Jordan writes:

Also, there's some wear in the screw.

Just a side note on flypresses: Some have a double-threaded screw,

http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/nut.html

that allows you get lots of momentum into the wheel but then also
allow you to get lotsa of squidge (one them technical terms, y'know) on
the workpiece too. I saw the one in the photo in a shuttered
architectural ceramics plant in England, formerly used to press
slightly dampened clay powder into a mould.

I'd dearly like to have one such.

I did occur to me at first, to cut up this press for its cast iron, as
it was very cheap and pretty thick in places.

Gak! Don't do that.

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada