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This was my winter project, a apple grinder and screw press to make apple cider. We have a small orchard and have extra apple that are perfect for cider. The frame is treated 4 X 4 and 2 X 2. the press bed is 2 X 2 hard maple laminated, The grinder drum is oak turned and has stainless steel screw inserted to grind the apples to pulp, which it does very well. The pulp basket is 1 X 1 1/2 oak slats. and the press is made from a piece of a machine screw with acme thead and a turn wheel 1" by 12" dia for pressing.It has 4 - 3/4" X 4" bolt that aren't on yet that screw in the top of the wheel allowing a short 2"X2" for more turn power. There are 10" wheels on the back which raise and lower for portability.

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4 Posts
Good pres. I love a good cider.) And the screws will not rust?
 

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49 Posts
Wow! I am impressed. I too make a drop of cider but my crushing and sieving methods are much mor primitive and messy.
 

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9,733 Posts
pretty impressive

I bet this would be a hit over at GardenTenders
 

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1,069 Posts
Nice grinder/press.
Do you make hard cider?
 

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6,953 Posts
I'll have mine slightly warmed with a cinnamon stick! How about some apple butter from the pulp?

Nice job, Ed!

Lew
 

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967 Posts
Now for the brewer's yeast and some time, eh?
 

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513 Posts
We used to turn the crank by hand to press cider when I was about 30 years younger. Great looking press and excellent build. This brings back a lot of memories. Thanks
 

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I have been looking into making my own vice with acme thread. Where did you get your "nut" piece for the 1" acme screw?
Thanks,
Travis
 

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Nice press, I would like to get around to making a basket style press! I made a press in a rush last year just because my in-laws tree still had a dozen bushels left on it in Oct-Nov (and the ones I couldn't reach stuck around till January, could have made ice cider). In a rush I made a press with the pumice pressed by a bottle jack b/w boards (wrapped pumice in cloth) instead of a basket screw, which worked well. My grinder was horrible and the limiting factor, similar style but I used a hand crank (no gearing, and no motor on hand at the time). This year I am building a motorized grinder. One thing I found out was that the screws are not very efficient when grinding by hand. At the time I found Claude Jolicouer's book and website, he uses stainless steel pipe clamps cut into pieces to make the blades for his grinder. Bent lengthwise, sharpened and attached using stainless steel screws and then sharpened the edge that was bent up. Highly suggest the stainless steel blades made from large pipe clamps especially if the grinder is hand cranked, it made a world of a difference on my grinder.
 
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