Cider Press - shaygetz help?!

[MasonJar]

I would like to cobble together a cider press for a scene I have in mind - but I am a bit stumped on how to get the look of the wooden barrel underneath with creating something so fragile it would be crushed as I assemble it...!

Here's what I have in mind... Any comments? Bob?

Thanks!

Andrew

(Note the picture is from kufflecreek.com - you can buy plans for the press on CD)

 

[MilesWestern]

To make it sturdier, you can build it around a cylindricial container, or something of a definite round shape, make it smaller than the strips of wood, paint it black and there you go!

 

[jim currie]

are you talking full size or HO ?

 

[LoudMusic]

Miles, the shape of your cylindrical container makes me think of a thread spool - they come in many shapes and are usually discarded by our seamstress cohorts so I bet they're in large supply for projects such as this. If you can't find one just right start with one that's too small and wrap paper around it until it's the correct diameter.

 

[MilesWestern]

I'm flexivble, I was thinking a BIC ball-point pen would make a perfect diameter, if it's larger, Loud Music's spool idea is GREAT!! :thumb:

 

[MasonJar]

This is to be HO sized...

The barrel as I recall is no more than 2 feet in diameter, at least on the version I want to try.

It is based on one we used to rent when I was a kid. We had apple trees all around the property, and made cider from the windfalls. I think we were the only family to rent this contraption from the rental place... It had an electric motor to spin the "shredder", but I will make it a hand-cranked machine to fit my era better.

Thanks for all the ideas guys.

Andrew

 

[LoudMusic]

Wow, you're talking 1/4 of an inch diameter in HO scale. I foresee frustration in your future.

 

[jim currie]

Andrew the best thing i can think of would be brass bars with the ring on the out side made fron a thin piece of brass tubing soldered togather, or the other would be styrene shapes.

 

[Jac's Lines]

I think Miles' idea is the one to go for, although instead of wood I'd wrap the Bic pen section in brown kraft paper (like on grocery bags). Either strips of paper, as in Miles drawing, or possible vertical lines drawn in ink if you don't want to mess around with really small detail work. You could use thin strips of black cardstock to do the barrel hoops and then weather everything (possibly an alcohol and ink solution, dark at the bottom and then lighter towards the top, representing years of liquid leaching into the wood). Properly weathered, I'd think this would look good from a foot away or more.

 

[shaygetz]

I would like to cobble together a cider press for a scene I have in mind - but I am a bit stumped on how to get the look of the wooden barrel underneath with creating something so fragile it would be crushed as I assemble it...!

Here's what I have in mind... Any comments? Bob?

Thanks!

Andrew

(Note the picture is from kufflecreek.com - you can buy plans for the press on CD)

announce1 As the "William Tell Overture" plays in the background, Shaygetz steps off of his trusty steed Meadow Muffin to save the day...balloon6

Sorry guys...hard week at the office...hamr

I would use a smooth pen barrel cut to length. I'd then scribe its sides vertically with the point of a knife deep enough to notice but not so as to weaken the tube. I wouldn't worry about wood grain on something so small, the paint should take care of that. Then I'd wrap it with a couple bands of fine wire. If the walls were too thick, I would place the point of an Xacto blade into the top and carefully ream it out 'til it appeared thin enough.

 

[Canopus]

announce1 As the "William Tell Overture" plays in the background, Shaygetz steps off of his trusty steed Meadow Muffin to save the day...balloon6

Sorry guys...hard week at the office...hamr

I would use a smooth pen barrel cut to length. I'd then scribe its sides vertically with the point of a knife deep enough to notice but not so as to weaken the tube. I wouldn't worry about wood grain on something so small, the paint should take care of that. Then I'd wrap it with a couple bands of fine wire. If the walls were too thick, I would place the point of an Xacto blade into the top and carefully ream it out 'til it appeared thin enough.

This sounds like a pretty good idea to me. If you wanted wood grain you could rough it up (in the direction of the grain of course) with some 50 grit sandpaper. Once painted in a base color (white), it can then be given a wash of (black) paint which will sink into the grain - wiped off with a cloth across the grain you're left with an aged wood effect.

 

[MadModeler]

Wow, you're talking 1/4 of an inch diameter in HO scale. I foresee frustration in your future.

Or a lot of fun followed by satisfaction on an extremely difficult project well done. :thumb: sign1
Let us know how it turns out!