Fruit Press

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Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sun Oct 18, 2020 3:11 pm

G'day Guy's,
Firstly hopefully I got this topic in the right forum as it is for crushing the goodies out of the fruit to make life a heap easier when it comes to the task :laughing-rolling:

Last night I was chatting with a local and it looks like I can get a good supply of apples from the local co-op so over a doz or so of beers last night :obscene-drinkingchug: :obscene-drinkingchug: :obscene-drinkingchug: the mind got to thinking about the task of designing one and making it.

This morning all i could think about was those rio rounds I have so after a couple of morning caffines off to the shed to have a look at them. Got the tape measure out and at 350mm diameter they looked purfect for the frame so grabbed 5 of them and cut n welded 4 of them. I bought a 5kg spool of gasless wire for my 181 amp uni mig and after spending ages tweaking the gauges so the inverter wouldn't keep going bonkers due to over current :angry-banghead: found by turning the volts down and the amps up did the trick :happy-partydance:

press frame.jpg


Got the frame all tacked up and to finish the welding I'll use some TC16's and arc weld them to ensure the frame is rock solid. This week I'll grab some wood to line the inside then I can get the diameter for making the platten. I have a heap of 1" acme thread and i'll screwcut a new nut for it out of brass so it runs nice and smooth.

I'm going to make it so when the platten is raised it can just swing out of the way so the fruit can be loaded and once the crushing is finished undoing a few bolts will allow the press to be raised so all the pulp can just fall into the tray making for easy cleanup.

Just like my signature says nothing is impossible to make it just takes a bit of moonshine or beer to think up the design then just get on and make it, bugger spending days drawing something up just get on and do it.

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sat Oct 24, 2020 12:54 pm

G'day Guy's,
Finished welding up the frame this morning and I just used the mig with the gasless wire and headed in the local hardware and got 16 metres of 32x10mm door stop wood for the slats. Got talking with the guy at the hardware and he asked what I wanted the wood for so I told him, then he mentioned his Polish father had to give up drinking due to a triple bypass so he gave him his still. He showed me a pic on his phone and man what a bit of history a full copper boiler with a beaut onion sitting ontop then the condensor was a huge coil of copper sitting in a tank. I went and asked him did cuts and asked what was that so I explained cuts fully including every detail.

Now when it came to paying for the wood he asked if I had any cash in my pocket so I slipped out a $20 note and he said no worries mate have fun building the press :happy-partydance:

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby Wellsy » Sat Oct 24, 2020 1:16 pm

It never hurts to share knowledge hey :)
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sat Oct 24, 2020 2:11 pm

G'day Guy's,
In order to secure the slats I'll just drill some 1.6mm holes the slats and use some 1.6mm enameled copper wire then twitch the wire to the rio frame. After welding the frame I gave it a prime with a spray can and just now gave it a top coat with some yellow galmet paint. Only had 1/2 a can :angry-banghead: so do need to source another to finish the paint job. Also I welded some 6mm plate to make the feet and I'll drill some holes in for mounting in the tray.

I'm not sure if this door stop wood will be good enough over time as it is a soft wood, now if that proves right I'll go grab some seasoned red gum branch's and get out my wood workshop to make some slats out of red gum which will stand the test of time.

Like every project I start I don't bother drawing it up or use someone else's plans as every project is thought up over time then just do it.

I do need to put all the slats in to get the diameter for the platten and still machine/fabricate up the swivel and brace for the top section as the idea is just raise the platten and swing it up for loading the fruit in then slide in the lock shaft and start pressing.

For the platten I'll use those rio rounds and just close up the rio to make the correct diameter then fabricate it up. The pressing part will be made out of wood and like the slats just held with a twist of 1.6mm copper wire.

The screw is a 1 inch 4 tpi acme thread and I'm thinking of putting a 24 volt wiper motor on so it takes out the physical part of crushing :laughing-rolling: leaving one to just turn a trim pot for the speed :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: Now rather than screwcut up a nut I'll grab a couple of nuts and mig weld them together as backlash won't be a concern with this project.

Another project I'm thinking of will use my old horizontal mill to make a heap of gear blanks for the malt muncher project where I will use old technology to beat the new technology where price wins over quality of product.

