Freechex III question

[Beekeeper]

I got one and need some info from anyone that has one.
Bought an arbor press to use it!
What kind of gidget,gadget ,jig , or jury rig do you use to hold the checkmaker in the press?

It works great as is but being fumble fingered I figured maybe some one has the same problem I have (need 3 hands to make it work great).

Any info good or bad accepted.


bekeeper

[JeffinNZ]

If you adjust the press arm the spring tension should hold it in place.

[arjacobson]

Check out some of my posts- I make up a base that bolts to the arbor press and clamps to the checkmaker.

[Sonnypie]

While I myself don't use an Arbor press, I did make a brass bushing that nests in a 5/16" plate to hold the base.
Some folks drill a 5/16" through hole, then make a 5/8" partial hole to capture the small end in the anvil disk of their press.
That holds the die and allows the finished checks to drop through.
Some use a simple cup to catch them. I use a drill vise and a small aluminum trough for the checks to slide down to a collection tray (AKA: The top of a plastic coffee container.)





Lots of ways to skin a cat.

[skeet1]

This is how I use my Freechex III on my drill press.

Ken

[Pigslayer]

While I myself don't use an Arbor press, I did make a brass bushing that nests in a 5/16" plate to hold the base.
Some folks drill a 5/16" through hole, then make a 5/8" partial hole to capture the small end in the anvil disk of their press.
That holds the die and allows the finished checks to drop through.
Some use a simple cup to catch them. I use a drill vise and a small aluminum trough for the checks to slide down to a collection tray (AKA: The top of a plastic coffee container.)





Lots of ways to skin a cat.

That's pretty doggone slick Sonnie!!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I thought I'd wake up this thread.
I'd also like to see how everyone is using there FCIII tool.

I scrounged an old (USA Made) arbor press from
my scrap metal guy (he has a bunch of these, various sizes and mfg).

I had to drill out the ram to accept the top die,
I didn't have the exact size drill bit as you can see (bottom photo),
I had to shim the die...but it's solid.

When I had the Arbor press all apart,
I was going to clean all the rust off of the ram.
BUT, Since it was such an even coating of surface rust
and didn't seem to hinder the press function,
I just used a course denim rag and gun oil to rub off
anything that would come off.
I figured leaving the remaining rust would help protect
it and also hold the grease/oil to lube it better.

I drilled the bottom plates. They are 3/8" thick scrap from a jobsite that has a
CNC lasor. I have a few more of these laying around, some larger ones too.











Before the Arbor press was cleaned up

[tjones]

I thought I'd wake up this thread.


I had to drill out the ram to accept the top die,
I didn't have the exact size drill bit as you can see (bottom photo),
I had to shim the die...but it's solid.

....

I drilled the bottom plates. They are 3/8" thick scrap from a jobsite that has a
CNC lasor. I have a few more of these laying around, some larger ones too.

Does the ram normally have a foot locked in with a set screw? It looks original.
Chinese have no such feature! Would an adapter foot be advantageous for the HF arbor presses.
Would someone be able to modify the rams?

Looks like some very high quality tooling and machining has taken place. Made in America too!
Such ingenuity!

tj

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I believe the setscrew in the ram is original.

I put a setscrew in the base plate, but I don't use it, as my drilling wasn't perfect, so when I tighten the lower die in the baseplate with the setscrew, it doesn't allign with the top die good enough. That lower die needs to float...at least with my setup.
Jon

[arjacobson]

This is the base that I use. Just have to bolt it down.

[Mike Hughes]

I looked through my collection of taiwan and china sockets, found one that would firmly hold the freechex and welded the socket to the arbor plate. To change calibers, simply rotate the arbor plate. I use a small dixie cup to catch the checks.

[yonky]

Here's my set up, I drilled a hole straight through the arbor plate,then drilled a hole half way through large enough to take the tool.

