Tortilla Flat.

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No not the famous novel by John Steinbeck set in Monterey California but a cast iron tortilla press modification.

I think of these things from time to time and get the final idea set in my wee little head.
This way no mistakes are made where upon the possible ruination of the once useful object at hand is now deemed useless.

Here are the areas that will be modified.

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The hinge pins will be removed and one side of where the hinge pin goes will be drilled and tapped for an allen head screw to fit.
Shims and adjustments will be made to take out any slop in the fit.
The hinge end for the side that has the big press part will have the same thing done to it.
But with the addition of a linkage to raise and lower the press.
Not all details are complete but working on it.

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There ain't no going back now.

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Handle section separation completed.

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Using the X-Y table on the drill press I was able to place the tortilla press in the exact location to tap the one ear for 1/4 28 treads.
The table allows me to move tings forward backwards and side to side in precise measurements.
No holding by hand and being an idiot.

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Milling off the sides of the flapper to make room for the extentions.
Slow and tedious work with the equipment i have.

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Got the hinge pins replaced will have to make linkage later on.
While apart I took the liberty of polishing the surface of the handle that slides on the flapper.
The roughness of it was driving me nuts.
Now it's as smooth as a babies bottom as it slides across the flapper.
The thread should be called A Fool And His Tortilla Press.

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After deep thought many expensive catered board meetings paid for by unsuspecting stock holders.
The committee scrapped the original design and came up with this.
It required a lot a grinding on the original tortilla press but it works marvelously.
And it's exactly 1/2 inch.
I also have room for a 1 inch hole.
Needs final fit and finish but we are there.
Now I need to make my patty molds.

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You can only do so much.
Got rid of the threads on the bolts and profiled the parts for a nice clean look and no sharp edges.
Gave it all a good slathering of food grade mineral oil.

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The 6.250 X .500 hamburger patty mold.
That's 6×1/4 X 1/2 inch to the non decimal folks.
Made the cut half way through on the lathe and finished it off with the portaband saw.
Finished with flapper sanding disk.
Works nicely.
Next a 4 inch one but not today.

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I couldn't help myself.
I just had to put the folks on overtime in the product development test kitchen.
It makes a 12 ounce patty at 1/2 inch thick.
The beauty is you put plastic wrap down add meat put my homemade plastic cover on top and press.
Take cover off and put ends of plastic wrap over the top.
The patty is sealed and ready for the freezer.
No air no freezer burn.
The press doesn't even get dirty.

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No sooner than I got home from work I didn't even go in the house.
I chucked up some 4 inch pipe in the lathe and made a 4 X 1/2 mold for the hamburger patty.
I weighed out the meat and it takes 5 ounces to make a patty.
So I made two.
I figure if I cut the ring 13/16th's it would be just about 8 ounces.

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