Enrique asked me if he could use a No.4 oscillator on his SP15. The answer is yes. The tubes are the same diameter (3¾”) and the worm gear is the same part (DR-338), but the shaft and tube length of the SP15 is longer (13″) than the No. 4 (12½”). While the No. 4 [...]

The vibrator has been pausing and jumping, so last night I took it apart to see if anything was broken on the crescent or worm gear. Didn’t find any problems, but I cleaned everything and greased it thoroughly before reassembly. Tried it this morning with no ink and it still hesitates at some points in [...]

Hi folks! I’m hoping that your collective knowledge can help with a Ink Distribution Roller issue. I have a Challenger 21MP. I’ve restored it and it is in great shape….except for the Ink Distribution Roller. I’m not familiar with the guide mechanism for oscillating the roller. When I opened the roller I found the shaft [...]

Hello all. I was fortunate enough to attend Paul’s workshop in Chicago last week and learned a great deal, but the one thing I was unable to retain is what exactly the process is for fixing these missing (broken?) bushings in my riders. As I understand it, there are taper pins holding the assembly together, [...]

Three colors down on a four color job. My latest Vandercook, a Universal I with all the whistles and bells, including power cylinder, is chuggin’ right along. During the washup the oscillator locks up. Well @#$%^! a broken crescent in the worm gear. It’s been a long time since I removed one from a Universal [...]

I am trying to restore my Vand #3, and am trying to find EITHER a Vand #3 or #4 Oscillating assembly. Does anybody have this.. or contacts that they might refer me to? Any help would be appreciated! Thank you, Aimee Wilson

Rather suddenly my rollers decided to crap out by not inking the form evenly. I am using photopolymer plates. The Problem Form is not being inked evenly. Ink is heaviest at the beginning of the form (the area the form rollers hit first). Based on the image above, it appears that the rollers are not [...]

I’m having a problem with my steel roller (the large one that oscillates) binding against the inner form roller when the carriage returns. After returning one or two inches it binds regardless of location, i.e.: If I lift and lower the oscillating roll, it still binds at any point on the return trip. One side [...]

I am in the midst of restoring a Vandercook #3 and am in big need of an oscillating roller. I understand this is a hard piece to come by (given that it is usually sold w/ the press itself). But if anyone could further help or direct me in this search, I would be grateful. [...]

Hi there, Does anyone know how to temporarily stop the oscillation of the oscillating roller on an SP-15? I have a project I’m hoping I can do a blending technique with, and I was thinking it would go much easier if there’s an easy way to stop the oscillation of that top roller. The area [...]

A few weeks back, I wrote about a worm gear with a blunted point that was causing my oscillating roller to stop during it’s run back and forth. I tried filing the point down myself, and while I was able to get it smooth, I was not able to make a nice, sharp point. Last [...]

The oscillating roller is hanging up at one point in its travels. Fritz wrote that this is probably due to damage somewhere on the worm gear, the center shaft of the oscillating roller. He was right; one of the points on the worm gear was chipped, and that is where the crescent rider is hanging [...]