Hydraulic forming presses in Europe?

[Dave Willis]

Hello all,

Complete newbie here.

I've been Googling a lot lately for anybody in this country (or even Europe) who makes affordable hydraulic forming presses...but all the stuff available on the Internet comes from America!
Also, there are various other products I'd like to buy - but nobody seems to sell them in the UK. It's frustrating in the extreme.

My question to you all (and I'm surprised nobody else seems to be asking this) - does anybody know where I can buy a small hydraulic forming press in the UK? What I'm looking for is something simple, operated with a bottle jack.

Hint to Cookson: please start selling 'em!

Thanks very much for any replies.

Dave Willis

[caroleallen]

I didn't have any luck either. I ended up buying the magnificent Bonny Doon. Rio Grande and Bonny Doon won't allow anyone else to stock them.

[Dave Willis]

I'd say that was a gap in the market - a business opportunity for any local engineering company.

Bonny Doon gear is really good, but I don't think I can afford one right now - certainly not the cost of importing one.

[Dennis]

If you can find a small engineering workshop willing to make a version, with a bought in bottle jack, it need not break the bank. I did so fifteen years ago and I could not visualise life without it, not only for forming, but also for flattening things without marking them as you would with a hammer.

Mind you, they have closed down since, so maybe they didn't charge enough. If you look at ' Hydraulic Die Forming For Jewelers & Metalsmiths ', by Susan Kingsley, she also describes how to make your own without special skills. Dennis.

[trialuser]

I'm not sure I understand what you are referring too, but if it's one of these
They are available everywhere, ebay is full of them, often very cheap. Sealey, Clarke, Draper all have a version.
Unless you mean the dies and other bits?

[Dave Willis]

Yes, I've been looking at those, but even the bench versions are huge. I'm concerned that I may not be able to lift one all by myself. If I bought one of those, I'd probably have to do a bit of adaptation work on it to make it usable for jewellery work.

Anybody out there using one of these? I'd be interested in knowing if they're any good for this purpose.

Thanks for the replies so far.

[lorraineflee]

Although they are currently out of stock, Cookson Dental sell this Sirio "P400 Hydraulic Press - ZHP 1011
The Sirio P400 hydraulic press is used by the dental technician to mould mobile prosthesis. ". I have one that I got on eBay a few years ago and I've used it for small pressings. Still got the dies from Rio Grande though (at vast expense!)
Lorraine