Don,

There's many a house "in the old neighborhood" that has just such an
arrangement in the cellar. It works perfectly well, is simple and cheap
to boot.

Consider using a hydraulic jack rather than a scissor jack. With a
scissor jack you apply force in a circular manner, across your wobbly
braces, but a little pump hydraulic jack lets you push up & down along
the braces. It should be a lot easier & safer.

Also, consider using a board & bungee straps to hold the jack up toward
the joist. I would anchor the upper brace to the joist as well.

HTH, Mike MTM

Don S wrote:

> Another idea dawned on me while considering that the problem
> in the lever style is the weight on the end. Instead of the
> lever, I could use a car jack and the weight of my house.
>
> Since I will be working in my basement, I could use a sissor
> type jack within a two piece pillar above the platen/press:
>
>
> | Floor Joist |
> ----------------------
> | |
> | | 4x4 brace against joist
> | |
> -----
> X---- Sissor Type Car Jack
> -----
> | |
> | | 4x4 brace
> | |
> | |
> | | | |
> | | | | Press Basket
> |-----------|
> | o o o |
> | o o |
> | o o o |
> \---------------/
> \\
>
>
> As long as the sissor jack was firmly anchored to both 4x4s
> so it wouldn't fold it should be safe. Perhaps a bit awkward
> to fit altogether but simpler and cheaper, hmmm...
>
> Or... perhaps one of those poles that are used to shore up
> basements. Theie name escapes me but they come in different
> sizes and have 4" steel plates on either end. They have the
> required coarse threaded screw in them and are fairly low
> priced ~$20 or so if I remember correctly.
>
> Don