Being both engineering types, we had to over-engineer our first cheese press. Hubby was the shop, I was co-design and QA (otherwise known as "being the wife"). We got the springs from a scooter shop for RM10 each! LOL Total list of materials:
2 x wooden chopping boards = RM20
2 x springs of some kind = RM20
Nuts and bolts = RM10
Wood offcuts = RM2
Ruler = RM1
Metal drip tray (not shown) = RM5
Lacquer = RM5
Sweat and swearing = N/C!
Total cost: RM63, say RM65, which is US$16
We then took the contraption to our local shopping centre where there's a fitness store and asked if we could use some of their equipment to help calibrate our press. (Perplexed, they said yes and then helped us find and hold the appropriate weights on the top bar. They didn't understand what we meant by using weights to make cheese.) We then marked off baseline, 2.5kg, 5kg, 10kg, 20kg and 25kg. The baseline mark means we can move the lower bar (marked with the two white screws on the ruler) to match moulds and follower lengths and still have a zero-mark at the upper bar.
You use it by placing the cheese plus follower beneath the lower wooden bar and then tightening the nuts at the top bar, down to the appropriate weight. It's pretty much maxed out at 25kg or 55lbs. I'll have to prettify the ruler but it's pretty much ready to go.
Additional QA by Sausage, the dog.
