[Chris] has built Lil’ Screwy, a 100-ton home-built press for about $35 plus scrap on hand. He demonstrates its frightening power by punching a 17-mm hole through 8mm-thick steel using an Allen key.

The press is available in 15 and 25 ton load configurations and has a compact, small footprint design, making it suitable for glove box and bench-top laboratory applications. Press a pellet for XRF ...