Hi Folks – I know that I use one of the “knock offs”, a Challenge 21MP (similar to the Vandy SP15), but I’m up poop creek without a plunger. I am calling on the collective wisdom of this group…. I’ve been restoring this press (some rust – lots of gunk) and have run into a [...]

Be thankful your press doesn’t look like this one. This is a 1955 No. 15 (SN 17885) seen earlier this month in Minneapolis. I don’t know the story behind it and didn’t have the time (or courage) to knock on the door. The only other 15 of this vintage I know of was salvaged by [...]

Yesterday morning we had a rather strange experience with our Vandercook SP-15. It was about noon and the studio was just starting to warm up. Temperature was maybe 50 degrees when we started the heater. After a bit we inked the press to print some notecards and what I think was the vibrator roller (pretty [...]

For sale: Vandercook 32-28, Serial number 16003, Maximum sheet: 32×30, Price $6,000. The rollers are in excellent condition and it prints wonderful. I have printed posters using linoleum, wood and metal type, and photopolymer. Buyer responsible for moving, I can recommend an equipment mover here in the Dallas are that hauls across the USA. I [...]

Hello everyone, Fritz Klinke posted a photo on the Letterpress Flickr site showing a C&P press label that refers to “about thirty-seven oil holes” that the pressman needs to attend to http://flickr.com/photos/53177163@N00/3008271735/in/pool-letterpress. I’ve always wondered — and maybe after a year-and-a-half of owning my press, I should have moved beyond the wondering stage before now [...]

Last week I was looking at a plain (no frisket) power Universal I AB which was running erratically; turns out the driving gear had loosened and was binding against the housing that covers it. Then we tried to readjust the clutch according to the manual. But when there is just enough clutch friction to pass [...]