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Tue Dec 29, 2020 1:56 pm

G'day Guy's,
Decided to get working on this project today and having fun in the process and will post a pic later when i finish work for the day

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Tue Dec 29, 2020 3:17 pm

Gday Guy's,
Well got the top frame all welded up and still yet to cut the pins, now the idea is one pin can be taken out to swivel the platten assembly or I can take both pins out and take the platten off completely.

frame.jpg


now that 1" acme thread turned out to be a ball screw thread :angry-banghead: and I do have some M24x3 gal thread that I'll use instead. Still on thinking the best way to power the thread and thats for another day. Tomorrow the wood slats go on so I can get the ID size to start making the platten.

Getting there :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Last edited by RuddyCrazy on Tue Dec 29, 2020 3:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby Wellsy » Tue Dec 29, 2020 4:17 pm

Looks amazing Bryan
Imagine how fast you could build it if your working days were not 1 & 1/4 hours long :laughing-rolling:

Sorry mate someone had to point out the time stamps on your posts lol
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Tue Dec 29, 2020 4:41 pm

Wellsy wrote:Looks amazing Bryan
Imagine how fast you could build it if your working days were not 1 & 1/4 hours long :laughing-rolling:

Sorry mate someone had to point out the time stamps on your posts lol


I think you need glass's mate :laughing-rolling: this project went on the back burner while I built that 1-1/2" pot still, setup my listeroid and a heap of other work around the farm. Not to mention in my last job I working 10 hour days and didn't home until dinnertime so no energy to work in the shed.

got plenty of fruit growing on the farm and the next project will be plum brandy as the plum tree is booming with fruit, tomorrow the net is going over to keep the pesky cockies from having a feed :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby Nathan02 » Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:10 pm

You've always got something on the go dont you Bryan!
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:57 pm

Nathan02 wrote:You've always got something on the go dont you Bryan!


Mate with my trade of being a Fitter/Machinist/ Fabricator/Welder/ self taught Boilermaker if I didn't have some on the go I'd go stale :angry-banghead: Now every project I do I don't just copy someone's else's design, I get an idea in my head and it starts from there :teasing-tease: :teasing-tease: Today I found the inverter complaining everytime I used the mig so I went back to using TC16's and my 130 amp Lincoln arc/tig welder which worked a treat. As the the inverter is 15 years old and when I imported it customs asked what it was :laughing-rolling: told them 7 times then said you better put it on your list a solar boom is coming and you need to be prepared. I got a call from my customs agent and he said I put the wind up customs and they are now looking into to putting it on the list but I can't stop the $500 fee.

Now as the threaded rod I'm using is M24X3 pitch just changing a few gears in my toolroom lathe I can cut a thread in a sprocket of gear for the drive. I do have a heap of fractional HP 240 volt motors here and one of them already has a reduction gearbox attached. So when that power controller gets here ( the one I won in the comp) it will be interesting to see if it will control the speeds on a AC motor. If not not to worry I'll just go DC and make a circuit up, as DC is just so easy to use and as my shed power is a 24 volt 735AH forklift battery I've got power to burn baby :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: Failing that I could go 3 phase and just use a spare VFD to control the speed. :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

My decision to buy a farm and move off the grid back in '03 has paid dividends in spades and with the attitude of if I think of something I want to make I may just have to tool up to do it. One job I've never got around to is air and that is going to be on the cards very soon as I do want a plasma cutter :teasing-tease: :teasing-tease: :teasing-tease:

As you can see life is never dull on the farm :laughing-rolling:

Cheers Bryan
Last edited by RuddyCrazy on Tue Dec 29, 2020 6:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby Sam. » Tue Dec 29, 2020 10:39 pm

Are you going to cut it in halves like a traditional press? Or lift it off the fruit or pull a bag out?
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Wed Dec 30, 2020 6:26 am

Sam. wrote:Are you going to cut it in halves like a traditional press? Or lift it off the fruit or pull a bag out?


The press will be secured with2 clamps at the base made from SS and when the pressing is finished take the clamps off and take the press out after all the juice has has been taken making for a easy clean up

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby scythe » Wed Dec 30, 2020 6:39 am

With the flip top platten i would say he wants to man handle the bag.
But nothing a bit of plate work won't fix.
...
Nope got that wrong.
Last edited by scythe on Wed Dec 30, 2020 6:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Thu Dec 31, 2020 6:10 pm

G'Day Guy's,
Well installed all the slats today and I used a rasp to put an angle on the sides so when installed the gaps are parallel, got most of the 1.6mm copper securing knots done and looked at the clock 6pm :teasing-tease: so a big day working on it and I'll finish the bracing in the morning then stain the wood to seal it. So the next step is making the platten and deciding where to bother with a mechanical drive or just weld a nut on that cross over and be done with it.

