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GENERAL BOARDS => For Sale/Wanted - Jobs, Animals, Equipment, Consumables => Topic started by: Cartierusm on December 20, 2008, 11:10:12 AM
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So I was lying in bed and decided to check out what other cheese presses are out there. I've seen them over the years, of course, but I usually pay attention to the professional ones lately. I was udderly (get it, udder) amazed at what a rip off they are. There is about $10 worth of parts there, and I should know. There is also about 30 minutes worth of time building the units, for someone who isn't very comfortable with tools. It would take me 10 mintues and it did when I built my first press 7 years ago.
So I was thinking about selling my units, maybe even a little custom with graphics and/or size. There is a wooden press on most of the sites and they want $270 for one...come on! I haven't got a price point yet, but I would like to keep it under $300 at the most. Mind you for that price it would come as a stand alone unit. This means it would have a small compressed air tank pressurized to 4500 PSI and would probably last years. Even so you can have them filled at any paintball store or scuba shop for like $3.
I'll be working on the materials list and see if I can source some of the parts a little cheaper. If anyone is interested either post here or PM me.
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I say go for it. If you see there is an opening for a better product, and yours offers something that others don't, then why not.
For me, buying from over seas, always come down to dollar exchange and postage. Both of which are horrendous at the moment.
Hope it is a success. Best of luck.
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As someone who's an engineer I see the other designs out there and just don't see strict repeatability. My press allows for exact constant pressure. I'm working on the pricing right now to see where I can cut costs. It's actually not very many parts but it does add up.
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Cartier,
Once you get something worked out, let me know....
I'm not sure I convince the wife on the idea of more cheese making equipment but I'll sure as heck give it a try. I can be persuasive and she can be gullible so we're a petty good match. ;D
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I've got it worked out, it's been working for weeks right now. I works perfect. Here is a picture. I can make it any size you want. Just tell me the biggest mold you want to fit in it and if the curds are going overflow the top before initial pressing.
The only thing is you'll need an air compressor, or a portable air tank with a regulator. Do you have one?
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It's very simple and elegant. It's solid steel and the ram is Stainless Steel. Works great and strong as hell.
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Cartier...
The biggest mold I would be using is my 8" hard cheese mold, which is exactly like the one I see in your picture.
I make cheese for myself and my family so honestly it's hard getting rid of as much cheese as I make right now. I couldn't imagine making anything larger than this size of wheel.
Most of my recipes would only load the curd to the halfway point or a little above in this mold. However right now I have a 6 gallon Colby/Jack in the press that filled the mold completely to the top.
I do not have a portable compressed air tank. I do have a compressor but it's in the garage and way too big to bring into the house. The garage is unheated (and usually dirty)so it's not a good environment in which to make cheese.
What type of compressed air are we talking about? I could buy a small bottle of nitrogen for about $25.00 if that would work. I guess my main concern would be the hook up on the hose running to the cylinder. I know that certain gasses like acetylene (and possibly nitrogen) have strange threads that might be hard to adapt to. If the hook up is NPT I can see if adapters are availble.
Please provide me some information about what type of regulated air tank we're talking about and also the thread connection. Also, include a price and we'll see if it works into our budget. This might be a hard sell since our oldest daughter is on her way to college next fall.
Great looking unit though, and if nothing else, maybe I can save up for it.
I really appreciate the fact that you've made me break that "do not covet" commandment. :-)
Seriously, I'll be looking forward to hearing more about the press. I really would love to have one.
Dave
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Have you decided on a price for this press? How hard would it be to make a two stamp press?
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I would love to have a price also if possible email me. Thanks
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This is an old thread. I do sell the cheese presses, there must be other pics on different posts here somewhere. Anyway the price for the pictured press below is $500. That will do an 8" mold which is quite big. A few memebers on here own my presses and will tell you of the quality. Besides the press you will need an air source such as an air compressor, inexpensive ones around $80 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93796 (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93796) these compressors are great for lots of stuff around a house. Or you can just buy an air tank and have it filled at a gas station http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=65594 (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=65594) . If you are interested then let me know. They may sound expensive but they will literaly last forever and when you consider the price of all the materials is not much cheaper than the cost of the unit then you realize that you're getting a good deal. The crapiest spring presses on the market go from $120 - $250 and they only use about $10-$20 in parts. They are screwing you on the price and the fact they are not accurate. This is the only real press that can provide a constant exact pressure. The presses that use a spring, the force drops off as the spring expands as the cheese gets more compact. Also those little presses can not make wheels this big.
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It is truely a thing of beauty!
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Thanks.
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Someday I'll own one... just as soon as I can justify it to myself... sigh
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Cartier, what kind of air compressor would you recommend for this. You mentioned that the $80 one you posted above is the least expensive one. However, I'm wondering which one you feel is the best for the money?
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Doesn't really matter, any will work. The little hotdog tanks and pancake tanks are pretty standard. You don't even need an air compressor but a portable air tank that costs about $25-$50. You just don't want any tankless compressors like those for air brushing.
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Got it. Thanks.
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How much does it weigh - can you break it down a bit for shipping? what would the dimensions be? (wondering if it would fit in my suitcase). Thanks
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Yes it can be broken down and would probably fit in a suitcase. Weighs about 35 pounds, I think.
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Might be tough to explain to TSA.
Just sayin....
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I would love to purchase one of your presses but im just not quite there yet with the money. I was reading another post and Sailor was saying that most of the recipes in Ricki Carroll's book that the weights are way low, only because that is all there presses can handle and are also relative to the size of mold. He was saying that he sometimes uses up to 250 lbs of pressure. That said, I came across this searching google images and, until i can afford something nice like your model, what do you think about this and do you think it could handle a good bit of weight. It can be built for next to nothing.
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That is a French lever press. There are LOTS of variations. The mechanical advantage from the lever is very efficient and will take you a long way in your cheese making efforts. Highly recommend going this direction.
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Harbor Freight has an arbor press for sale that basically uses a bottle jack for the pressure. I'm sure you could rig something up by using some stainless or hdpe cheese molds or something. Not very fancy, but very versatile. All the parts that come in contact with the edibles can be protected as necessary. Necessity is the mother.
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The problem with using a bottle jack is that the pressure changes as the whey leaves meaning you have to constantly adjust the jack. The same is true for threaded style presses.
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Warning Shamless Plug Alert!!! 3...2...1.... That's why my presses use pneumatic cylinders the pressure remains constant no matter how much the cheese compresses....End Shamless Plug. >:D
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I like your design Brent. That could be put away very easily.
Carter that was a nice decrete plug .. ;)
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Thanks.