Thanks man. The 5 weight was what the 20-ton called for.
Will grab some of the type you referred instead.
Just received my pump and unit today. Gave it two quick goes at work. Nice unit, but I need to get used to it and set up a nice space for it.
One thing I did notice that caught me off guard (my fault) is that there is only one heater per plate, and the temp probe is off center because the heater is centered. Do you think this have an effect on accurate temp measurement and consistent temps across the plate including during press?
I'm used to plates that have the temp probe in the middle and a cartridge heater on each side of the probe, for 4 total heaters.
I have a k-type tester around here somewhere, just figured I'd ask for others thoughts. Also, will the wood being an insulator for the plates really work well and last long without cracking? The frame gets kind of warm quickly.
I'll get a better sense as I use it more, but in two quick 1 press sessions, it was warmer than I imagined it would be. So long as the frame doesn't get hot to the point of not being able to touch, I guess its a non-issue..
Nice! Glad you got the unit! I'll give you my thoughts but hopefully someone else can give their own thoughts as well.
Eventually the unit will saturate with heat but the wood will offset it quite a bit. Generally the plates will heat up in 5 minutes, and by the time the press is ready for use the unit will actually still be relatively cold. The top plate will radiate some heat on the top of the press, but I've never been unable to handle the press in any way. The plates themself when I have them set at 200F are 200F or maybe +/- 1%, are extremely hot so be careful!
The plates heat up so quickly from the 250W heating rods in each platen, the thermocouple next to it will have a slight delay in registering the temperature of the metal closest to the heater but IME it's negligable.
The wood itself is bamboo which is a hard wood, harder than oak. It is able to withstand the pressure that our presses deliver. You have to consider that the wood itself is only taking up to 1333 PSI when maxed out. Not enough to come close to damaging the bamboo.
We found the bamboo was a much better insulator than the FR4 glass insulation layer we used, even when used in conjunction, a thicker bamboo insulation plate works better.
Looking forward to your thoughts in the future as you get on with the unit!
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Hey folks, Roger has finished the gauge+adapter for 1/4" NPT. It's not yet available but we're working to make it available soon. It will be for 1/4" NPT pumps without gauges, to place inline between the hose and pump. It will be affordable, it's our promise.
Some pictures for your reference. The gauge+adapter will include
T-port manifold , 1/4" NPT (female, female, female)
Adapter, 1/4" NPT adapter (male, male)
10000 PSI gauge 1/4" NPT (male)
*looking over to 
