Table Top Press Stands / by Nathan Feller

As you read in an earlier post, I purchased a 6x10 Kelsey press. I cleaned up the rust and oiled necessary parts. I also got the melted composition rollers all cleaned off the press. It’s now cleaned up and in working order. The only thing that I have left to do is order a press chase and new rollers. 

I had originally purchased an Ikea Bekvam kitchen cart with the Pilot Press in mind as I had seen others do. However, I was playing it safe and held off on putting the press on the stand until later. I changed my mind once I got the Kelsey press since it was much lighter than the Pilot Press (by about 100 pounds). I considered purchasing a Dewalt planer stand, but I wanted to save on money. I may re-visit that idea again in the future.

I had my pilot press on an old table saw stand, but it wasn’t mobile. So, I cut some plywood to install a shelf and a base to attach wheels to the saw stand. The wheels are rated at 300 LBS each and can lock the rotation and swivel. Now both of my presses are able to be moved up against the wall when not in use. This will save a lot of space in my studio when I’m working on other stuff. 

When putting a table top press on a movable stand or cart, you should bolt the press to the stand. This will prevent the press from sliding off the top when moving the cart around (you don’t want a broken press). Make sure that you use the appropriate bolt or lag bolt rated for the weight of the press. Don’t use standard wood screws as they are not strong enough, and use a thick enough table top to prevent breaking under the stress of movement.

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