Now rather than just throw cut up fruit in I've decided I will use a BIAB bag so once all pressed it's simply a case of taking the bag out and giving the unit a hose down to clean. This will save having to take the unit off everytime for the cleanup and save a heap of time :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Fri Jan 01, 2021 10:45 am

G'day Guy's,
Well got the slats all mounted this morning and got the first coat of stain on :handgestures-thumbupleft:

first coat.jpg


Once the first coat is all dry I'll give it a quick sanding and do another coat and see how it looks then I got some gloss stain for the final coat, so getting there.

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:42 am

OK measured up for the platten and it will be 300mm diameter so had a good look around the farm for some suitable wood and came up blank :angry-banghead: Then had another look and I have some 42x30mm pine so thought what hell lets just cut 8 off lengths and laminate it :laughing-rolling:

So thats it for the day apart from another coat of stain as gotta go get a bag of ice for those new year beers :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby Wellsy » Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:57 pm

That looks amazing Bryan
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Fri Jan 01, 2021 2:33 pm

G'day Guy's,
Well here's a pic of the laminated platten and it will stay with the clamps on for atleast 24 hours to ensure the bond is 100% :handgestures-thumbupleft: Now when one need a large diameter laminating is the go provided one makes sure each joint is covered 100% with the pva glue so the bond in each lamination section gets a full bond.


platten.jpg


I will be cutting out a 300 mm disk out of plywood for the backing and fabricating the brace and centre section for holding the M24 thread in place. Now i'll put the M24 thread in my big lathe and machine the thread down and put a machine in a groove so 2 rods drilled in the centre section hole it in place so it wont rotate as rotation could destroy the BIAB.

Now rather than bothering with a mechanical drive I'll just machine the top of the M24 thread down so a cordless drill can wind the thread down until it's time for hand winding. Then just put on the handle and squeeze :handgestures-thumbupleft: and once fully pressed back it off then use the cordless drill to wind the thread back up to take off the pressing section :handgestures-thumbupleft: In theory it sounds too easy :laughing-rolling: but will it be that way :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Mon Jan 04, 2021 4:47 pm

Well got the platten all cut to size and the plywood glued on, on now giving it several coats of house paint to ensure it's fully sealed so it won't start to rot.

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Fruit Press

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sun Mar 07, 2021 2:13 pm

G'Day Guy's,
Well after squeezing that corn/barley Angel yeast wash I kept thinking :-B why didn't I finish this project :angry-banghead:

So this morning I asked SWMBO if if had some cans of clear spray paint as I do need to seal the slats to make them water proof, well 30 seconds later 2 sprays can came out where I said well your using them today so i will replace them :laughing-rolling: It did take a bit of time before I got the answer just take em :handgestures-thumbupleft:

The first can just got a full coat so an hour later I used the other can to give it a second coat and left it in the sun to dry.

Next was set up a welder so I decided to put some gasless wire back in my mig only to find the inverter kept shutting down so it was some bird shit welds :o

Now to secure the platten I just used a M24 bolf and cut 3 off 100mm lengths of 25mm angle and drilled 2 holes in each then welded on the 3 angles to the nut.

Now on first assembly it appears the top nut wasn't sitting right so ground off the birdshit and changed over my Linocln caddy from tig to arc and used a TC16 2.5mm rod. By tacking each point of the nut I was able to get the nut sitting perpendicular to the unit and then arc welded it.

wine 1.jpg


Now for the handle I found a length of 10mm diameter shaft so I setup the M24 thread in my mill and drilled a 10.5mm hole in it for the handle. The top section is setup for easy removal and presetting the platten height after the BIAB is placed in. The securing shaft on each end of the top mount is 20mm diameter bar which makes for a quick release once the pressing is done.

wine platten.jpg


I still need to put a fresh coat of paint on the platten as I did have to take a heap off as the frame isn't 100% round and a 10mm gap with the platten won't be a problem and the platten did get a heap of spatter from the arc welding.

Here's a pic of the wine press and in the morning I'll head into one of those cheap stores and find a plastic tub the right dimension to use as the collection trough

wine press.jpg


So the intention is to get this all setup in the morning so i can do that angel Yeast all corn run and just scoop all the grains into a BIAB then put it into the wine press and get all the goodies :laughing-rolling:

Cheers Bryan
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