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Build your own tortilla press

Brian Wood <brianjwood@woody14.freeserve.co.uk>  provides this drawing and directions:
drawing of tortilla press

  1. When fixing the hinges, put 1/8 inch spacers between the plates to  keep them in position while drilling the holes. You can clamp the plates  together while drilling. You can put small spacers at the handle end of the  lower, or base plate to keep the tortillas of even thickness. They just  need to be 1/2 inch square, right in the corners, and the same thickness as  the gap you settle on.
  2. You can make the gap wider, then have some 1/16 inch sheets of wood veneer,  or any hardish material, the same size as the plates, to adjust the spacing  and thus thickness for different types of pancakes or tortillas. (Chinese  pancakes should be only 1/16 inch; Indian chapattis a tad thicker)
  3. Use a heavy wood, (oak etc) it takes most of the work out of pressing  when you drop it down! But keep your fingers out!
  4. Put plastic film, or greaseproof paper,or silpat on the bottom plate, put  the doughball in the centre, then another film over the doughball before  pressing. They peel off easily once flat. If the dough is a bit sticky, you  can lightly oil the sheets first.
  5. I made an adaptation to my press later, to enable the handle to swivel  sideways as well as up and down.

Brian also provides this photo of a press made by Frank with this comment:

My handle is longer, but his version looks excellent (and prettier!).
photo of 2nd tortilla press