TheResistance
Well-Known Member
DIY Press https://imgur.com/gallery/gu23wUx
Main pieces:
1" wide Revlon hair straightener from walmart- $20
2 ton jack from walmart- $10
JB Weld(2 tubes in package, 500 degree operating temperature)- $5
Scrap metal/new steel
2 pieces of thin wood the dimensions of the plates.
This is how I made my press as quick, cheap, and easy as I could figure out how on a whim.
If you can weld/know a welder then the frame will be easy. Make sure to get the top and bottom of frame square if anything.
Making it is easy to figure out by just looking at the pictures. Make sure to put a piece of thin steel between the jack and the wood under the heating plate to disperse pressure evenly or it will just press through the wood straight to the heating element and crush everything.
If you have any questions or can tell me how to make one easier and cheaper please give me some feedback.
One last thing, I decided to separate the heating plates and frame with wood because I thought there would be too much of a heat sink if they were making contact, may not make a difference but that was my reasoning. Has worked perfectly. Pour the JB weld to it and let everything cure for 24 hours even though the cure time says 15. Keep an eye out for the JB weld to crack and if it does just cover it with more. Haven't had any problems so it was a success!
Main pieces:
1" wide Revlon hair straightener from walmart- $20
2 ton jack from walmart- $10
JB Weld(2 tubes in package, 500 degree operating temperature)- $5
Scrap metal/new steel
2 pieces of thin wood the dimensions of the plates.
This is how I made my press as quick, cheap, and easy as I could figure out how on a whim.
If you can weld/know a welder then the frame will be easy. Make sure to get the top and bottom of frame square if anything.
Making it is easy to figure out by just looking at the pictures. Make sure to put a piece of thin steel between the jack and the wood under the heating plate to disperse pressure evenly or it will just press through the wood straight to the heating element and crush everything.
If you have any questions or can tell me how to make one easier and cheaper please give me some feedback.
One last thing, I decided to separate the heating plates and frame with wood because I thought there would be too much of a heat sink if they were making contact, may not make a difference but that was my reasoning. Has worked perfectly. Pour the JB weld to it and let everything cure for 24 hours even though the cure time says 15. Keep an eye out for the JB weld to crack and if it does just cover it with more. Haven't had any problems so it was a success!