I am considering getting some new molds, and since they don't come with followers, I was thinking about ordering some of the "cutting board material" to make my own. I'm not sure what thickness to get. I don't want to waste my money getting it thicker than I need, but I want to ensure that they won't warp under pressure. I know that the larger the mold, the thicker follower I should get, but other than that, does anyone have any guidelines for thickness of a follower?
Mine is around 1/2 inch for a 7" mold.
You could always buy the thinner stuff and make two followers to get the thickness without the expense...
I use cutting boards from the dollar store. They often have boards that are like 14" x 7" and 1/2" thick for around $2.99. I grab a few every now and then they work for a lot of things
Quote from: DeejayDebi on April 14, 2010, 03:43:13 AM
I use cutting boards from the dollar store. They often have boards that are like 14" x 7" and 1/2" thick for around $2.99. I grab a few every now and then they work for a lot of things
Hmmm.. Good post!
I wish I could find some of that cutting board material a little thicker though!
1/2" just wont cut it.
Linuxboy has mentioned Tap Plastics (http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=385&) in another thread as a place to get some HDPE (cutting board material) and after a quick search, seems to be priced well below some of its competitors. Still not as cheap as a dollar store find, but you'll never find 3/4 or 1 inch thickness at the dollar store.
Quote from: MarkShelton on April 14, 2010, 09:21:32 PM
Linuxboy has mentioned Tap Plastics (http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=385&) in another thread as a place to get some HDPE (cutting board material) and after a quick search, seems to be priced well below some of its competitors. Still not as cheap as a dollar store find, but you'll never find 3/4 or 1 inch thickness at the dollar store.
ah!! thank you, my good sir.
This post was truly god-sent.
You could always cut two and screw them together with a course thread stainless screws or just stack them.
If you want thicker ones go to a store like Sears or a resteraunt supply store they have thicker ones. WalMart does sometimes. I get a lot from Job Lot they have thicker ones quite often but they are usually really big boards - 2 foot wide.
I used a regular "cutting board" thickness... I purchased a large cutting board @ Sam's for about $9, cut some circles from it and used them as followers. I put these on my "monster press" this weekend and cranked up to 300 lbs (should have been 150 but I had a senior moment) with no deformity on an 8" diameter. I also did 600 lbs to test the press (dry -- no cheese) and barely made a scratch on the follower.
-Michael
Is a follower the lid thingy that goes on top for pressing?
Yes it "follows" the cheese. It is normally slightly smaller in diameter than the hoop so that it can move as the curds consolidate.