I was in Cabo San Lucas and saw Mexican women making tortillas with a wooden tortilla press. They sold them in the souvenir shops but they were really poor quality. I decided to try and make my own.
This is your standard cutting board setup. Glue up a a bunch of different woods (maple, walnut and mahogany in this case) and run the board through the thickness planer.
Cut the board almost in half. One side has to be a little longer to accommodate the press mechanism.
This piece took a bit of measuring and cutting on the table saw and drill press. It will be glued to the base of the tortilla press and hold the handle and pivot bolt.
Gluing to the base.
Here are all the pieces coated in mineral oil. I glued a piece of purpleheart to the top of the press so it would be easier to lift up after pressing a tortilla. The handle is walnut.
I used a small stack of playing cards in each corner as spacers when installed the hinges. I wanted the tortillas to be thin but not invisible.
The completed tortilla press.
