Get some 3/4 or inch steel plate
Get threaded rod in whatever diameter you choose (check the load capacity of different sizes to get your rough capacity)
Drill holes in plate near the corners
Tap-tap-tap-a-roo
Use high load nuts to draw the plates together to press things. Press capacity may be less than threaded rod capacity due to having to use the nuts to draw the plates together. Should still give you a few tons depending on your configuration.
Use large washers, maybe an oil-lite bushing sandwiched between them to prevent ****ering of the surface where the nuts rotate against the plate
Price of threaded rod/steel plate/drill/tap (and an extra when you break the first one off flush)
::edit
Oh hell, just watch this guy
If you are into engineering/machining/metal work subscribe to this guy, he is a bit rough around the edges and the canukistan language can be strange