CheeseForum.org ยป Forum
GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => EQUIPMENT - Forming Cheese => Topic started by: artguy on December 31, 2013, 04:11:20 AM
-
I have been exploring cheese by making mozzarella and feta. I am ready to move up to harder cheeses and I would like to make a press. I would like to make myself a pneumatic cheese press, Mainly because I am a techie guy and have built many a contraptions for home brew. I have access to a cnc machine and metals fabrication shop. I have two questions,
#1 I have seen multiple square stock designs. What is the recommended square tubing size and interior dimensions of a metal press? I cant imagine ever making making a wheel larger than 6 inches tall. I am not sure what that interior dimension with enough head space for the follower and piston should be.
#2 What size bore cylinder and stroke should I go with? I plan on hooking it up to one of those air reservoirs you prime with your air compressor.
I didn't know if anyone had any generic plan dimensions that could get me started so I could take a lot of the guess work out.
Thanks in advance for your help.
-
Anybody?........... Just need to know bore size/stroke and interior dimensions. Could someone who has a standard cheese press maybe tell me the inside dimensions of where you put the mold and roughly how far down the follower, on average, travels down through the mold?
-
I can' t help you on the hydraulics/pneumatics part but The space you need for the mold is about 8 to 12 inches wide by 8 in (one mold) to 14 in (2 molds) high. The travel for the initial press should be about 1 to 1 1/2 inches and maybe 1 inch for the final press. Hope this helps.
-
Welcome to the forum Art!
I can't help much with the pneumatic press, but I can try to point you in the right direction.
1) The search tool will be your friend; there is tons of great info on the forum (https://www.google.com/search?q=pneumatic+site%3Acheeseforum.org%2Fforum (https://www.google.com/search?q=pneumatic+site%3Acheeseforum.org%2Fforum))
2) Cartierusm has made a few presses - http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,5702.0.html (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,5702.0.html)
3) Post pictures of the build! Always makes it fun.
Good luck!
-
Thanks Smolt1 and flac. Exactly what I needed! Will post pics once i get started! Thanks for the warm welcome to the forum.
Cheers
-
Problem with a pneumatic press is that, as the cheese compresses the pressure reduces unless you have a very complicated, read as expensive, automatic regulator. The one on your compressor may work for you. Much simpler, and less expensive method, is the dutch press design. K.I.S.S.
-
... I am a techie guy and have built many a contraptions for home brew. I have access to a cnc machine and metals fabrication shop.
Home brew, access to a cnc and fab shop! What more could you ask for except cheese indeed ;). Look forward to viewing your creation!
Al: Air regulators are pretty cheap now a-days (here's a compact one I bought a while ago) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00171BFKK/ref=wms_ohs_product_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1)and a pneumatic cylinder will give constant pressure over the full length of it's stroke given one. Your right though if Art is using a tank with no regulator.
Cartierusm's (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,5702.0.html) design looks good and there seems to be enough info on that thread to design yours. My first press was a dutch-style that I made, then I started fiddling with spring presses (trying to make a more compact press) and saw the same drawbacks Cartierusm mentions. I ended up with an articulated - toggle design that solved the problem with pressure changing during the stroke (I think I posted a pic some time back but I'm too lazy to look up the link :-[).
-
Thanks, I definitely will have a tank with an appropriate regulator and control valve so the plunger doesn't punch down quickly and make a mess. My biggest concern is figuring out hw long of a stroke cylinder to get and making sure the interior measurements of the press are correct, allowing it to accommodate a moderate range of mold sizes.
-
John , did you build that press , the wooden one with the interlocking cogs on it ?
That's a fantastic job , as much as I like tech and gadgetry , like hydraulics and pneumatics , I still find the nice wooden presses very alluring.
If you did build that , did you also design it yourself , I would love to see more photos and maybe rough dimensions and have a go at one like that myself.
Very Nice , a cheese for that !