Starting with the $1000.00 for the BD press, you need to ask what
else can I get for that money or less? that would do the same job.
The answer will depend on where you are, how near you are to any
industrial metal working area and the space you might have or not
for some other machine, like a fly press.
This can be anything from 1 ton up to 10 tons energy delivery,
weighing from 100lbs or so up to 1 ton.
This had a heavy cast iron or steel frame, a base with a hole in it
a large screw above the base with an arm on this with balls of iron
each end.
These can weigh anything from 20 lbs to 200 lbs each.
Hand operated, fast and accurate if not worn out. as to size for
what you want to do, from 4 ton upward, tho if youve space for 2,
then a 2 ton and a 6 ton would do all you would want.
Where to find these? SH machinery dealers, within say 100 mile
should be where you start looking. Go and look at them.
Gogle fly presses for pictures. The small ones can be bolted to a
strong wooden bench.
the bigger ones come with their own cast iron base that needs
bolting down to a concrete floor.
Do your research into all Ive said. These presses are standard in
the birmingham jewellery workshops in the UK. More versatile than any
hyd press.
Tho its nice to have some of each. There too slow for modern
production but ideal for folk like us.
A good one will last you all your life and the next generation after
that. There ideal for blanking pressing, bending, embossing, doming
etc.
Costs dont finish once youve the press installed, the tooling will
usually cost more than the press.
Research tooling as well.
Its a great journey getting one of these tools. AND there a pleasure
to use.