Introduction: Adding a Pressure Gauge to a Bottle Jack

About: I am a teacher who enjoys environmentally responsible woodworking. Most evenings will find me in the shop working with my now 8 year old son Shay who is both my greatest helper and biggest fan.
It really is a useful little tool.  Lets me know just how much pressure I am putting on things in the press.  You could also use it to calculate the weight of something very large, like lifting a house.  Remember to calculate the size of your piston to get the multiplier you use to calculate real pressure.  Piston area X pressure on gauge = weight.  Mine was an easy to remember 1.23 so at 1000 psi the press is pushing down at about 1200 pounds.  Easy.