Rant: my press bar cracked right in the middle of a project

I was pressing a stack of leather covers last Saturday and heard this LOUD snap. The middle of my old wooden press split clean through, and now I have 8 half-dry covers sitting on my desk with no way to finish them. Anyone know a good metal press that won't break the bank?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_michael1mo ago

You ever think about how they build those old wooden presses to last a hundred years but your modern one splits on a Saturday? I had the same thing happen with a cheaper book press from a craft store, and it was basically sawdust and glue holding it together. If you want metal without emptying your wallet, look at the manual arbor presses from Harbor Freight or the small screw presses on eBay. They're not pretty but they'll outlast you. Just make sure you get one with a solid base plate so you don't end up crushing your knuckles when the whole thing tips over. A little WD-40 on the threads and you'll be set for pressing anything from leather to paper to thin wood.

faithg261mo ago

Whoa wait hold on @the_michael you're telling me this thing was basically sawdust and glue the whole time?! I actually gasped when I read that. I mean I knew cheap craft stuff was bad but I figured at least the wood would be real wood, you know? Like the kind that doesn't shatter on a Saturday afternoon when you're just trying to get some leather pressed. That's honestly terrifying to think about, especially with my project sitting here half-done and a pile of expensive leather I can't ruin. I don't know how they sleep at night selling that stuff as a "press.