Author Topic: my 10 dollar press  (Read 2255 times)

shoelessone

  • Guest
my 10 dollar press
« on: April 14, 2009, 03:03:13 PM »
This press cost me about 10 bucks to make - we had scrap particle board laying around (I think it's technically particle board, but there might be a different name for it), so the only thing I had to buy was the dowels.  I think I spend around 10 bucks on the dowels, and I didn't glue them or anything so I can remove them.

I'm not particularly happy with the press to be honest, mainly because the top portion doesn't "slide" all that well sometimes, and I worry that when I'm not around to monitor the press the top will bind against the dowels and no pressure will be put on the cheese.  I have a kitchen scale I'm getting soon that I will be using to keep an eye on the pressure being exerted so that will help me sleep easier I think.

The 1" dowels are perfect for the weights as the inner diameter of the weights is just a bit over 1" so they fit perfectly.

I really like the look of Wayne's press and I think I might look at making something like that sometime in the future. 

If I had more funds I'd probably look at fabricating something a bit more "hardcore", but for now this is workable I think :).


Zinger

  • Guest
Re: my 10 dollar press
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2009, 03:31:15 PM »
Hey Shoe,

Welcome back from vacation. Your press looks similar to what I am using. You might want to consider drilling the holes in your top board a little larger if it is the board that is binding. If it is the weights that are binding, then all you really have to do is center your weights on the top of the board. They really don't have to be on the dowels themselves.

Z

shoelessone

  • Guest
Re: my 10 dollar press
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2009, 03:39:49 PM »
Hi Z!

Thanks for the welcome-back :)

It's not the weights that are binding, it is the top piece of wood.  The thing is, I figure the reason for the dowels in the first place is (in part) to keep the board square to the press/bottom board.  I figure if I drill the holes too large then the top board will slide/slip around and the board could tilt on an angle more easily.  So for the 1" dowel I drilled 2 of the holes at 1", and two at 1.25" diameter. 

Anyway, once I get my scale (my birthday is Thursday and unfortunately I saw my present early) I'll be able to semi-accurately measure the pressure output to see how much the binding is affecting the pressing.

I'll keep you posted ;)

MrsKK

  • Guest
Re: my 10 dollar press
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2009, 01:40:11 PM »
Shoe,
I made a similar cheesepressing frame, using hardwood for the top and bottom, and dowels to keep the wood level and centered and had the same issue with the top board binding.

Rather than drill the holes to be larger, I used my Dremel with a grinding bit on it to sand the holes just large enough that the wood moves up and down freely, without binding.  It didn't make the holes large enough that the top board would slip, slide, or tilt, just enough for free movement.

Good luck and an early Happy Birthday!

the_stain

  • Guest
Re: my 10 dollar press
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2009, 02:55:55 PM »
LOL, I'm jealous.  That looks strikingly similar to my own press, but I paid $30 for mine, because Home Depot wouldn't sell me just one foot of 4" PVC... I had to buy 10 feet and that cost me close to $20! :D

Rich

  • Guest
Re: my 10 dollar press
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2009, 01:25:11 AM »
I have a similar design; plywood top and bottom and 1" dowel for the posts.  Mine also would bind at first and I discovered the problem was that the dowels were not perfectly perpendicular to the base, nor parallel with each other.  The solution was to glue the dowels and let the glue harden with the press assembled the hold the dowels in the correct position. No problem since then.