Just made my first cheese press

[mikeradio]

I am just getting started in making cheese, gathering all the equipment and ingredients.

I decided to start with a simple press that I just add weights to the top.

This is made out of 3 bamboo cutting broads.

[Gürkan Yeniçeri]

Good work Mike. What are you going to use as weights?

[acstokes]

Mike,
Simple & inexpensive. I like it!

Fred

[mikeradio]

Thanks

I still looking for a used set of weights, I am sure I can find someone selling a set they dont use any more.

[mtncheesemaker]

Very nice!

[zenith1]

Mike that looks great and I can assure you that it is very serviceable. I used one very much like that one when I started. Congratulations.

[Soozletew]

FYI, Play It Again sports equipment stores sell free weights for 60 cents a pound.  I bought 50 pounds which has been plenty of weight so far.   

That having been said, I'm aiming for a Dutch style press, as I don't seem to have the best coordination at stacking weights, and I have to keep an eagle eye on my little press, in the same style as yours, to make sure that the weights don't get off center. 

[hammerhead]

FYI, Play It Again sports equipment stores sell free weights for 60 cents a pound.  I bought 50 pounds which has been plenty of weight so far.   

That having been said, I'm aiming for a Dutch style press, as I don't seem to have the best coordination at stacking weights, and I have to keep an eagle eye on my little press, in the same style as yours, to make sure that the weights don't get off center.

Duct tape.

[mikeradio]

I was thinkking of adding a dowel to the middle of the top board, which I will add the weights too.
The dowel should keep them centered.

We have a Play it again sport here I will check them, I found some at Canadian Tire but they want about $1.00
per pound.

[acstokes]

The dowel should keep them centered.

Sound good. Get a dowel the size of the hole in the weights so they stay well centered.

Fred

[Soozletew]

Dowel in the middle= brilliant!  I'll get my carpenter guy right on it.

[bobb]

Play it again, rusty weights (I painted)  30 cents a pound

[KosherBaker]

While this may not work with the dowel in the middle, but one of the members on this forum has used one of those garden stepping stones that they sell at Home Depot as a weight. Home Depot lists the concrete ones to be about 23 pounds. And they are very very inexpensive ($1.07). Here's what they look like:
Paver Stepping Stones

[curdsandwhey]

Very beautiful!  Where did you purchase the drip pan from?

[MrsKK]

Where did you get your bamboo cutting boards?  I made a similar press a couple of years ago from red oak slabs, but would like something a little more tidy looking.

I advertised on Craigslist and got about 200 lbs of weights for $10.