DIY Rosin Press: Save Money by Making Your Own Rosin Press
Are you looking for a potent and flavorful cannabis experience? Look no further than rosin! Rosin pressing is a solvent-free extraction technique that produces potent, flavorful rosin wax. In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about making your very own DIY rosin press so you can make rosin right in your own home.
Making your own rosin at home can seem like a daunting task. But with our guide, you'll learn how to choose the right materials to make a rosin press. It only takes a few simple steps and you can create your own rosin press that will efficiently produce high-quality rosin every time.
What is rosin?
What can rosin be made from?
What is all this Solvent-Free Extraction Stuff About?
How to make your own DIY rosin press
The pressing process
What is rosin?
If you're a violinist, then you've definitely heard the term rosin before. Rosin is used for violin bows to increase the friction of the bow on the strings. The additional friction makes the strings vibrate more and produce a louder, richer sound. You may be asking, what does this have to do with weed?
Good question!
The process of taking resin and using heat and pressure to create violin rosin is the same process we use for making our weed rosin extraction.
What is rosin made from?
Marijuana is such an amazing plant. You can literally use all of the plant for different purposes, but most people only use the buds/flowers. Rosin is no exception to this because you can make it from multiple parts of the marijuana plant.
You can make rosin extractions for the following:
Marijuana flower
Kief
Bubble hash
Shake and trim
Benefits of Rosin
Some of the key benefits of rosin include:
Solvent-free extraction method. No harmful byproducts.
Potent. It only takes a little bit of rosin to get the job done.
Flavorful! You can't beat the flavor of rosin. If you really want to taste those terpenes and complex flavors of cannabis then rosin is for you.
Better for your lungs. Rosin burns at a much lower temperature than marijuana buds. There is no combustion when dabbing rosin. This means no carcinogens or byproducts for your lungs.
Additionally, rosin is easy to make at home with just a few simple materials, so it's a great option for those looking to save money on their cannabis extracts.
Rosin vs. Resin
What is the difference between resin and rosin? This is a popular question that we need to address.
Rosin is made with a solvent-free extraction method.
Resin is made using solvents like butane or propane to extract the compounds from cannabis plant matter. While effective for certain purposes, these types of extracts can be dangerous to create at home and often produce a lower-quality product. Don't try to play chemist at home by doing your own resin extractions.
While they are similar in some ways, rosin and resin are ultimately two very different products with distinct advantages and disadvantages. If you're looking for the most flavorful, potent cannabis extracts possible, we highly recommend trying out rosin!
What is all this Solvent-Free Extraction Stuff About?
Solvent-free extraction method means there are no harmful chemicals or byproducts used. For example, bubble hash is a solvent-free extraction because all that's used to produce it is ice water and filter bags.
Rosin is made by using only heated plates and pressure to extract the cannabinoids and terpenes from the cannabis plant matter.
Rosin is extracted using low-temperature rosin plates. The press plates are temperature controlled and many of the higher-end rosin presses offer temperature control for both the top and bottom plates.
How to make your own DIY rosin press
Now that we got all the details out of the way, let's talk about how we can start pressing rosin.
Different Pressing Methods
Hair straightener
Commercial Presses
DIY Rosin Press
Hair straightener
One simple and effective way to make your own rosin press is by using a hair straightener. Most people have a hair straightener in their house. This is the most affordable method to extract rosin. Is the rosin you get going to blow your mind? Well to be honest it will be decent quality so you have nothing to lose from trying it out.
Rosin Press Process Using Hair Straightener
Simply place a piece of parchment paper between the cannabis flower and the flat surface of the hair straightener.
Set the straightener to it's lowest temperature setting. This must be under 300 degrees Farenheit.
Apply gentle pressure and heat, keeping in mind that you don't want to overheat or burn the cannabis.
You'll see the wax stuck on the parchment paper. Gather up the wax and you have your extract.
Commercial Presses
Commercial presses are higher quality than using a hair straigtener but at a much higher price. A commerical rosin press will come with everything you need to start pressing at home right away. Press plates, hydraulic or pneumatic press, and temperature controller units are all included when you buy a commercial press.
There are many presses on the market. Brands such as Nugsmasher, Dulytek, Rositek, Rosineer, and Rosinbomb all make fully assembled presses.
The problem with commercial presses is that they are very expensive. Ranging in price from $200 all the way up to thousands of dollars. Also, you also have to understand what you're buying to make sure it will fit your needs.
There are many questions that you need to think about when choosing a rosin press. Do you need a 5 ton press? Or how about a 20 ton press? What size heating plates do I need? Do you need a hydraulic press or a pneumatic press? Is getting stainless steel plates good? How much bud will you be pressing?
The benefit of getting a commercial press is that they choose all the components for you. All you need to do is buy the press, set it up, and you're all set to press at home.
DIY Rosin Press
As the title says, this is if you want to build your own rosin press. Many people choose to make a DIY rosin press because you can save a ton of money over the commercially available rosin presses. Making your own DIY rosin press allows you full control over every component that you use.
The first step is to choose a shop press. These range in price and quality but they all do the same thing, use high pressure to effectively press materials.
Shop Press
There are a few very popular shop press options for making your DIY rosin press. The two most popular in the marijuana community is the Harbor Freight press and the Dake B10 press.
Harbor Freight 12 ton press (Price: $170)
You gotta love Harbor Freight. I mean where else can you buy a drill for $20 and get 20% off? That's right, nowhere else. So of course HF is a popular shop press option.
