Author Topic: My new press design..willing to build more!!  (Read 2345 times)

dougspcs

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My new press design..willing to build more!!
« on: November 18, 2017, 09:57:15 PM »
I'm really enjoying this new hobby..about a dozen cheese under my belt now and so far so good.

But I'm the sort that likes to find different ways of doing things, building and designing my own way..

Anyway I played around with a few ideas for a cheese press..some ideas I saw on the web impressed me, others not so much!

The dutch press for example..a beautiful old tried and true, however the mechanism I found a bit cumbersome to reproduce. Plus the whole MATH thing to sort out how much weight is being applied to the follower  ::) ..I never did like math!!

The screw type really drives me bananas!! A real PITA to setup, wing nuts hold it all together and dial to a specific weight? A guessing game on a good day..

So I designed something of my own..and here is my prototype.

The framework is a basic "H" with a centre plunger onto which the weights are stacked..you want 20lbs on your cheese, you place 20lbs of weight on the plunger!! Simple..and no math.

I will be refining a bit, a bit prettier perhaps, but I'm thinking this is something I can offer to others. So in the next month or so and a bit of tooling to build them I might just start offering them for sale to anyone interested..

I figure I could build and sell them for $60-75 range, plus some shipping. This is easy for me as I live on the border to Michigan and cross regularly..so US or Canada is no problem.

Of course all I wouldn't be able to supply weights, but the support shaft is designed to access any standard exercise weight with a 1" centre shaft. I found these 5-10lbs weights on CL for $10 locally..

The simplicity of the design will ensure zero margin for error on weight application and the press will last a lifetime!!!

If anyone is interested please drop me a line and I'll keep your information and contact you when I have a finished product and am tooled up.

« Last Edit: November 18, 2017, 10:08:55 PM by dougspcs »

Offline Al Lewis

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Re: My new press design..willing to build more!!
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2017, 10:57:49 PM »
Why the long legs on the left side of the pic?  Seems it would be symmetrical.
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dougspcs

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Re: My new press design..willing to build more!!
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2017, 12:40:00 AM »
Why the long legs on the left side of the pic?  Seems it would be symmetrical.

That was part of the original design idea..thought was to make it a Dutch style 1st.

Then had an epiphany to go with the direct weight system but had already constructed the base.

Again, this is my prototype..it will be going back out to the wood shop after this pressing for some minor mods and to cut off the extensions which are not needed.

Cheese Kettle Pty Ltd

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Re: My new press design..willing to build more!!
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2018, 01:10:23 AM »
Hi Doug,

Your press design looks great. To extend life of the press you could pain it with a food friendly varnish/paint.

Just food for thoughts.

Quote
The screw type really drives me bananas!!
Yep - I completly agree.

All the best
Lukasz