Cider Press

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Made a cider press this last week.  There isn't much welding other than two stainless steel bands for the basket and welding a nut to some angles.        Machined a 1-1/4 - 7 TPI brass bar 24” long for the screw.  Welded a 1-1/4” NC nut to some 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 angles.  The wood frame is 1-1/2” thick maple that was demo-ed  from a construction renovation of a library at a school district. The table is an old laminate countertop with a ¾” dia. stainless steel tube through for the juice to drain. The basket has two 1/8” x 2” wide stainless steel bands with 1-1/2” wide red oak slats.  The ram is a 10-3/4” diameter stainless steel ? that my brother gave me from his work. Total cost -0-.   Started making the screw last Sunday and finished last night.  Going to get some apples this weekend at my camp and start squeezing.  Very sturdy. Attached Images
Reply:Very nice.
Reply:wfm; nice project. nice anvil also btw.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:Awesome! Every fall then the apples are coming on we talk about building a press but have yet to every get around to it. Have you built your grinder yet?
Reply:Nice. I'm getting ready to start something too. Last year I just used a 5gal pail with holes drilled in it and my 20ton HF Press. Worked good but I want to do better this year.Airco Heliweld II AC/DC HomeMade Wire FeederLincoln 255PLincoln HD130Everlast PP804x8 CNC TableWelding helps me build my hobbies and takes up time on the side.
Reply:Wow you single pointed that instead of just buying a piece of stainless all thread ...Not many guys do that anymoreBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:Originally Posted by killdozerd11Wow you single pointed that instead of just buying a piece of stainless all thread ...Not many guys do that anymore
Reply:NICE shop ...having machining envy attack right now We needed a small piece acme threaded one time and i told the guy why don't you just single point it yourselfHe looked at me as if i were some kind of alien fungusI wound up shaping the cutting tool and cutting the threads ...i did have an acme thread gauge and no one else had one ...go figureBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:Extremely well done. That type of a project is out of my league. Kits used to be available where all one had to do was add wood but.... they're far and few between these days. --I too would be interested in knowing if you were in a position to build your own grinder.MM 211Smith Tru Lite O/A set, Thanks Bob!Lincoln AC-225--But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium- Ursula K. Le Guin
Reply:I made one years ago with the plastic bucket and a jack , Used some old c channel iron and flat stock for a frame . I have two tips for you cider guys,  crush the apples as you put them in the squeeze bucket ,(you can make a crusher  or just use a  foot grinder) and use a white cloth bag liner .I had mushed apple squirt out of the bucket. Buy crushing the fruit first you extract more juice with less pressure.gxbxc
Reply:The apple grinder was simple to make. A piece if 1/16" thick SS flat bar on a piece of all thread attached to a drill and a 5 gallon bucket. Chopped them up in about 30 seconds. Got 10 gallons of juice. Have it fermenting.In the process of making another screw.  7 TPI is too fine as it takes 124 turns to travel 24 inches. I have a bronze valve stem from a large gate valve that came out of a steam plant.  It has 1-3/8" - 3 TPI square left hand thread. The stem is 28 inches long but the threads on it are only 14 inches. So I will have to chase an additional 10 inches of thread. I am making a steel nut for it now. Attached Images
Reply:Forty years ago I, with some friends tried that style press without much success. An old farm passed down several generations had ancient commercial grade equipment. It included a steam engine (we substituted a fifty year old tractor). The grinder was 10' up, a guillotine type door allowed batches of pumice. A stack was built from layers of oak racks made from two layers of 3/4" by 1/2" thick 3/4" apart. Burlap squares were laid on the wooden rack, a 1.5 gallon gob of ground apple was blobed on it, wrapped in burlap and covered with another wooden rack. A stack of these 18" tall would slide in a massive oak pan under a 10000 lb hydraulic press where it would spend 10 minutes.
Reply:great idea on the apple chopper ,how many  presses did it take to get 10 gal. of cider,how many buckets of apples ? Thanks for posting gxbxc
Reply:Nice GTO also
Reply:Originally Posted by gxbxcgreat idea on the apple chopper ,how many  presses did it take to get 10 gal. of cider,how many buckets of apples ? Thanks for posting gxbxc
Reply:A few more for all the gear heads like me.Homemade rotisserie. Attached Images
Reply:Why I have I never thought of that simple of an apple chopper? I made drum and hopper style that was alway bridging last year. Your idea will be copied! Thankyou!Airco Heliweld II AC/DC HomeMade Wire FeederLincoln 255PLincoln HD130Everlast PP804x8 CNC TableWelding helps me build my hobbies and takes up time on the side.
Reply:The Goat leaves me speechless !!!!!!!!!!!!!!