Old-fashioned manual shop press source?

[pyleg]

I'm looking to buy a simple, screw style home shop press for a craft project. What I'm looking for looked sort of like a large (end?) vise with a press screw mounted to a bottom plate with steel rods or a wood frame. I used to see things like this in libraries, I assume for binding work, and I think I've seen something along these lines used as a veneer press.

Does anyone know someone who manufactures these things? Or even better, someone who manufactures components that can be put together to desired specs?

Many thanks and happy New Year! G

[Doug Brown]

[Artemus]

[Bill]

The book "The Marquetry Course", by Jack Metcalfe and John Apps, has a one page design for a "veneer press" on page 167. It uses 2 bottlejacks. That may be overkill for a single craft project, but the design is about as simple as it could be. (As you know) The jack just expands between the top cross beam and the 2 boards of the base. I just went shopping for you and found that Sears has a Craftsman 2 ton hydraulic jack for 14.99. The dimensions of the press are designed around the height of the bottlejack. A few more bolts and boards and you're done (easy for me to say, huh?). Depending on your needs, maybe you could get by with one having a single hydraulic jack? I don't know how you know when you've applied enough pressure. Is there some simple pressure gauge that could be used here, other than listening to the wood crack?

Marquetry is one of those things I may learn more about someday. Good luck with your project!

Bill

[Lew Hodgett]

A timber frame (2x8's) and a bottle jack

Less than $40.

Lew

Lew

[Charlie Self]

It probably doesn't cost that much for a couple of Adjustable Clamp Co. (Jorgenson) or Shop Fox veneer press screws, plus some 2x4s or

2x6s.

[Lew Hodgett]

A bottle jack is less than $10, the rest is up to you.

I just threw out a SWAG.

Lew

[J T]

Wed, Jan 2, 2008, 4:54pm (EST-3) [e-mail] (Lew=A0Hodgett) doth sayeth: A bottle jack is less than $10, the rest is up to you.

You can probably get a bumper jack for nothing, and it'll work just as well. Or you could probably pick up an old screw jack for free, or almost. Even just load a bunch of rocks, bricks, whatever, on it. Even park a vehicle on it. That and a pallet or two for lumber would do it. I'm still not 100% sure what the guy is looking for.

JOAT You can't always judge by appearances, the early bird may have been up all night.