Hey Meat-Head, ain't no such thing as a 10 minute project......A pictorial guide on how to piss off your wife AND burn a Sunday in style.

[Runs With Scissors]

Well, much to the dismay of the wife, the Amazon Fairy visited me the other day, so I was chomping at the bit to finally, after 30'ish years, add an "air-over jack" to the Horror Freight 20 ton press.

I don't know why I "needed" to do this right know, I certainly have no shortage of things to get done, but sometimes you just gotta 'scratch that itch"...

I suppose it's similar to the phenomena where you put a sign on something that says "don't touch" and people can't help but touch it....hahahahah

Anyhow, it shouldn't take more than 10-20 minutes to throw this thing on, then I will tackle the "honey do" list........RIGHT?

Here is the before shot.

So I measure it up real quick and notice a small difference in height, Maybe 1 1/2" give or take....Nothing to worry about.

So first I have to get the old jack out.

Now my "wood scrap pile" pales in comparison to the "metal scrap pile" , so cutting two 14'ish inch "spacers" ain't gonna happen............ and me stopping work, driving to Home Depot, getting a 2x4, waiting in line to pay for it and having to "check myself out" (which pisses me off entirely) , then having to drive back home fighting the Sunday drivers and "Blue Hairs", just ain't gonna happen neither.

So I "cobble up" these "spacers", and it's off to the races....

I had to lower the deck one notch to get it in place and now I pop the the "air-over" in place and I'm basically done.................right?

Wife pokes head into shop: " Hey, since you and Bill got loaded last night and y'all invited all these people over, are you gonna help with dinner?"

Paul: " Yea, of course...just give me a minute, I'll be right in....almost done here."

 

[Yooper]

Nice upgrade! You might be wishing you should have done it sooner. Let us know

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Now I just gotta put the "bleeder knob" on.......Hmmm.....That's strange......

The new "bleeder knob" is not fitting????

No worries...I'll just put it in the lathe and drill it out.....

Grab the mic, and ......Damn it!......I can't see Jack S&^%........Now I gotta find the "old man" glasses.....

I walk in the house.......

Wife: "Can you start cutting the vegies up?"

Paul: "Yea, hold on a sec....have you seen my "old man" glasses?"

Wife: "Nope"

Paul: ' hmmm????"

Well 25 minutes later, I finally find them.

Aside: these things are a "life saver"

Now I measure it up. It's as clear as a bell with the "old man" glasses on.

Walking back downstairs to the lathe......


Wife: I need some potatoes cut up too.....

Paul: Yep........, I'll be right there.......

Wife: you said that 45 minutes ago.......

Paul: well if "Someone" would stop touching my sh!t and moving it, I would be done by now....

wife says something unintelligible........

Now I chuck it up and drill it out.

I really need to get some "soft jaw adaptors" for things like this, but today, "time is of the essence", so a little painters tape will have to suffice.

Drilling goes well.

Now just slap her on.....

Uh oh.....WTF......

Damn... who knew the depth of the "twisty knob thingy" would be different?

I'll just file a "scosh" off the back of the "twisty knob thingy"





Walking back downstairs to find a file that will fit.

Wife: " The kids are coming now too........Grab some meat out of the freezer....and I need those vegies cut..."

Paul " I'm on it.....Just a gotta take a little........."

 

[Runs With Scissors]

After finding a file that will fit, I commence to filing.....and filing.....and filing....and......

OMG, this is taking forever!!!!!!

Off to the lathe to take a "little off the top"

Wife: "did you grab that meat yet?"

paul: "Damn.....hold on....I just gotta do this thing first....."

Wife: " Damn it....you invited these people......"

Paul: "yea, yea, yea....I know... just give me a minute......"

Now I chuck it up real quick and take a few thou. off.....

Nope not quite....gotta take a little more off...

Rinse and repeat with lathe......

Wife with Snarky voice: "Don't worry Paul, I got the meat......"

Paul: K



Perfect fit.....almost done.....

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Just gotta put a little Lock-Tite on....

Paul yelling up the stairs...."hey babe, have you seen my lock tite?"

Wife: "Now what the hell would 'I" have done with your lock tite?.......

Paul mumbles to self........ " the same thing you did with my "old man " glasses......."

After 20 minutes of cussing, looking, and more cussing......I spot it

It's exactly where "someone" left it........hahahahah

 

[DustyRusty]

Now you need to drill and tap that "twisty thing" for an Allen screw so the "twisty thing" doesn't fall on the ground and you can't find your glasses to look for it.
Have you considered buying some cheap dollar store glasses and keeping them with each machine that you have, so they will always be there when you need them? Yes, I know, you will probably wear them when you go back upstairs and take them off in the kitchen. Then the wife will move them to a drawer and not remember that she did that.
I don't thing that a day goes buy that I say to myself, I didn't have any problems before I got married. A bad day at work is better than a good day with the wife.

 

[GeoHorn]

Well, Paul…. Once again…. I’ve found someone who is smarter/better than me….. I had the SAME Thought as you….. bought an Air-over-jack with the intention of replacing the standard bottle jack on the 20-ton HF shop-press…. I got it at NT “on Sale” for $99. That was Ten Years ago.

That Air-over jack is still sitting in it’s original box over in the corner.

Procrastination is one of my super-powers.

 

[John T]

air over hyd.

I did the same to mine.... along with a custom knob.

I do remember welding something on the bottom plate to get it to fit right...

The only thing I did different was, I ran steel safety wire through each of the springs.

I wasn't comfortable how far those springs were stretching at times....

Years ago I had a garage spring let go (with no safety cable) and it flew across the garage and took a chunk out of the wall.

Be careful.
those springs are right in your face.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Done!!!!!

Now I just gotta put the " deck" back in place and go cut some veggies........

