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**WVMJ** · 01-01-2013, 08:10 PM

I finally found the perfect press for cider on EBay. It has a square bottom pan so I can either use the wooden basket or use it as a Rack and Cloth cider press with plates. I could also have pressing plates made to fit in the basket. Instead of just loading up the basket it seems its much more effective if you put 3 bags of ground apples in between pressure plates and press instead of just pressing the baset full from the top. Now I have to find somehow to make or buy pressure plates. WVMJ

gregbathurst · 01-01-2013, 09:31 PM

That looks like an excellent press, was it new? I presume the collecting tray is ss.
Converting that to a traditional rack and cloth press gives you more efficiency, but the operation would be slower.
A lot of people use plywood or plastic for boards.

**WVMJ** · 01-01-2013, 09:59 PM

Yes it was new, still in the manufactures box, not a stain on it and the people we it from did a most excellent job of repackaging it up wrapping it in bubble wrap. I was thinking of making some HDPE boards for it, if I used plywood I would keep thinking I could taste it. WVMJ

gregbathurst · 01-01-2013, 10:57 PM

I use plywood painted with polyurethane, but if you can get hdpe at a reasonable price that would work well. Who are the suppliers of the press?

**WVMJ** · 01-01-2013, 11:25 PM

The only retailer I found was pleasanthillgrain.com, no idea what country the press was made in. Some of the parts like the pins for the swinging top are as heavy as our tractor pins. I think I can even put a hydraulic jack on it without hurting the frame at all, but since it already has a big screw it would probably be just reinventing the wheel. Now I am curious about the plywood. What kind of plywood, and dont tell me Eucalyptus because we dont have that here. I am getting some food grade polyurethane to coat the basket and pressing head, so I thought about your suggestion and plywood would be easy to work with. Do you cut any grooves into the plywood to help the juice extract better? Could you post some pics of your setup? I have a huge apple tree in my yard, about 6 out of 25 I planted 6 years ago (we have a LOT of deer pressure on apple trees) and a couple of nice volunteer apple trees so I should get plenty of apples and want to use them this coming season. WVMJ

gregbathurst · 01-02-2013, 02:49 AM

I just used ordinary 3-ply plywood, thick enough to be rigid.

This is my press, made from a multi-trunk tree. The crossbar is a bit wonky and doesn't take much pressure so I am upgrading to a proper frame this year, maybe bigger boards. It works ok, I can do about 30L/hr at 60% efficiency.

**WVMJ** · 01-02-2013, 07:47 AM

We ahve exatly the same jack with the same orange handle over here. Do you scrub the Magpie poop off of your slab first or does that just add a little needed nitrogen to your cider. Very cool! WVMJ