If given the chance, would you prefer: Challenge Proof Press Model 1418E or 1926 Vandercook Model 21 Roller Series ???

what is a good resource for paper? i’m looking for paper suppliers that sell paper and cardstock for letterpress, offset printing, book binding, and packaging. any good websites come to mind?

Hi Folks ,

Many thanks to all who responded to my earlier post. I have found some of the gripper bar parts, and have been told that there may be others somewhere in a garage of a previous owner so I’m chasing that up before committing to a newly fabricated one.

I’ll post a picture of the press soon to give you an idea of the job that lies ahead.

All the best.

Ron

Hi folks,

I have just acquired a very sad Universal I AB which from a first look is missing a few parts. I am hoping to get it back in good order but really don’t know how I will even be able to make a start without a reasonably detailed manual. Is there such a beast to be had? If so I would welcome a copy or a lead to where I might get one.  I saw it was missing the gripper system in its entirety – apparently the previous owner used it for monoprints which he just layed on the table and then ran the cylinder over the top. Are these gripper assemblies still available new or second hand? I ask this as I live in South Australia where there are precious few of these presses to be had, let alone any spares.

This will be along term project so I expect to be returning here quite a few times.

Many thanks,

Ron

Hi All

I’m cleaning up my 325G and noticed someone had painted the Bed, Bearers and Racks. Will that affect printing (packing, etc.) and is it necessary to strip it all down to bare metal? If so, can anyone advise on the best and/or least toxic way to go? Thanks for any help!

Steve

I just received the one that I ordered from NA graphics, and it’s really hard to see the images. Does an original exist?  A high quality scan as opposed to a xerox?

Hello, fellow printers. After years of searching for an SP-15, I’ve finally acquired one from Kurt Hansen in Auburn, California.  It has been sitting for some time, however, and needs some service before it’s ready to roll. Though I am familiar with the operation of the press, I am not trained in how to restore or maintain it.  It appears to be in very solid condition, it looks clean, but does have a bit of surface rust.  Also, the press did tip over at one point during the move, but I believe that fall was absorbed by the sheet metal backing on the back of the press. Anyone who can offer some kind of checklist on how to get this thing fully operational would be much appreciated! I look forward to participating in your community of letter-geeks like myself. Thanks in advance.

Press # 25159 inspected by H.L. Keller

I am happy to announce that I’ve been chosen to receive a Fulbright award to study Book Conservation at West Dean College in West Sussex England. I’ll be studying for two years, beginning September 2010.

Community engagement and cultural exchange are integral parts of the Fulbright program, and accordingly I am looking to conduct free workshops in letterpress printing and press maintenance in the UK. I’m searching for printers in the UK who are interested in hosting these workshops (especially if they have a Vandercook, FAG, or similar press). I would love to reach out to a younger generation of artists and printers in the UK.

I will also be available for hire for Vandercook press maintenance or more complicated repairs.

If anyone is interested, please contact me at alex@press817.com

thanks, Alex Brooks

press eight seventeen – lexington letterpress

—–

A first generation college graduate, Alex Brooks studied Creative Writing at the University of Kentucky. During his college years he was a faithful apprentice at the King Library Press in Lexington (www.uky.edu/Libraries/KLP/tour) – a press modeled after the Bodleian Library Press (www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/csb/bibliographyroom.html) and founded by Carolyn & Victor Hammer. After graduating in 2003, he worked for five years as a waiter while building his own letterpress business, Press Eight Seventeen. Along the way he’s made ends meet as a freelance writer, construction worker, teacher, press mechanic, artist, and pedi-cab driver.

Since 2008 he has been solely occupied as owner & operator of Press 817, a small letterpress printshop and book bindery, where he makes posters, invitations, custom enclosures, and hand printed & bound special edition books. The print shop contains presses and machines (all restored to working order by Brooks) that date from 1887 to the 1960′s.

Brooks has also had a solo show of his works, curated a group show of young letterpress printers from across the USA and Canada, apprenticed at the Dale Guild Typefoundry, hunted typefoundries & printshops in Japan, and moved approx 70,000 lbs. of new old stock type at NA Graphics in Silverton, Colorado. In 2010 he started a Community Supported Art project where 150 shareholders receive a hand printed woodcut every month of the year.

In his free time he travels, writes, builds and rides bicycles, makes woodcut prints, gardens, and plays bike polo.

During his Fulbright year he will be studying book conservation at West Dean College (www.westdean.org.uk).

Articles by Alex Brooks

Gray Zeitz & the Larkspur Press : http://www.larkspurpress.com/articles/SS-mag-9-09.pdf

Printmaker Ross Zirkle Remembrance : http://www.woodengravers.net/B&B38.pdf

Graphic Novelist J.T. Dockery : http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2009-03-04-85452.113117_Art_from_the_Fringes.html

Pedicab Confessions : http://noclexington.com/?p=609

press 817 flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/press817/

I’m sorry for having problems two days in a row, but here’s another phenomenon that I’m not understanding. These two drop caps (48-point Rondo) were printed one after the other – same lockup, same ink, same paper, same packing, same everything – yet the print quality is markedly different. What could have made the difference? Are my form rollers out of round? How do you know when they need replacing? When I adjust the roller height, there is a bit of difference (maybe 2 points) between the height at the ends and the height in the center of both form rollers.

This was printed on a Vandercook No. 4 with packing consisting of 0.021″ Kimlon, 1 sheet of 0.006″ oiled tympan paper, and a 0.007″ Mylar drawsheet. The paper was Epson Velvet Fine Art, which is 100% cotton with a coating for inkjet printing. It is 0.019″ thick, for a total thickness of packing plus paper of 0.053″. I do try to feed the paper and turn the cylinder in the exact same way.

A closeup of the photograph is available on Flickr.

Thanks again for your always helpful comments.

Barbara

Hello Vanderblog Friends,

I’m hoping someone can help me solve a problem I’ve been having with ink being where it’s not supposed to be.

The piece I’m printing has two lines on which I’m getting flecks of errant ink. The problem occurs no matter how much ink I have on the rollers, and the ink even shows up when I run the paper through on trip. These two lines are handset brand-new 12-point ATF Caslon Italic. This problem occurs only on these two lines. The rest of the piece, in 18-point Bulfinch, looks fine. These two lines fall an inch and a half from the bottom of an 8 ½ by 11 inch sheet of Epson Velvet Fine Art paper (19 mil). I’m using press points. The press is a Vandercook No. 4.  A close-up of the photo is available on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lunadabayletterpress/4633627048/.

I’d appreciate any suggestions you can offer.

Thanks,

Barbara

What do you think is the narrowest space that a Uni I could fit through without taking the press apart? I am looking for a house and this question came up. We like one house with a walkout basement but the doorway is only 31″ wide.

Thanks for your input!

The research and development division of NA Graphics has taken up the challenge of figuring out why ink migrates from one side to the other on Vandercook inking assemblies. To that end, we are working in conjunction with Dave Seat, who is in residence this week in our main research facility here in Silverton, to work on this problem. In question is a 219 New Style press that has a severe problem with the ink. We have the upper and lower assembly here to work on and we tentatively conclude it is a weight distribution problem in the main oscillating roller. And for field research, we would like to ask anyone who has been experiencing this problem with their Vandercook to do a simple experiment–ink up your press, see that the ink migration is taking place, then take the oscillating roller out and replace but in reverse position, and see if the ink migrates in the opposite direction. We think we have the solution, but need to have this part of the equation verified. Thanks,

Fritz