Drill holes through all three boards 1/2" in from the ends and centered on the width. Cut the 7 1/2" x 5 1/4" piece for the base and the two 7 1/2" x 1 3/8" pieces for the bars. I used salvaged hardwood decking for the base and the two crossbars because I had it, its tough and it looks great. Check out my blog for other stuff I've been making including a cheese cave for ageing all this cheese I'm going to be making with my new press. Don't feel constrained by my ideas though, you should modify my design to meet your needs any way you see fit. As with any set of instructions this will guide you to replicate what I made. Expect to spend between $10 to $25 depending on how much stuff you have at home already. After a little experimentation I ended up with a press that was simple to use and inexpensive to build using basic tools. I took my inspiration from a couple of similar press designs I found online and added my own ideas. I wanted something that would be able to handle up to two pounds of curds and generate up to 50 lbs of pressure. I decided that making my own was the way to go. I found cheese presses for sale online but they were expensive ($70-$275). One of the main pieces of equipment necessary for making harder cheeses is a cheese press to squeeze the curds under a specific pressure for a set amount of time.
There is a certain amount of gear that you need in order to go to the next level. I was so pleased with the results of these first forays into cheesemaking that I decided to go all in and try making hard (as in consistency) cheeses like cheddar. Mozzarella came next, also very do-able with supermarket ingredients and kitchen utensils. The entryway for me was ricotta, an easy and forgiving cheese to make with no fancy equipment or supplies needed. Cheesemaking is an amazing alchemy that transforms milk into a profusion of different textures and flavors.