Hydraulic Press:

This is another one of the first machines I built that still has a place in my shop. It's an air-over-hydraulic 23 ton press I keep around for general shop-press duties. I originally used it to weld damascus billets, which it did well. The air motor that actuates the press, however, generates a ram speed of about one inch ever 15 or 20 seconds --- far too slow for any other forging operations. Still, sometimes you want a slow press. Insertion, straightening, press fit, die forming and other duties come to mind.