After reading the previous discussion about a misaligned cylinder causing the grippers to smash the form, I thought about the SP20 I’m currently going over (and on which we have not yet printed) and noted that when I received it, the gripper bar was not at 12 oclock when the cylinder was home at the feedboard. I had assumed this was an error, so I rotated the cylinder by one tooth (counterclockwise) to get to 90 degrees, which is (seemingly) the proper position of the gripper bar on my SP15 when the cylinder is parked (never smashed anything on it). There were myriad other odd problems on this press when I received it, so I just assumed this reflected the previous owners idiosyncratic maintenance regime.

But a quick check with a piece of type and a peak under the cylinder, on trip, revealed that the grippers would smash type if used in this (now “fixed”, 12 oclock) position. So last night I reset the cylinder, took another peak—looks proper after all. Two questions: what is the spec on the proper angle of the gripper bar mounting surface on an SP20 when the cylinder is home? And why would this offset (one tooth off from 90) be designed into the cylinder—why not 90, which seems to me to allow for easier feeding to the grippers?

Hope that was clear, and thanks in advance for clarifying.

One more thing: Maybe this is old news, but to adjust the cylinder gear, I simply removed the mid sections of gear rack (which I had just been cleaning) on both sides of the bed and eased the cylinder foward on trip until the last tooth just cleared, rotated carefully, and then remeshed the teeth/rack and reversed. I did this adjustment once on my SP15 and removed the entire cylinder from the bed to do it. Now I know. Don’t know if this is inadvisable, or even applicable, to other models and their specific rack arrangements.

Duncan Dempster
University of Hawaii
Department of Art

I have printed a couple of projects on a Vandercook 4 that a friend recently purchased. I have had to put 4.5 picas of furniture in back of the deadline bar because if I were to put type or engraving at the deadline bar (without the furniture) it would smash. With the furniture in, this leaves about a half inch margin at the top (which I assume is normal). I am curious why this would be. Would have a previous owner retimed the cylinder or some such thing? Certainly this has no major effect on the printing—it’s just that there is 4.5 picas less space on the bed. I’m not well versed in the operation of the Vandercook but I assume this is not right. Thanks.
—Mike O’Connor

I am trying to work out the quirks in one of my 320G presses and the thing that is bothering me the most is that the grippers are closing when the cylinder reaches the feed board. The gripper pedal won’t open them at this point. The gripper bar stops at the proper vertical orientation, but I think it may be closer to the edge of the feed board than it is meant to be. Should I assume that the cylinder is meshed one tooth off and needs to be rolled off the end, reset, and the bumper springs readjusted to make it stop vertical further to the right? The other press isn’t much help because the cylinder is even further out of its proper meshed position. It should be a bit of a chore to roll these off the end of the bed.

Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY

Either xerox or pdf form.
We would be happy to pay for any expense.
Pleas email me at : typenut[at]bcglobal.net

charles

Does anyone have access to a Vandercook proof press #4 operations manual or some such directions on the press’s operation. Also who is a good supplier for photopolymer plates for this press?
Thanks,
Bosco Bob

I am a new member of this blog and not very savy in the digital realm.
I have come into the care of a VC # 3 with the serial # 8126.
I am completely flumoxed by the very thorough cross referenced numbers and dates that Paul has collected. I hope to find the manufactured date of this press for no other reason than to boast to my colleagues of its historical importance. Please advise…… Thanks

Eric May, Kent OH

I am preparing to repaint one of my Universal IIIs and am trying to come up with a suitable paint that I can apply without having to haul it to a painter.
On letpress Greg Fischer suggested brush painting with Rust-Oleum Professional High Performance Enamel “Smoke Gray”, but I would prefer to use spray cans in order to get a smooth finish. Is there a paint anyone has used that proved to be durable and a decent color match to the Vandercook grey?

Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY

Fritz sent me this drawing of a No.4 cylinder showing its position at the feed board. It is posted for the benefit of Klu, and other tenacious individuals who dare to restore long abandoned presses from which lesser mortals would have walked away. –PM

Reinstalling a Cylinder on a No.4

Remove the gripper clamp bar from the cylinder.
Reinstall the two short sections of gear rack on each side of the bed.

Set the carriage back onto the bed and allow the cavity of the cylinder to face up. This is where it wants to balance itself.

Look at the storage cabinet beneath: The cylinder gear and rack is on the cusp of engaging when the carriage is centered over the left wall of the tall bin (middle storagespace). Now gently slide the carriage to this position, but stop just before engagement.

Hold the carriage firm but rotate the cylinder toward the feed board until the surface where the clamp bar mounts is almost 180 degrees facing down. Move the carriage unto the rack and slowly roll it back to the feed board.

The cylinder is correct when the gripper clamp bar mounting surface is 90 degrees. On your first attempt the cylinder will probably lean foward (toward the bed) meaning you are only a tooth or two off. If so so the carriage forward off the gear rack and try again. Patience.

Also: the best position to install or completely remove the gripper clamp bar is when the mounting surface is 180 degrees facing up as this does not stress the mounting screws.

A few years back, a manual was ordered by Mass Art (where I teach) for our Universal I. When I opened it to find the part number for the spring plunger, I could not find the part. Our Uni I is an earlier model from what I can tell from the serial number chart. Do I have the wrong manual? Why do the drawings and schematics seem to not correspond well? Any ideas? Fritz…any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Best, Keith Cross

Ok, maybe not the most consequential Vandercook query, but this has been nagging at me. I’m currently fixing up my departments’ recently salvaged SP20 (serial #25595), and have noticed that the feed board is ungraduated along the slot which holds the edge guide (missing, of course). In contrast, my SP15 has the customary scale for use with the edge guide in registering paper, and I’m just wondering if this was a common manufacturing variation, and if so, why exactly one would want no scale to measure against? Any thoughts? Also, any clever ideas (i.e. photos) for improvising an edge guide that will provide fine adjustments?

Duncan Dempster
University of Hawaii
Department of Art

A fella in Panama City, Florida has offered this press on the Briar Press classifieds site, but can’t find any info on it. The third picture I found in an article online and is of a similar press, but it made no mention of what it was. Does anybody know?

Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY

[In a previous post I stated that all 4Ts have an cylinder undercut of .070". ---PM]

Just to add my two cents, my 4T cylinder is undercut to .070″ as are the other 4T’s at the Wells Book Arts Center. … I’m curious why a Uni I manual at the Center would have been undercut to .160″? That’s got to be some sort of record depth, but controling that much packing (near 8 sheets of .020″ hard packing) is a headache. —Terry Chouinard