Arbor Press Advice

[ozziebluesman]

I am interested in buying an Arbor Press. I see this on on the bay which looks ok.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/350788326995 ... 500wt_1288
I'm not sure what you all use but I reckon 1 ton model should be sufficient. I have the Stew Mac fret press cauls with a few different radius inserts and I was wondering how you connect these to the arbor?

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers

Alan

[liam_fnq]

You drill a hole in the bottom of the press part to suit the caul. You also need to drill the side for a grub screw and then tap a thread to suit.

[DaveW]

I would say the shaft will be hardened so you will probably need to find someone with a milling machine to do the holes
wouldnt be expensive
Dave

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks Liam and Dave that is good advice.

Is one ton ok for pressing in frets? There is a two ton model also.

Cheers

Alan

[Allen]

Mine is a 1 ton model, and it's got more than enough grunt to press in frets. In my first uke class one of the fellows thoght that frets needed to be flush with the board, and nearly cut the fret board in half.

Should go around and have a look in the tool shops in Townsville Alan. I got mine from one of the locals for $70. And no freight. There isn't much to the things in the way of precision working parts, but they are bloody heavy.

I drilled mine out on the drill press. It was a pain in the arse to do, but got there eventually. A mill would be a much better option. Good thing I have one now.

[Trevor Gore]

It depends how and when you want to do your fretting. For example, if you want to fret a finished neck like this, off the body, you won't have enough room under the suggested press for the heel. But you will if you have a decent sized drill press and use that. You can get more than enough load with a good drill press and the SM cauls if your frets/slots are the correct fit.

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks Allen for the advice. I will have a look locally.

Good points there too Trevor. I have fretted the finger board on and off the neck. I think if I use an arbor then fretting the fingerboard off the neck is the way to go for me. My drill press is only a cheapy!

Cheers

Alan

[Kim]

Buy a half decent 2nd hand floor stand drillpress and you will never regret it Alan.

One of the most versatile of all machines you will never run out of things you can find to do with it IMO. Press frets? Easy! Buff out a finished guitar with foam pad? Piece of cake! Use a Wagner Safe-t-Planer to hog off the worst down to near finish thickness of the most greasy abrasive clogging soap like Bocote, or easily burnt woods such as sheoak etc. etc.. As a bonus you can also drill a completely vertical and accurate hole even through the most oddly shaped objects and while that may not sound such a big deal, I reckon that single function is worth every cent you spend because it can ensure that many jigs and fixtures one can make to make seeking to make their instruments better, end up being worth all the time, effort, and materials they've invested in that process.

Cheers

Kim

[Trevor Gore]

...not to mention drum sanding and mortising...

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks Kim I hear you as I use a safe t y planer often and don't have a means to buff out a finish. Work space is not plentiful in my shop as it has to double for a music teaching studio. Maybe I can convince the wife she needs a floor standing drill press out under the patio to use as an inside cloths line.

Thanks for your thoughts

Cheers

Alan

[Bob Connor]

Al

A drill press would look sensational in your kitchen next to the microwave.

Tell your missus Bob said it'll be fine.

Regards

[Kev3]

Might be able to help out if you need someone with access to a milling machine if you decide to go this way Alan.

Cheers

[ozziebluesman]

Good stuff Kevin.

I will talk to you soon.

Cheers

Alan

[ozziebluesman]

Ok Bob, that's the best laugh I've had in a long time.

Cheers

[liam_fnq]

I would say the shaft will be hardened so you will probably need to find someone with a milling machine to do the holes
wouldnt be expensive
Dave

I'd say it's not. In fact I drilled it out with a power drill. Might have even been a battery drill given the effort to get the dusty power drill out from the back of the cupboard and find one of those power point thingys. The far more important thing is to use sharp bits, piloting out not too much with each step. It'll take about two minutes.

http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/Arbor-Press
This is where I got mine. All the cost is in the shipping. The one tonne is enough is press a fret flush with the surface of the fret board if you wanted to.

A floor standing drill press is not high on my list of wants.

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks Liam,

The arbor I found on eBay was $110 with free shipping. I have since found a one ton arbor at Blackwoods here in Townsville and will see what their price is today.

Cheers

Alan

[Kim]

Al

A drill press would look sensational in your kitchen next to the microwave.

Tell your missus Bob said it'll be fine.

Regards

You know if you paint it gloss red and stick a good size "Sunbeam" or "Kenwood" decal on the pulley cover, and then get hold of a few attachments for it like a blender, "K" beater and balloon whisk for cake mixing etc that could be a great compromise Al..............

Cheers

Kim

[ozziebluesman]

I am fond of making a pizza in the Weber bbq so a mixer for the dough could be a selling point .........Naw won't work

Cheers

Al

[nnickusa]

Yeah, Alan, you'd need the planetary action of a proper mixer.....

Did the dough turn out any better with my comments?

OTOH, the red might just do it for a regular mixer.....

[ozziebluesman]

Hey Nick the dough was much, much better....certainly the higher protein flour did the trick as did a lot more mixing time...i was in a hurry this weekend and made two but i haven't tried leaving the mixture in the fridge for two days yet....next effort....cheers Al

[vandenboom]

In an earlier post on this subject when responses suggested using a drill press, someone raised concern about possible damage to seals if often applying a lot of pressure, especially in cheaper units. I found a small drill press on a nature strip and use it instead of my good unit for pressing frets. I also throw it under the house between fret jobs because of my workshop space constraints. Frank

[Taffy Evans]

Hi Al, I've used this one for a long time, seems to work ok.

DSCF5151.JPG (44.94 KiB) Viewed 26308 times

DSCF5152.JPG (53.49 KiB) Viewed 26308 times

[Dominic]

I would say the shaft will be hardened so you will probably need to find someone with a milling machine to do the holes
wouldnt be expensive
Dave

I'd say it's not. In fact I drilled it out with a power drill. Might have even been a battery drill given the effort to get the dusty power drill out from the back of the cupboard and find one of those power point thingys. The far more important thing is to use sharp bits, piloting out not too much with each step. It'll take about two minutes.

http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/Arbor-Press
This is where I got mine. All the cost is in the shipping. The one tonne is enough is press a fret flush with the surface of the fret board if you wanted to.

A floor standing drill press is not high on my list of wants.

Yeah, mine was soft and easy to drill out with a bit of oil. I got it from hare and forbes I use the 1 tonner painted red. Heaps of nice even pressure. Got me thinking, a torsion wrench instead of the stock handle would mean you could press in each fret with very consistent pressure.
Cheers
Dom