DIY cheese press

Easy to make Cheese Press from threaded pipes, dumbbells and a coffee can...

Dimensions don't really matter much, width depends either on the diameter of the cheese mold (coffee can) or the diameter of the largest dumbbells, whichever is largest.

You'll need:
one 2x6x24ish piece of hardwood (larger than width of sink)
one 1x4x24ish piece of hardwood for pressing board
two 1/2 inch by 18" pieces of threaded galvanized pipe (lowe's)
one 1/2 inch 8" piece of pipe for pressing plate
four pipe end plates; two for bottom board, two for pressing board
50lbs in weight; need to be able to make 10, 20 or 50lbs at a time

Drill two 3/4 inch holes in the pressing board to allow the pipes to stick thru.
Attach one end plate to middle of underside of pressing board
screw the short 8 inch pipe in, attach another end plate to end
this creates a nice pressing plate to divide force

Use new coffee can, 6-8 inch diameter, and remove both top lip and the bottom with can opener.
You can make an aluminum pie pan into a drip pan if you cut a small triangle out of one side and bend it down.

Funny enough; with all the expensive and elaborate cheese presses available, this one is actually easy to make, relatively cheap and works like a charm!
I got the hardware from Lowe's, each piece is about $5, and the dumbbells from the Salvation Army, at 25c a pound weight.

Now all I need is a decent Cheddar recipe...