Most DIYers are interested in making, repairing, re-imaging and reinventing. But some of us are interested in crushing, breaking, exploding and destroying. But what if you could create a tool to aid you in your destructive endeavors? This DIY mini hydraulic press is the perfect combination: a useful tool with a dark side.
According to Timothy Dahl for Popular Mechanics: "An industrial sized hydraulic press is extremely heavy and expensive, but a smaller version can be made using a standard 4-ton bottle jack—the same type used to change a car tire. Two heavy duty metal braces, threaded rod, and a few nuts are all it takes to assemble your own hydraulic press.
A blast shield and safety glasses should always be used when crushing anything, especially if it's hard. You can modify this press and set it inside a larger frame behind a blast shield, and use an extension on the jack to raise it from in front of the shield."
And once you've assembled your press, the real fun begins. CRUSHING THINGS!