14 replies to this topic

[Alchemist]

I finally grew weary of my 4" cast iron Harbor Freight "sloppy" vise.

 

It served its purpose, but it was always a handful to keep the motor/pinion in proper alignment because the sliding jaw had too much play.

 

 

 

You can see how much "slop" there is in the sliding jaw

It would shift to one side (like the photo) when pressing on the pinion

 

It's heavy too!

 

Weighing in at 6 pounds!

 

 

I wanted a new "Pinion Press Vise" that was lightweight and compact, that I could carry in my box.

 

I had been searching for small size vise and decided on this 2-3/4" articulated vacuum vise from Harbor Freight. 

I felt it was a good purchase with a 20% discount coupon - out the door for under $13!

 

The body is made of aluminum with a nice smooth casting and paint finish, and comes with "steel" jaws.

 

I've started to disassemble it -I won't need the vacuum base.

 

Four corner screws and a center screw attach the Jaws to the vacuum base.

 

It also comes with soft rubber jaw pads - which I felt was a nice addition.

 

The Jaw housing won't remain upright, so I made a pedestal from 1/4" thick, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sheet

 

Though the jaws are steel, they had the screws countersunk, which left stepped holes, and also holding grooves.

 

I wanted a smooth flat surface, so I took some old, thick, feeler gauge blades and stuck them on the jaws.

 

I also made a Delrin adapter block to retain the motor in position, for both double shaft and capped end motors.

The adapter block has a 1/4" hole drilled down about 1/8", it also has a 2mm hole (you can't see it) drilled all the through to accommodate motors with double shafts

 

 

 

Here you can see that the Jaw slide has supporting rods on both sides,  to keep everything in parallel - helping prevent the jaws from going askew.

 

 

Motor in place and aligned

 

 

Pinion ready to press on

 

 

Worked well! 

 

 

The type of motors I was referring to.

 

 

Here you see how the adapter block fits in between the connector tabs.

 

 

It has a small footprint!

 

6 inches long

 

 

2-1/2" tall

 

 

2-3/4" wide

 

 

Very light compared to my 4" cast - 6 pound iron vise.

20.16 oz = 1.26 lbs

 

I'm pleased with my new Pinion Press!

 

Thank you.

 

Ernie

[Jay Guard]

Ernie:

I'm always impressed with the ingenuity that you show in your McGiverish builds.  But at some point wouldn't it have been a whole lot easier and cost/time effective to have just purchased this (see picture) for $9.99 on eBay.  It's much lighter and way more portable and easier to store.

 

But please don't get me wrong here, I'm a guy that likes to fiddle, invent, and find creative solutions to things like you do, but at some point, well it just makes sense to purchase.  I mean if you really have to "invent" go get a 2" C-clamp at harbor freight for around $3 and drill a hole or two and you've got a great little press (as pictured).

 

[Alchemist]

Hi Jay,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

 

 

But please don't get me wrong here, I'm a guy that likes to fiddle, invent, and find creative solutions to things like you do, but at some point, well it just makes sense to purchase.  I mean if you really have to "invent" go get a 2" C-clamp at harbor freight for around $3 and drill a hole or two and you've got a great little press (as pictured).

 

As a retired Design Engineer, It's what I like and choose to do.

 

It is challenging to determine the tone of a keyboard response but I am sensing that perhaps the subject matter is redundant and trivial.

 

I'm hoping it isn't so.

 

Thanks again for your observation.

 

Ernie

[Geary Carrier]

As a retired floor sweeper I vote for the Ernie Special as it can be adapted for various other functions in addition to said pinion press.

 

Press on Ernie...

[Jay Guard]

Hey Ernie:

I too am a retired Design Engineer with 37 years of experience in the Aerospace industry and I really DO understand exactly where you are coming from.  But as an engineer I also value the efficient use of time, materials, and energy which is where I was going with my comments which I suspect you also understand.  What you do is interesting and fun for you and I would never say you shouldn't do it.  It's just that sometimes we engineers make things more difficult than they really need to be.  Nonetheless I get that figuring out a solution to a problem and resolving it with your own hands is very rewarding, I've been there more times than I can count so I do "get it".  Please carry on and keep us informed along the way. 

 

BTW.. I've got one of those Harbor Freight vises too, what a POS. 

[Alchemist]

Hi Jay,

 

 

 

It's just that sometimes we engineers make things more difficult than they really need to be.

 

You are absolutely and unequivocally correct Jay!  (See first post - hahaha)

 

The challenging part for me is that I do this all the time - LOL!

 

I admire  and appreciate your experience in the aerospace industry -thank you for your contribution to the aerospace technology!

 

I was employed for over 40 years in the automotive restoration sector - restoring and fabricating parts no longer available on vintage race cars, rare, high end collectable cars etc., as well doing custom bodywork and paintwork.

 

As for my pinion press and it works for me - it is more of a "controversial" conversation piece . . . .besides my wife says it look cute - LOL!

 

I also use it for a sand(paper) weight!  So, it's a multifunction device - LOL

 

Thank you.

 

Ernie

[Pappy]

I use a 16oz. claw hammer to press on pinions. I find using a 20oz. hammer I bend to many shafts. And the nice part about using a hammer is when I'm not pressing on pinions I can use it to build a house or demolition. 

[Rotorranch]

This is what I use for a gear press. Works great, weighs almost nothing, and takes up very little space in the box.

 

 

Rotor

[Pablo]

I use a 16oz. claw hammer to press on pinions. I find using a 20oz. hammer I bend to many shafts. And the nice part about using a hammer is when I'm not pressing on pinions I can use it to build a house or demolition. 

Pappy, does the claw work as a pinion puller also?     

[Pappy]

I've got one of those Jeff, but the problem with them is the threaded part won't go far enough to press a pinion on if the shaft on the other end has been cut off. You can see in your picture, that's as far as it goes. Other than that, I like it. I use a little piece of steel to take up the space where the motor shaft would be. 

 

It's also no good for building a house or demolition. 

 

Seriously, when I was a kid in the early 60's I did use a hammer to put pinions on, couldn't afford a pinion press making $ .50 cents an hour working in my grandmother's hobby shop.

[Pappy]

Pappy, does the claw work as a pinion puller also?     

Sometimes, Pablo. Sometimes you pull the whole shaft out. 

[MattD]

I second the Lucky Bob press like Jeff pictured.    Size, ease of use, it's tops.    I also have a vacuum base vise from 1965 that is near my slot work bench.   I've used it many times to press pinions, you do have to juggle the motor and gear, but it works fine, even if you have to pick the pinIon up off the floor a couple times before it all lines up.   Where is that third hand?

 

It's not always about efficiency, and cost.    Ernie did a good job of making something very useful.  Maybe not everybody wants to do that, but most of us have  spent hours making stuff we could have bought cheaper, but we are "slotters".    Our time has no cost!!

 

Butch we have a local guy who bent his pinion shaft every time he "tried" to put a gear on.   He was finally told he would not get a refund for a bent shaft anymore and only the raceway would install his pinions.   You want me to put your pinions on with the proper tool, just send them and your motors to me and I'll get back to you.   I do a lot better with a tack hammer.      

[Pappy]

 I do a lot better with a tack hammer.      

   

 

I'm like lightning with a hammer, I never strike twice in the same place.

[Bill from NH]

I try not to use press-on pinions.  I've been known to ream some out so they can be soldered or glued on 2mm shafts. When I ran 36Ds ages ago, I used set screw pinions & Champion's with the small collet. I do own a JK pinion press (made by Hudy). It  works good, but they now sells for $60.

[Pappy]

This is what I use.

 

https://cloverleafra...roducts_id=4074