How to Install New Pistons on Old Connecting Rods?

Years ago, for a short time, I was a tear-down specialist in an engine-shop, specializing in Circle-track Chevys. One of my jobs was to cold-press the pins out. We had a fixture that cradled the pistons, but most of the pistons broke when I pushed the big red button, which was Ok cuz those pistons were never gonna be reused.
So to prevent injury, the fixture was to used with a shield between the operator and the piston.
Yeah right.
Picture me holding the rod in one hand, so it wouldn't fall on the floor, the shield balancing on the bed-rail, and me with the other hand pushing the go button. Key-raack, the pin takes off like a bullet straight into the waiting pail below, while the piston is left flopping around, sometimes broken, sometimes split, rarely not damaged in some way; but never did anything shoot back at me, so piss off shield.
That job was filler work, while I was between jobs. There had been talk of one of the assemblers moving away, and I was "in-training". But that fell thru, so I moved on. I did however learn how to run some of the equipment, and that looked good on my resume.