[tchepone]

Jon: You have photo's of my setup. I drilled mine very similar to Yonky's. I have two Freechex III's in separate holes in different quadrants of the bolster plate. I have set screws to lock the tools in place and another screw to lock the bolster plate securely. I haven't encountered any problems. I am surprised you drilled the ram rather than the bolster plate. Alignment hasn't been an issue with the way I drilled the bolster plate. If the ram doesn't hit exactly dead center with the FC tool it doesn't seem to cause any problems. I suppose if it was grossly mis-aligned it might, but I haven't experienced that. I stole Yonky's idea and improved on it at bit with the addition of the set screw and bolster plate lock down screw. Yonky's may be the same, but it wasn't apparent in the earlier photo's I copied the idea from. Your USA made arbor press looks nice now that you have it up and running. Apparently your scrapper didn't have any bolster plates so you made your own?

Hey Yonky, are those my copper coils?

[yonky]

nice to see someone using a tool thats been made at home rather than "copied" by the chinese,nice to know that dake are still going strong making arbor presses in the us,even though i bet their double the price of the chinese version.i have a chinese one myself,why?because i could not find a uk one.

[Roger Ronas]

Mind describing the set screw for the bolster plate or a pic? Got the rest figured out but can't envision that part of it.
Thanks
Roger

Jon: You have photo's of my setup. I drilled mine very similar to Yonky's. I have two Freechex III's in separate holes in different quadrants of the bolster plate. I have set screws to lock the tools in place and another screw to lock the bolster plate securely. I haven't encountered any problems. I am surprised you drilled the ram rather than the bolster plate. Alignment hasn't been an issue with the way I drilled the bolster plate. If the ram doesn't hit exactly dead center with the FC tool it doesn't seem to cause any problems. I suppose if it was grossly mis-aligned it might, but I haven't experienced that. I stole Yonky's idea and improved on it at bit with the addition of the set screw and bolster plate lock down screw. Yonky's may be the same, but it wasn't apparent in the earlier photo's I copied the idea from. Your USA made arbor press looks nice now that you have it up and running. Apparently your scrapper didn't have any bolster plates so you made your own?

Hey Yonky, are those my copper coils?

[tchepone]

Mind describing the set screw for the bolster plate or a pic? Got the rest figured out but can't envision that part of it.
Thanks
Roger

The set screw, which holds the FC tool securely, is an ordinary ¼" x 20 thread Allen head plug screw. I drilled the bolster plate, from the edge, with appropriate size bit and tapped the hole.
The set screw which holds the bolster plate is an ordinary ¼" x 28 thread cap screw. The bolster plate is drilled at an appropriate location and tapped. The hole extends into the base of the arbor press, which is also tapped.
The Chinese cast iron is quite soft and the drilling and tapping was easily accomplished on my drill press. My choice of screw sizes happened to be what I had on hand but other sizes will work also.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Jon:
...I am surprised you drilled the ram rather than the bolster plate.

...Apparently your scrapper didn't have any bolster plates so you made your own?

...The Ram was already drilled to 1/2" by the factory, and fairly deep into the ram (like 4"). So I didn't give it a second thought that I wouldn't drill it. Basically I just enlargened the hole to 5/8", then filled the deep part of the hole with WW alloy so the complete FCIII tool top is supported.

...I never got back out to see my buddy Bob, to see if he had any bolster plates...I had those 3/8" plates laying around and thought they'd be perfect. I didn't really think of it til just now while typing this. I think I do have a Steel (not cast Iron) bolster plate...a year ago, my neighbor bought a bunch of junk at the an auction sale, I walked over as he was unloading it. A bunch of his friends were around also. They were giving him a hard time about buying this junk. As he was sorting through it, I seen what I now know as a bolster plate, and said, that looks like a part to a pulley remover, don't scrap that out. he gave it to me. Now to figure out were I put it ?

nice to see someone using a tool thats been made at home rather than "copied" by the chinese,nice to know that dake are still going strong making arbor presses in the us,even though i bet their double the price of the chinese version.i have a chinese one myself,why?because i could not find a uk one.

yonky, I was about to say "I seriously doubt Dake is still around". But I desided to fact check myself.
http://www.dakecorp.com/products-det...ingle Leverage
They are still around and make the exact say Model 00 and it's a 1 ton. They don't list the price, I don't think I want to know (but I sent them an e-mail price quote request anyway).
Jon

edited: WOW, Dake responded very quickly...$295.00

[Loudy13]

My Freechex III set up, Drilled through the plate and it works like a charm!!