Here are the details on the HF 12-ton:
(Taken from harborfreight.com)
SPECIFICATIONS
Brand: CENTRAL MACHINERY
Accessories Included: Arbor plates
Capacity: 16-3/8 in.
Material: Steel
Product Height: 53 in.
Product Length: 19-1/2 in.
Product Weight: 102 lb.
Product Width: 19-1/2 in.
Size: 12ton
Travel length (in.): 4-3/4 in.
Maximum working distance (in.): 25-1/2 in.
Working Load: 24,000 lb.
Minimum working distance (in.): 1-3/4 in.
Width between channels (in.): 17 in.
Dake B10 10 ton press (Price: $495)
Oh how I love the Dake press. The construction is far superior to the Harbor Freight press above. Like the old saying, "you get what you pay for," it's definitely true when we compare this press to the Harbor Freight press. Take a look at the specs below.
Here are the specs on the Dake Press:
(Taken from dakecorp.com)
MODEL NUMBER: B-10
Capacity: 10 tons
Operation: Manual
Width between uprights: 16-3/4
Width between table channels: 3”
Minimum ram to table: 4”
Maximum ram to table: 16
Ram travel: 6”
Horizontal workhead travel: left/right of center
Footprint: 23” x 18”
Height: 36”
Weight: 165 lbs
Base: 23” x 18”
Ram advance speed: 1/8" per stroke
DIY Rosin Press: HF vs. Dake
As I mentioned above, you get what you pay for so if you can afford the Dake, then definitely go with that. The HF press is only meant to be used a few times a year. The steel frame of the HF press is low-grade and will bend and warp over time. This is not my opinion, this is from a lot of people who have used the HF press.
The Dake Press is much more robust. In the long run, you won't have to replace the Dake and it can be used for multiple presses without having to worry about it failing or breaking.
Plus the Dake comes with a pressure gauge which makes it easy to see how much pressure you are using so you can accurately experiment with different pressures.
Rosin Press Plates
After you choose which press you'll be using, the next step is to select the heated plates. Rosin plates come in different materials and sizes. Some come with a heating controller. Let's take a quick look at the most popular DIY rosin platen.
Low Temp Plates
Low temp platen are ideal for pressing flower and kief. Low Temp platen are top of the line and you won't look back if you go with them. Low Temp platen come in anodized and non-anodized aluminum. They come with a heating controller, making it easy to adjust the temperature based on what you're pressing.
Dulytek Plates
If you're looking for high quality plates, look no further than Dulytek. They offer several different sizes and come in both aluminum and stainless steel materials. Their 5 x 8 inch plates are popular because they are easy to use and heat up quickly.
DabPress Plates
Another popular option is the Dabpress platen. They come in a variety of sizes and materials, including aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium. Plus, they offer a heating controller to make it easy to adjust the temperature during your extraction.
Caged vs. Uncaged Platen
When you buy rosin plates, there are two main types: caged and uncaged. The difference between these two types is that caged plates have a metal wire cage around them to keep the material and plates in place. Uncaged plates do not have this wire cage and may require some extra securing techniques when pressing your material.
I like to use caged plates because it keeps the plates in alignment. Many people say there is no benefit to getting caged plates so it's a matter of personal preference.
Here are photos of caged and uncaged plates:
Caged Platen
Uncaged Platen
So which plates are best for DIY rosin presses? Ultimately, this comes down to personal preference and what materials you want to use. Some people prefer the Low-Temp platen because they are easier to work with, while others prefer the higher temperature capabilities of the Dulytek or DabPress plates.
My personal vote goes to Low Temp Platen if you can afford them.
Things to keep in mind when selecting rosin press plates:
Budget - This is going to be the biggest factor for most. Choose the best plates that you can afford. Keep in mind that this will be a one time investment.
Size - How much herbs do you plan on pressing at a time? If you plan on pressing 7 grams of plant material, you don't need giant 4x7 plates.
Material - If you can afford it, get food grade anodized aluminum platen for your rosin press. They heat up quickly, provide excellent strength press after press and look super sexy!
The pressing process
The pressing process is the most important step in making rosin. When pressing your flowers, it's important to do so at a high enough temperature and pressure to extract all of the cannabinoids and terpenes from them. Keep in mind that when starting with homemade rosin, you need to fine tune your technique to get the best rosin. No matter what process or press you use, its important to understand all the different factors that go into producing the best rosin.
The first step in the pressing process is to gather your material. For best results, make sure to use quality flower or kief that has been stored and dried properly. Next, you'll need to heat up your rosin press plates to the desired temperature. It's important to get them hot enough so that they begin melting the material, but not so hot that they burn it.
Once your plates are hot, you can start pressing your material. This is done by placing the flowers or kief between two layers of parchment paper and then laying this onto the rosin press plate. Use filter bags to help keep out any large pieces of plant material.
Once you've pressed your material, it's important to let the rosin cool before collecting or using it. Some people wait for several hours before collecting, while others let it sit overnight. The end goal is to make sure that the rosin has completely solidified and is ready for use.
Conclusion
When it comes to making your own rosin, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. The most important part of the process is the pressing stage, where you apply heat and pressure to the material until the desired cannabinoids and terpenes are extracted.
Size and budget are also important factors to consider when selecting plates for your press, as well as what type of material you want to use. Ultimately, finding the right plates for your needs will come down to personal preference and experimentation.
Are you wondering if marijuana is classified as a stimulant? Read our article to find out.