Cool Walmart Rosin Press

[BobCajun]

Hard to find 2" hair straighteners in stock anywhere around where I live so I was looking for alternatives and I happened on this little item. Aside from lack of temp control, looks very usable. I guess you could hook up the temp control from an electric frying pan or something, since it's right on the power cord. Could also just let it get up to desired temp and then shut it off and press. Not sure how hard it would be to put pressure on it. The plates probably don't close completely though, so you'd probably need a metal plate on the bottom thick enough to meet up with the upper part when closed.

Image from the site. The metal rings are removable so it's just flat plates. Might have to dismantle it to get a clamp on it. Looks like good heating elements though and quite inexpensive. Actually, looking at the site again, the two plates are far apart on a big hinge, BUT those metal rings fill the space up, so you just put a flat plate on top of the ring. There's a plate shown in one of the images that you can over a ring. I'm sure it can be rigged up one way or another. Anyway, gotta pick one of these babies up. Can make some nice sandwiches between runs too. It got great reviews for sandwich making.

 

[BobCajun]

Actually I just noticed they have a higher priced version with temp control. It's the Cadillac of rosin presses, the Excelsior 3000. Could probably press 10g at a time on this, 5 anyway. You just put your C-clamp on the top handle and the ring handle, with that round flat plate on top it, and you is swimmin' in rosin. Hopefully they don't snap off. Could also press some nice bud pucks with those rings, or make a disc of hash. This thing is multipurpose.

Look how flat the top of this one is. You could sit a cinder block on that, or small anvil. IDK how much weight you'd need. Hydraulic jack maybe.

 

[BobCajun]

Okay I went and got one. They only had the small ones in stock so got that one. It's trickier than I expected to make it workable for rosin pressing. Definitely needed a temp controller too, because otherwise it goes up to about 400 F. The outer casing is plastic, though oddly doesn't melt. Haven't tried clamping yet, gotta get a good clamp first. So, I can get it to work but for others I wouldn't recommend it. I had to tear it down quite a lot.

If you could find something similar but with a metal casing and plates that go together flat easily it would be better. I had to take it off the hinges and just manually sit the top part on the bottom part with the extra flat plate between them because there's a lip on the bottom part the same thickness as the plate, so you need the plate so the bottom will be flush with that lip or else the top part can't go flat on it. Essentially, it's a real pain in the arse but I did succeed eventually, just that I had to take the top off the hinges to do it.

 

[BobCajun]

Alright I got this thing fixed up pretty good now. Took some bending and hacksawing but it worked in the end. Not the greatest item to make a rosin press out of, unless you like screwing around for several hours modifying it. The plastic housing is actually pretty strong, I stood on it with one foot and no problems. That should be all the pressure I need really, from my research. Never ever made rosin before. Just couldn't find a goddamn wide hair iron before. Must have been a run on them by rosin makers or something. There's a worldwide shortage now. Everybody has to go around with curly hair.

The top part goes down completely flat on that plate now, when pressed on. The plate wasn't made to sit on top like that, which is why I had to modify. Hopefully, the heat from the bottom element will make it up to that plate. The whole thing stays at the same temp for quite a while actually, after you unplug it. Drops by about 1 degree per 30 seconds or so. Should work okay even without the element right on the bottom plate. The rings can move around some, they're not actually attached to the unit. I just center it up fairly well. Unfortunately, there aren't many food items that are cooked completely flat. Waffle makers and most grills have lines or squares in them instead of being flat. I damn sure won't be buying a T-shirt press just to make a little rosin. Hopefully this will suffice until I find something better. Be a little while before I have something to test it on, but how could it not work, right?

 

[jswett1100]

I would like to see it in use.

 

[BobCajun]

Patience. All will be revealed in time. I'm in a bit of a dope down time right now.

 

[hyroot]

That won't create enough pressure. . it's not heating both plates either. A t-shirt press won't create enough pressure either. All the rosin press companies no longer carry t shirt presses anymore. A hair straightener will produce a higher psi than a t shirt press. Arbor presses, H presss and pneumatic presses are whats being used by everyone now.


You will have better results using a hair straightener with a 600 lbs Irwin or Dewalt grip than that

it's more about pressure than heat. The more pressure you use the less heat you need.

 

[Diabolical666]

Mmm breakfast sammiches

 

[BobCajun]

That won't create enough pressure. . it's not heating both plates either. A t-shirt press won't create enough pressure either. All the rosin press companies no longer carry t shirt presses anymore. A hair straightener will produce a higher psi than a t shirt press. Arbor presses, H presss and pneumatic presses are whats being used by everyone now.


You will have better results using a hair straightener with a 600 lbs Irwin or Dewalt grip than that

it's more about pressure than heat. The more pressure you use the less heat you need.

Yeah, I think I'll just use the sandwich maker for sandwiches, though I kind of messed it up modifying it. Just a waste of money probably. The thing is too hot anyway, 600w. Might be good for pressing small clothing items. I'll try to find a hair iron and also get a bar clamp, 600 lb. Hair iron is compact and easy to handle. Just hard to find in stores, for some reason, at least the primo wide ones. Somebody could make a buck by getting a bunch custom made in China with a more accurate temp control and built in 600 lb clamp, bolted right on it, with pressure gauge.

 

[hyroot]

Yeah, I think I'll just use the sandwich maker for sandwiches, though I kind of messed it up modifying it. Just a waste of money probably. The thing is too hot anyway, 600w. Might be good for pressing small clothing items. I'll try to find a hair iron and also get a bar clamp, 600 lb. Hair iron is compact and easy to handle. Just hard to find in stores, for some reason, at least the primo wide ones. Somebody could make a buck by getting a bunch custom made in China with a more accurate temp control and built in 600 lb clamp, bolted right on it, with pressure gauge.

If you can still cook with it. It's not a waste of money. You can probably make some gourmet sandwiches and breakfast with that anyway. Or even use it to heat up tortillas


China direct ones would probably end up being made with inferior material. The pressure from a clamp or grip would break it maybe.

 

[BobCajun]

If you can still cook with it. It's not a waste of money. You can probably make some gourmet sandwiches and breakfast with that anyway. Or even use it to heat up tortillas


China direct ones would probably end up being made with inferior material. The pressure from a clamp or grip would break it maybe.

Well you'd have to specify heavy duty construction, that's all. Though they might try to pull a China on ya and use cheap fake materials.

But I don't think I'm even gonna bother cooking with that press. All I ever use is a microwave. It's just a $30 write off pretty much. That was perhaps the worst idea I ever had. Oh well, contributed to the economy. Those Indian people at the checkouts needed work. Suddenly Walmart went all Indian where I live. Probably the only people still willing to work there.