Author Topic: Ted's homemade cheese press worklog  (Read 11145 times)

wharris

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Re: Ted's homemade cheese press worklog
« Reply #15 on: March 22, 2009, 01:06:26 PM »
Very nice indeed.  I like the countersunkscrew holes on the "feet" of this press.  Nice detail.

Worlock

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Re: Ted's homemade cheese press worklog
« Reply #16 on: March 22, 2009, 09:45:36 PM »
Next day.

How to keep the rods straight while the glue sets.

Scrapped the screws.  They were never perfectly straight, which made them not line up with the roof's holes.  Binding this way and that it never moved freely.

So instead going the old fashioned route with apoxy.

First idea was to set them with my form.  After that didn't work out, descided to use toothpicks as wedges and an angle while the glue set.  That was the final breakthrough for me, and they're all perfectly straight.


Worlock

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Re: Ted's homemade cheese press worklog
« Reply #17 on: March 22, 2009, 09:46:29 PM »
Pre-varnish and post-varnish



Worlock

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Re: Ted's homemade cheese press worklog
« Reply #18 on: March 22, 2009, 09:50:06 PM »
I hate the varnish.

Hate it like I hate all things hatefull.  Hate it hate it hate it.

My wife insisted that I get a water soluable stain / poly.

I wanted to just go with clear polyurethane...

Now it's uneven stainy mess.

If there was a mental image of a kid kicking the tin can home from school emoticon, I'd post it....

Sigh...

All that time this weekend for it to turn out like crap right at the end.

Worklog complete. 
« Last Edit: March 22, 2009, 10:53:13 PM by Worlock »

Cheese Head

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Re: Ted's homemade cheese press worklog
« Reply #19 on: March 23, 2009, 10:51:56 PM »
Ted, from here looking at pictures, the varnish looks great!

So next is to put it in service!


Worlock

  • Guest
Re: Ted's homemade cheese press worklog
« Reply #20 on: March 24, 2009, 12:05:07 AM »
Lol thanks John.  I don't like to make rash decisions.  My first instinct was to burn the mess.  Cooler heads prevailed and I decided to let it set up for a few days to better sand it down.  I'll rethink it after that, and might learn to like it.  But man did I learn some lessons.

Brush stain/poly is thick.  And I don't mean Beyonce's best attribute thick, I mean near gelatinous.  Brushing it on simply was too much.  Using a damp washcloth with extra coats meant that I could control better how much of it and where it was needed most.  If I had to do it over again I certainly would go that route instead.

wharris

  • Guest
Re: Ted's homemade cheese press worklog
« Reply #21 on: March 24, 2009, 12:06:00 AM »
agreed,  i think it looks great.  Little things like taking the time to countersink, or a router to ease and edge or to center things, really sets some projects out from others.  gives the impression one actually cares what the project looks like.  Someone who takes pride.

shoelessone

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Re: Ted's homemade cheese press worklog
« Reply #22 on: March 30, 2009, 11:31:55 PM »
Hiya Ted!

Just curious, if we ignore the varnish issue (I'm generally not a big fan of varnish either, at least not on lighter woods), how does the press work?

I followed a similar design, but I did it very quickly and so everything isn't perfectly square - I think I did mine from conception to completion in 2 hours.  It's pretty sloppy.  Anyway, my problem is the top "tray" tends to bind... It's not such an issue when I have weight on it as long as I center the weight, however when I'm just putting the tray on or trying to take it off, it can be a serious PITA.  I'm pretty sure it's because I didn't bother to square up my dowels.

By the way, I'm not sure what diameter dowels you used, but I used 1" dowels and they happen to be exactly the size of quite a few weights... I had a bunch of weights in my basement and I could easily add weight as I needed it, and with the 4 dowel design the weight is evenly distributed (which helps keep my top from binding).


Worlock

  • Guest
Re: Ted's homemade cheese press worklog
« Reply #23 on: March 31, 2009, 12:38:06 AM »
Greetings Shoelessone,

Besides from the noted varnish issue it works wonderfully.  I've been testing various weight to the same cheese to compare the results in texture and anything else that seems different.

The only way to fix your problem (which I had very very similar issues to yours) is to:

a) Widen your top tray holes
b) Straighten the dowels.

I shined a light from the bottom during specific "bind points" to see where I either needed to straighten or  widen and decided which to do.

If the dowels are crooked a bit, the hole will line up only at certain points of the travel path and bind at others.

I'm using 1" dowels also.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Ted's homemade cheese press worklog
« Reply #24 on: April 02, 2009, 08:15:32 AM »
Good job, can I have those Jalepenos if you're done with them?

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Ted's homemade cheese press worklog
« Reply #25 on: April 04, 2009, 04:11:41 AM »
I think it looks great hon. You did a fine job. Nice play by play too. I like natural wood too makes the grains so pretty. I like tung oil. Been using it for years. I post my pet project for you in the craft section.