' backwards so it does not relieve the pressure/make the ram go upwards.

It is a Bliss No 8 benchtop press.

It will be worth saying that I know very little about punch/mechanical presses but it appears to me that it is stuck in the downward position with a lot of force.

Things I have tried:
1. I loosened the two nuts (circled in red) which I assume are used to hold the depth adjuster 'bolt' (green arrow pointing to it).

I managed to get the two nuts loosened but the depth adjuster bolt is solid, probably due to all the pressure still going through it.

2. I loosened the bottom tool holder / jig or whatever it is called and tried to knock it out with a hammer to relieve the pressure. Once again, it is solid due to the pressure holding it down.

@Arc Tourist and @Beanwood have some experience with presses. Maybe you guys have a few ideas?

What can I try next?

 

[Seadog]

Loosen the 4 Allen screws holding the gib strips. They're the ones more or less on the periphery of your red circle.

 

[Screwdriver]

First thing I'd do is loosen off the brackets holding the anvil into its gibs. Those four allen head bolts. The anvil is probably racked in its guides. Loosen off those brackets/guides and a light tap with the mallet will release it.

 

[Screwdriver]

...and just as I was typing. Beaten to it.

 

[Smouser]

No luck

There must be still too much downward force holding everything in.

The gibs are a V so you can't withdraw them.

Difficult to take photos of the V but hopefully, you can see.

I can knock the gibs strip up and down a little, so they are not stuck.

I can't knock them out as they need to go downwards but the 'tool holder' or jig will block them.

Still too much downward pressure holding everything.

 

[Smouser]

It might be time to become destructive

I am thinking if I take a grinder and cut the bottom or top of the 'die' I might be able to release the press.

Cut on either of the red lines...

I loosened the two allen bolts holding those two dies in and tried knocking them out too. Solid as a rock.

 

[Blobber]

Can you not back it off using a bar in the holes on the end of the crank shown in the second picture of the 1st post?

 

[Martin Hocking]

Sorry smouser I know even less than you but…

Is there a foot operated bit on it? Could there be something that allows it to move only when the switch is pressed?

 

[Theblackbox]

Is this on a footpedal or similar? They have a clutch in them. Normally mechanical but can be air (doubt it on this size press) the mechanical are a sprung type and pulls out a keyway.

If you can take a picture of the back I can direct you a bit more I’ve had a couple and used to use one.

The other is the friction adjustment on the side I wondered if someone has gone full stroke for transport

 

[Brad93]

Undo all the bolts on the bolster and just hit the tooling backwards or forwards

 

[Smouser]

Thanks guys.

Can you not back it off using a bar in the holes on the end of the crank shown in the second picture of the 1st post?

I tried that. The hole is only about 9.5mm and I just bent a bar

It probably originally had a foot pedal, it has been retrofitted with an pneumatic cylinder.

Glad to report, it is free!!

I just had to use way more force to hit the tooling out.

Bigger hammer was required.
Took this photo once I had the tooling moving.

They used the press to flatten a 1mm OD 'rod'. It looks like this:

The tooling

I can turn the flywheel by hand and operate the pneumatic cylinder by hand to make the press go up and down.

Thanks for the ideas to get the press unstuck!

 

[Martin Hocking]

Brad wins 10 points to hufflepuff…

 

[Seadog]

A B(er)FH usually works

 

[Smouser]

I will try to run the little press later today if I get a chance.

Who needs 1mm OD rods flattening?

Come see me

 

[Erie Fred]

Can you not back it off using a bar in the holes on the end of the crank shown in the second picture of the 1st post?

There should be 'Barring over" holes in the periphery of the flywheel for just this occasion.

 

[Brad93]

There should be 'Barring over" holes in the periphery of the flywheel for just this occasion.

As said it has an internal freewheel so it can't turn backwards

 

[Brad93]

I will try to run the little press later today if I get a chance.

Who needs 1mm OD rods flattening?

Come see me

a surgeon somewhere lol

 

[Beanwood]

As said it has an internal freewheel so it can't turn backwards

So would a little more effort trying to take it 'forward' have worked? I presume it must have been at full stroke, and 'just' needed tipping over the edge?

 

[Smouser]

So would a little more effort trying to take it 'forward' have worked? I presume it must have been at full stroke, and 'just' needed tipping over the edge?

I tried but could not get it to move.

Not by turning on the flywheel or by using a bar.

 

[Beanwood]

So now we know... You don't want to drop it on your toes, and you don't want to get your fingers caught in it.. (My wife was in a hurry using the little toggle press the other day, and couldn't work out why it wasn't going down properly - so pushed harder - then realised it was her finger in between the dies, To be fair she has limited feeling in that finger.. Cue pain and discomfort........ I don't let her play with the fly press or power tools.....)

Have you worked out what the pneumatics do?