Help Much Appreciated: School Project

[Beem97]

Hello Everyone!

I am an engineering student in high school and I am very much interested in the automotive world. After working on my own car for some time, I have found that access to a press tool would have saved me time and aggravation, but a teenager's income does not support purchases like hydraulic presses. For a school project, I am researching and developing new potential press technology that would be more affordable to the average home mechanic. If you could complete my survey, I would greatly appreciate your help! Thanks!

Here is the link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...PfEjg/viewform

[Toolmaker51]

It's good to know vocational interests are not lost on the younger generations. Many of us here are, due to a spark planted at an indeterminate point in our own development. That many feed their families this way is more than significant justification.
To my preference and vernacular, what you pursue is less 'new technology' than design improvement. As a term, whether noun, verb, or adjective, technology is severely over utilized.
For example: Hair sprays are chemistry, not so much tech. Same applies to most current advertising. This, I believe stems from unversed marketing 'experts' wasted au courant efforts, evidently zero applicable experience toward any of the varied engineering disciplines.
I did respond fully to your poll, found it well phased and logical. I failed to address a consideration of adjustments. Vertical or Z axis, is inherant to press design. Horizontal X is also beneficial, not all parts are symmetrical. Anyone (HMT.net's) responding here, I'm positive, will offer a wealth of knowledge and EXPERIENCE beyond most any hallowed institution, save MIT, JPL, and few others.

[crazypj]

Around 30+ yrs ago I was talking to a hydraulic engineer about my lack of a press. He told me you can modify a motorcycle fork leg to use as a press ram. The cheaper all steel versions are probably safest to use. Use fork oil drain hole and a brake master cylinder to pressurise it. The availability of used parts at the time meant the only expense would have been steel to make framework and a couple of needle valves to direct flow (using two different master cylinders or it would take 'forever' to get any decent amount of travel)