Author Topic: Hoop - Made From PVC Pipe Coupling  (Read 6466 times)

timnbama

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Hoop - Made From PVC Pipe Coupling
« on: May 12, 2009, 02:28:21 AM »
I got bored this afternoon and this was the result, a new 6-5/8" form. This is a 6" slip coupling that I took my Dremel tool with a burr bit and cut most of the inner flange out then a sharp pocket knife took the rest out with a scaping motion, then it was drill time.

Cheese Head

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2009, 10:00:15 AM »
Beautiful professional looking job, how did you get the holes so evenly spaced, mine are much more haphazard?

timnbama

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2009, 10:42:20 AM »
I used a hand drill and rolled it on the floor while holding it between my feet as I sat on the couch watching a movie. I had thought about laying out a pattern with my CAD program but for personal use I think it's close enough.

Cheese Head

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2009, 11:32:51 AM »
OK, mine were similar :). I sat outside front of house watching kids play on street and just eyeballed my holes . . .

wharris

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2009, 12:53:37 PM »
Looks very very nice.  Well done.

timnbama

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2009, 01:15:38 AM »
I suspect that if I had had another glass or two of muscadine wine ('07 vintage with a few elderberries) the holes would have been even more uniformly spaced. A friend and I worked on a glass (that's redneck slang for qt. mason jar) of that along with a little stilton that I had made as I was drilling the holes. My friend told me that if I would furnish the wine and cheese he'd sit there all day and watch me drill holes.

wharris

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2009, 01:20:19 AM »
How much time was spent "de-burring?" the holes?

In the future, I resolve to have two sets of moulds.  One with holes as neat and purty as yours, and another sans holes. 

I will use the latter for a final pressing to remove "character" dimples caused by the drain holes.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2009, 01:44:10 AM by Wayne Harris »

timnbama

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2009, 01:41:55 AM »
Just a few seconds, start with a new bit, slow the drill down, lighten the pressure just before break thru and use a curved piece of wood as a backer block on the inside. After every hole clean the plastic from the drill bit so that you don't push it into the next hole and there you go. My friend's job was to hold the backer block inside the mold as I drilled. With me drinking wine as I was doing that I surely didn't trust myself to hold a piece of wood under a drill bit, lol.

zenith1

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2009, 04:55:31 PM »
great looking mold-it looks like it was processed with a cad program.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #9 on: May 14, 2009, 12:28:25 AM »
Very nice looking mold. Good eye!

timnbama

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2009, 02:36:27 AM »
Thanks. I hope to get a 4" one or two cut out soon and a friend gave me a brand new 15"x20" plastic cutting board this afternoon and said that he had one and that someone gave this one to him for Chirstmas. When he asked me if I could use it I was seeing followers in my mind so guess what I hope to find time for this weekend. If my little lathe would turn 6" dia. stuff I would have that one licked so I guess that it will be the scoll saw to the rescue.

Frumunda

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2009, 11:28:43 PM »
have you used this yet?I just got a 6" coupling to make a mold with and I'm wondering how much cheese curds will fit in it.Will it press,say,a four gallon batch worth of curds?Would I need an 8" coupling for that?Also,what do you use for a follower?I bought a 6" cap and plan to dremel the threads and inner lip off so that it slips down inside of it.

timnbama

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #12 on: May 23, 2009, 12:44:33 AM »
I plan on using it tomorrow if all goes well. I think that it will hold 4 gals. if it is a pressed cheese. I cut the follower out of a poly cutting board with my scroll saw.

timnbama

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #13 on: May 24, 2009, 10:37:53 AM »
It held the batch yesterday with no problem which was 3 gals milk and 4 8 oz. whipping cream. I added calcium cloride and got a very good curd with a good yield. It's still in the press with 50 pounds on it. I think that with 4 gals you would have to pack the curds in a little at first to get the follower in but it shouldn't be a problem to get them all in from what I've seen with a 3 gal batch.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: New Mold
« Reply #14 on: May 25, 2009, 02:14:51 AM »
You didn't mention the most important part, what movie were you watching?