So how about the new kid on the block Rosin! No solvents or license required.
My best suggestion is to try it and decide for yourself. I personally haven’t found any of sweet Mary’s charms short of delightful, when done right, and the Rosin I’ve sampled is no exception.
I can’t say its better or worse than other concentrates, only that it’s different, aromatic, tasty, and has good effects.
One of the things that appeals to me is that for personal use, a hair straightener works, and was ostensibly how the original process was invented. Coltrane was the first brother to drop by with a sample, which was good enough that I bought a hair straightener, but alas it didn’t work all that slick, and other matters were pressing, so it wasn’t until Peter S swapped us a DIY system fashioned from a wood clamp and a hair drier, which did work, that we did any experimenting and that has been our limits to date.
Rosin press from DeWalt clamp and hair straightener
Hee, hee, hee, I have been paying attention how some ever, and believe it’s time to look at how a brother can ramp up the process a mite without mortgaging the family jewels. This thread will be an ongoing research thread starting with this design that I’m putting together for a test sled using readily available and affordable components.
After a little research, I note Harbor Freight has a 20 ton H press for only $179 plus shipping, so will go down to the local store and see what I can walk away with one for. I like the design because of the way the hydraulic bottle jack is isolated from where we attach the heated plates, which will address the issue of how to not overheat the piston seals with continued use.
Until I get the press, I can’t finalize these designs, but here is how I plan to make my plates and the following schematic is the P&ID for heating and control.
Rosin Pressing Plates Machining Detail
Alaska Copper and brass has the 1 1/2″ X 6″ 6061- T6511 Aluminum bar stock available in 12″ lengths, which could be split for the two plates. Their part number is PN-495352.
I will most likely have to buy the correct drill bits for a class fit on the cartridges, but there is no machining required that I can do with my 1/2″ drill press, so labor will be free.
Rosin Pressing System P&ID
The two plates use four 200W 3/8″ X 5″ 120 VAC cartridge heaters, which sell for $29.20 each. The top and bottom plates have their own TA4-SSR Mypin PID controller, using dedicated 1/4″ tubular Type K thermocouples for feedback.
Besides the two heaters and a thermocouple, both plates have provisions for a ground lug. They should be grounded both to the press and to the electrical grid.
More on this thread once I pick up the press and work out a good mount. Because I originally designed these plates for my beloved DIY glycerin, cannabutton, hash press, it has a mounting flange bolt pattern in the top which could be used, but I will redesign it for a custom fit once I have the new press in hand.