My $60 book press bracket snapped mid-glue and I almost lost a whole project

Last Tuesday I was pressing a 400 page novel I'd just repaired, and the metal bracket on my cheap book press gave out with a loud crack. The whole stack of signatures slid sideways, and I had to scramble to keep the spine from shifting before the glue set. I ended up clamping it with two heavy cutting boards and a stack of my cookbooks for about 6 hours overnight. It held, but the edge of the cover came out slightly uneven, which bugs me every time I look at it. I'm thinking about trying a wooden press with a screw mechanism instead, but I don't want to drop another $150 unless it's really worth it. Has anyone else had a press fail on them and found a decent budget replacement that actually stays put?

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haydenburns1mo ago

Did you ever find out if those cheap presses have a known weak spot on the bracket? A buddy of mine ran into the same thing last year with his 60 dollar press, snapped right at the weld on one side while he had a family Bible clamped down. He swapped it for a wooden screw press he got used off a local bookbinding group for 80 bucks and he says the difference is night and day, no wobble, no flex, nothing. The screw type takes a bit more cranking but it holds way more even pressure across the whole stack, which is probably why your cover came out off. If you go wooden just check the threads for wear before you buy, that's the one thing that kills those old presses.

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