Home made kindling splitter

[peds]

Hmm. Not sure that's the best idea for a 4 year old to use, to be honest. 

[muttley9050]

I cannot, it's something I'd love to learn, seems like a useful skill. I'm on the west coast of Ireland. 

Bit too far to come here and make your own.
Could knock you one up but postage may be expensive as it will be heavy

[peds]

Ah that's kind, cheers, but I'll find something to tinker together over here, don't worry! 

 

I do actually hope to get a grasp on welding before apple season in the autumn, I've got an old boat trailer that I'm cutting lengths of box section steel from, I want to weld them together into a fruit press (like the one below). Simple enough for a first job, I hope.

 

[sime42]

Ah that's kind, cheers, but I'll find something to tinker together over here, don't worry! 
 
I do actually hope to get a grasp on welding before apple season in the autumn, I've got an old boat trailer that I'm cutting lengths of box section steel from, I want to weld them together into a fruit press (like the one below). Simple enough for a first job, I hope.
 

Nice little project. If you don't get up to speed with welding then 4" by 2" timber should be strong enough instead of the box section. I've got an apple press that I made years ago with it. I also used a car jack, though a scissor jack, screw thread version, probably exerts the same amount of force.

[peds]

I'm sure you're right, 2x4 probably works just fine, I'm just intent on making a copy of a version I've used somewhere for the last two years. It's a solid and sturdy bit of kit, absolutely no worries about squeezing the last drop out with a 20 ton bottle jack. Unless it was a real belts-and-braces construction, I'm not sure I'd be so confident with a timber device...

Any photos of yours available? 

 

Anyway, the press is simple enough, the REAL challenge is building the apple mashing machine... I've heard of people using repurposed washing machines studded with nails inside the drum, but that sounds like a bitch to clean out. I was thinking along the lines of 200l blue drum with the blades of a dismantled electric lawnmower mounted in it... might need to think a bit more about that, though.

[sime42]

I'm afraid I don't have a photos of mine kicking around. I lent it to a mate.a couple of years ago and the bugger still hasn't given it back.
It's basically a very simple square frame like in your picture. The "nut" of the screw thread is mounted on the top bar so it forces the plunger down to compress the cheese of apple pulp as you wind it in. I used two bits of 4*2, long axis vertical, for the top bar. However, given you say it's a 20t bottle jack I wouldn't be so confident of sufficient strength, (I was expecting 2 - 5t). Still, you could just upgrade the dimensions of the timber.
The apple masher, Scratter, is another interesting project. Always been on my to do list. I was making gallons of cider for a couple of years, the apple mashing was always the bottleneck in the process. Designs I've seen, traditional and contemporary, have been mostly drums with spikes stuck in around the outside, two meshing together like a gear pump or one up against a plate. Seems easier to make and clean to me. I've also seen people using wood chippers to do the job ...........

[Peasgood]

Did someone say apple juice?

Now there is something I do know about:) Best in show 3 years running at Royal Bath and West, Best in show at National Fruit Show and current Holder of Best Single Variety apple juice at National Fruit Show. Marden Fruit Society cup is sat in my kitchen. 

 

If that sounds like blowing my own trumpet it’s because I never figured out what else to do with it.

As for mashing apples, wood and stainless are the materials to use as it is easy to taint the juice with iron. A spinning wooden drum with loads of stainless screws in it is a homemade method I often see. When I first started I used half a stainless beer barrel and a length of 3x2 to pound the apples. Very simple and you can get a fair bit done that way. 
If I can be of any help just ask, I can spend all day chopsing about apples and making juice. My first press was a little hand operated basket press similar to pictured above and slowly progressed over the years to doing 30 tons of apples. I think I am going to progress back the other way from now on. 

[sime42]

Did someone say apple juice?
Now there is something I do know about:) Best in show 3 years running at Royal Bath and West, Best in show at National Fruit Show and current Holder of Best Single Variety apple juice at National Fruit Show. Marden Fruit Society cup is sat in my kitchen. 

 
If that sounds like blowing my own trumpet it’s because I never figured out what else to do with it. [emoji3]
As for mashing apples, wood and stainless are the materials to use as it is easy to taint the juice with iron. A spinning wooden drum with loads of stainless screws in it is a homemade method I often see. When I first started I used half a stainless beer barrel and a length of 3x2 to pound the apples. Very simple and you can get a fair bit done that way. 
If I can be of any help just ask, I can spend all day chopsing about apples and making juice. My first press was a little hand operated basket press similar to pictured above and slowly progressed over the years to doing 30 tons of apples. I think I am going to progress back the other way from now on. 

I'll get my coat then ............

[Peasgood]

7 minutes ago, sime42 said:

I'll get my coat then ............

Not at all, I am always interested to hear how others do it and I am convinced hardly anyone enters the competitions so they are not hard to win. It all sounds very grand but if there were only 3 entrants you stand a good chance.

 

If you are making a beam press as above it will make life easier if the beam can be swung out of the way. Hopefully the pic explains it. That is a pack press but same principle as a basket press. The pic is taken off www.vigopresses.co.uk who are a good source of equipment and sundries, they are nothing to do with me hopefully just a useful link.

 

 

[peds]

2 hours ago, Peasgood said:

current Holder of Best Single Variety apple juice at National Fruit Show. 

What variety is that? I have a few mm106 say here doing nothing just begging for some attention! 

I'm definitely looking at building a pack press, I don't think I could tackle the engineering for a basket press. Are they more efficient do you know?

 

I'm at work at the minute but I'll gladly fire questions at you later on! Cheers.

 

Edit

I dropped the first 8 trees of my orchard in the ground just the other day, 5 of my own grafts, 2 from a friend, and one orphan. Soon I won't have to rely on scrumping to provide for my cider requirements! 

Edited February 10, 2022 by peds