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
I have the manuals and the original plans, but I still don’t know what Keith is referring to as a “spring plunger.” Original prints are far more informative than any of the manual drawings, and scans are of no additional help when the original is at hand.
Our parts are listed by the Vandercook part number scheme, typically starting with an X number, or with many springs, BRS. And lacking that, a photo, and we can then tell what it is we need to send out. It’s not worth the effort to guess and send out the wrong item when it is easy to get it right. And, unless I’ve skipped it, I’ve never had a follow up from Keith. I can devote only so much time looking for an undetermined part on a press that in the case of springs is usually under $10 in value. Give me a hint, and I’m more than happy to help.
Fritz, I purchased a uni. 1 yesterday that came with the original manual.
I will be happy to scan the part illustrations if you would like.
It refers to the parts as a Vandercook no. 4 but I think it should help.
I know for a fact that its the manual that came with the press.
You can email me at lloyd@mhmginc.com.
Good luck, Lloyd
i have a high res scan version of my Uni I manual and parts list on my webpage http://www.press817.com. It is a later ITW version, so I don’t know if it would be different from your manual or not, but worth a try.
-alex
press817
These are gray areas that are hard to tell unless I have something like a set of photos to look at for any particular problem–digitals are superb, and I can be looking at a photo on the screen while talking to the person who has the question or problem. This is an early Univ I, and that press evolved from the 15-21, and that press has some strong #4 parts and assemblies on it. Most of the part numbers on the Univ I pages in the manual are written up as 15-21 on the blueprints.
In Keith’s case, I’m not sure what a “spring plunger” is. A simple photo with a finger pointing to the part or place in question is what I need. And the manuals we send out are from the official file copies that date from Vandercook, pre-ITW, and that’s all I have to go on. But I have the master assembly drawings, and the SP-15, -20, and Univ I are all handy for my referral, as well as a three inch thick file folder of #4 prints.