Press Home made

Here is the press I promised. The stress rods are 3/4 thread all rod and the Platen guide is 3/4 pipe. Remember to hone the end of the pipe or the rod will not go in. This is especially true if the pipe is cut with a pipe cutter. The base has two 6” Channel iron capped with 1 1/2 plywood, heaver if you want. The cap is exactly the same. The moving Platen is constructed with 1 1/2 angle and 2 inch plywood inserted with a 6 or 8 inch channel on the bottom for the jack. The stress rod pipe guides are attached to the angle iron at the top. Note the washers top and bottom on all 4 corners of both the top cap and bottom base. The jack is a 12 ton with spring retrievers for the jack and I put two springs on the outer edge of the platen. This pulls the platen down with the jack and overcomes minor hang up that would allow the platen to fall instead of coming smoothly. Also note the extended stress rods at the top. This allows you to adjust the top cap up in case you would want to press wider material. Now some tips to remember to prevent problems of excess glue sticking to the cap and the platen. I use a lightly waxed sheet of Formica on the Platen and the same reversed on the cap. I taped a piece of the stiffest carpet pad I could fine on the top sheet of Formica. This will help in minor errors in adjustments with the bolts on the stress rods. When glue get on the Formica I simply wash it off and re wax. I press mainly thin plies of wood and veneer. I press 1/42 veneer constantly and it works fine for me. I will be posting some of the projects that have gone through press or you can also see in a previous posting on kitchen cabinet doors of 1/42 Myrtle. Please remember 1/42 will sand through in finishing on fir and larch because of of the hard winter growth and soft summer growth. I hope I have explained this well enough but again if there questions please ask.

-- Roy Montana