How to Make a Shop Press

Make a shop press with common tools.

You can make a shop press at home with simple materials. Woodworkers utilize presses to laminate wood for furniture, doors, beams or anywhere thick lumber is needed. You can build a shop press with clamps, beams and two sawhorses for versatility. Set one up anywhere you want in your shop where you have the room and configure it anyway you like. Start by making a press to laminate two 3/4-inch boards together.

Things You'll Need

• Two sawhorses
• 4 4-by-4-by-36-inches wood beams
• 2 3/4-by-8-by-36-inches boards
• Glue
• Paint brush
• 12 bar clamps

Instructions

1. Place two sawhorses parallel to each other 24 inches apart.

2. Lay two 4-by-4-by-36-inch beams perpendicular across the sawhorses touching and flush with each other.

3. Lay one 3/4-by-8-by-36-inch board on top of the beams. Spread a layer of glue on the board with a brush. Lay the other 3/4-by-8-by-36-inch board on top of the glued board.

4. Lay two more beams parallel on top of the boards. Place clamps vertically 6 inches apart along the perimeter on both sides of the beams; the lower jaws of the clamps should be under the bottom set of beams.

5. Tighten all of the clamps as hard as possible to press the boards; bonding them under the pressure of both sets of beams pressing from the top and the bottom.

Tips & Warnings

• Put multiple boards between the beams to press large quantities of lumber together at the same time. Use longer, shorter or wider presses for different sizes of laminated boards. Use different sizes of beams, spread them apart or turn them perpendicular to one another for different configurations of presses.

• Use drop cloths under presses. Glue will leak out when under pressure. Wear safety glasses.