Hmmm.......Damn......

When I put the deck back to its original spot, the ram press's the brake down so that it won't allow any metal in the brake.

Hmm.. well that sucks. I either have to use the next set of holes, or I can cut the ram down...

If I use the next set of holes, I have to overcome about 3 inchs of "dead space"...Certainly not ideal..

Also, it is a little low to comfortably work with....(even for me)

I kick around the idea of making "special spacers" to account for the 'dead space', but that just doesn't sit well with me for whatever reason....

The only other thing I can come up with is to cut the ram down a little...

I basically reason that if I need it, I can always make/use some sort of "extender" on the ram.

So a few options of how to cut it run through my mind... Sawz-all, angle grinder with cutoff wheel?????

Mehhhh......Hey I got it.....I will use my horizontal band saw, and just " hold it in place'

Great idea dumbass..........

I wish I had the excuse of "I was drinking" , but alas I don't...

I had this illusion/delusion that I could get a "pretty straight" cut, so back downstairs I go....

Wife: " Paul, what are you doing? They are going to be here in a couple of hours...."

Paul: "Oh #$%k it, just order some &*^ damn pizzas....hell these people are used to eating out of 'roach coaches", Jets pizza will be "gourmet" to them"

Wife: "A$$hole......."




Well now that I got making dinner "out of the way" lets cut that ram down.

 

[GeoHorn]

Did Wife ever understand you had “pressing matters”..??

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Well here it takes about 5 times of the ram "jumping off" the band saw, but I finally 'Get'r done"

And not totally unexpected, it's crooked as hell.

There is no way that I am going to be able to use this......So its off to the mill.

I grab some "cutting fluid" (all Machinist's, please avert your eyes momentarily)

Hey, its basically all I have, and since I retired from MX, I no longer rebuild forks, so the "inner tightwad" has gotta try to use it for something.

I am not crazy about my "hold down" set up, but it's basically all I could come up with and it was pretty solid.

A few passes with the Chinesium Mill, and it we are all set.

Now I just reinstall the "ram" and Walaa........Done!

Wasn't that easy? hahahahah

Now I gotta call FTD flower delivery service........and do some Brown Nosing......

The End.....

 

[fried1765]

Well here it takes about 5 times of the ram "jumping off" the band saw, but I finally 'Get'r done"

View attachment 120360

And not totally unexpected, it's crooked as hell.

There is no way that I am going to be able to use this......So its off to the mill.

View attachment 120361


I grab some "cutting fluid" (all Machinist's, please avert your eyes momentarily)

View attachment 120362

Hey, its basically all I have, and since I retired from MX, I no longer rebuild forks, so the "inner tightwad" has gotta try to use it for something.

I am not crazy about my "hold down" set up, but it's basically all I could come up with and it was pretty solid.


View attachment 120363

A few passes with the Chinesium Mill, and it we are all set.


View attachment 120364

View attachment 120365

Now I just reinstall the "ram" and Walaa........Done!

Wasn't that easy? hahahahah

View attachment 120366

Now I gotta call FTD flower delivery service........and do some Brown Nosing......

The End.....

SWAG Off Road sells those jack release knobs for $16.95.
Much cheaper than ANYTHING from FTD!

 

[William1]

I figure a job time. Double it. Then 4X and tell my wife it will take that long. I can then always say it was easier than I thought, all due to proper planning....

 

[D2Cat]

Now you need to drill and tap that "twisty thing" for an Allen screw so the "twisty thing" doesn't fall on the ground and you can't find your glasses to look for it.
Have you considered buying some cheap dollar store glasses and keeping them with each machine that you have, so they will always be there when you need them? Yes, I know, you will probably wear them when you go back upstairs and take them off in the kitchen. Then the wife will move them to a drawer and not remember that she did that.
I don't thing that a day goes buy that I say to myself, I didn't have any problems before I got married. A bad day at work is better than a good day with the wife.

"I don't thing that a day goes buy that I say to myself, I didn't have any problems before I got married. A bad day at work is better than a good day with the wife."

I feel sorry for you partner!!!

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Nice upgrade! You might be wishing you should have done it sooner. Let us know

I love it.

I actually did this a few weeks ago, and I have used it since.

Night and day difference!!!!

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Did Wife ever understand you had “pressing matters”..??

Been Married for 30+ years, so I'm not sure if its necessarily "understands"..........it's more likely.....

"I have put up with this A$$hole for 32 years, and divorce is expensive, so to hell with it, I'll keep him around cause he's good at fixing stuff".....

 

[fried1765]

Been Married for 30+ years, so I'm not sure if its necessarily "understands"..........it's more likely.....

"I have put up with this A$$hole for 32 years, and divorce is expensive, so to hell with it, I'll keep him around cause he's good at fixing stuff".....

Not a sure thing though!
Mine dumped me at 34 years, for her then latest "boy frienrd".
Now......28 years later, I am happy that she did!

 

[lynnmor]

I am not crazy about my "hold down" set up, but it's basically all I could come up with and it was pretty solid.


View attachment 120363

Next time clamp over the parallels, not over the air below.

 

[Flintknapper]

Been Married for 30+ years, so I'm not sure if its necessarily "understands"..........it's more likely.....

"I have put up with this A$$hole for 32 years, and divorce is expensive, so to hell with it, I'll keep him around cause he's good at fixing stuff".....

^^^^^^

Yeah, 40 years for me.

I can fix stuff also, but I'm pretty sure when it gets to the point that I can't get the lids off of jars, my days will be numbered.

 

[fried1765]

^^^^^^

Yeah, 40 years for me.

I can fix stuff also, but I'm pretty sure when it gets to the point that I can't get the lids off of jars, my days will be numbered.

You can be replaced with a big pair of... channellocks ....for those jars!