My $60 book press bracket snapped mid-glue and I almost lost a whole project

Last Tuesday I was pressing a 400 page novel I'd just repaired, and the metal bracket on my cheap book press gave out with a loud crack. The whole stack of signatures slid sideways, and I had to scramble to keep the spine from shifting before the glue set. I ended up clamping it with two heavy cutting boards and a stack of my cookbooks for about 6 hours overnight. It held, but the edge of the cover came out slightly uneven, which bugs me every time I look at it. I'm thinking about trying a wooden press with a screw mechanism instead, but I don't want to drop another $150 unless it's really worth it. Has anyone else had a press fail on them and found a decent budget replacement that actually stays put?

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