Vanderblog

Visit to Vandercook Grave and House

Elisabeth Long — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 07:10:27 +0000

Paul Moxon is in Chicago teaching his Vandercook Maintenance class at Evanston Paper and Print so some of us took a tour of Robert O. Vandercook’s grave and his house in Evanston.

I’ve posted some photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052602&l=0ab706a80d&id=1462172660

frozen bearings & paper gripper, SP-15

jpeterson — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:03:05 +0000

Loosing up bearings and grippers.

SP15 ink drum gear

Jezmond — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:39:40 +0000

Hi All,

New to the site from UK. We have an SP15 needing restoration in the workshops (we usually do hand presses). It is hand cranked and has powered inking. One of the nylon? plasticky gears that drives the ink cylinder has basically disintegrated and I was wondering if anyone Stateside does spares?

Any help greatly appreciated. I also have another SP15 belonging to a client but it is a different model so I can’t ‘borrow’ the part from that one.

Cheers,

Jeremy

A no: 219 Proof Press. Serial #: 11476

billytheaufan — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:40:25 +0000

Here are some pictures of this proof press i found in the woods. I have no idea about these things but i really want to sell it. I was just wandering if anone new how much i could sell this for? Or you could give me a little more info about it and what i can do with it. Oh and all that stuff on top of it were some pieces of metal i found beside it. Thanks

my email: billytheaufan@yahoo.com

#: 3185577910

219 twin ink drums

Robert Woods — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:24:58 +0000

I have a 219 OS with twin ink drums. Does anyone have a procedure for removing them? There are a few reasons:

The bolt to adjust the height of the entire carriage to the form roller is completely hidden by the armature for the ductor roller (which is missing).

The press was stored in a damp environment and has pitting on these drums from rust. At some point it would be nice to have them turned.

If a ductor roller could be located, I might like to try to rebuild the whole assembly.

After removing the chain from the motor and idler sprockets, it looks like it might be possible to rotate the unit on bolt “A” (see photo). Being able to lift the unit would allow access to the height adjustment. The problem is there is a block protruding through the frame of the press that connects to the clutch in the rear ink drum even after the linkage “B” is disconnected.

Any ideas?

SP-15 motor oil level

John and Nancy Johnson — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:05:56 +0000

I read that one should periodically check the oil level in the SP-15 motor gear box. I removed the plug and can see the oil is at a level below what I believe is the worm-gear shaft. What is the appropriate level that should be maintained and what specification of oil should be used? Is this the same oil that would be used in the gear box of a Vandercook #4?

Uni I roller squeal

Sara Parr — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:56:11 +0000

I am having an issue with our Uni I—it has a squeaky rider roller. I took a look at an old post, ‘Inking Roller Squeal,’ and that was helpful, but I have an additional question. The black knob at the end of the rider is loose, but when it is held in place, the squealing stops–Is there a way to tighten this? I don’t see a set screw, so does the whole rider roller have to be removed to examine the handle?

Thanks!

Sara P

NA Graphics adds “Press Sales” page

Paul Moxon, Moderator — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:31:23 +0000

NA Graphics has added a new page on its website to list presses for sale. This is one more resource for acquiring your own press. See also the Links page on the present site for other companies and individuals selling equipment.

215/4 Ink Rollers Dropping

Katie Harper — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:15:55 +0000

I have had a continuous problem with the Vandercook 215 form rollers dropping down too low due to the hex bolts working themselves loose. We tighten these by hand because with a wrench, they get too tight and the rollers won’t turn freely. Is this an indication that there is something wrong with the bearing blocks? We have nyliners in place, too. For years I have just accepted this as press aging, something to be watched from time to time, but I’m hoping there might just be a cure. Any help appreciated. I have photos if that would be helpful.

Vandercook 4 Cylinder Problem

Friedrich — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:25:17 +0000

Hello, I recently bought a Vandercook 4 from the Hick’s Bros.

Everything seems like it’s in working order except the cylinder needs to be adjusted – the rail on the operating side is bearing down hard and there’s a gap on the non-operator side where you can see daylight between the rails. I think as a by-product of this issue the press is printing heavier on the operator side and lighter on the non-operator side. Also, the teeth are starting to have tiny specks of metal get shaved away. I’ve stopped printing as soon as I noticed this, but am in a deadline to finish my first job with this press and feeling the crunch…

Can anyone give me a lead-through on how to fix this? I know that it’s something to do with the ball bearings in the printing/impression cylinder, but I haven’t got a clue where to start.

Help? Friedrich Kerksieck

Patent Pages Premier

Paul Moxon, Moderator — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:40:12 +0000

Terry Chouinard sent me this advertisement he saw in the BBS Specimen Book (No. 25) for a “Vandercook Gordon Press Vibrator.” He asked if Vandercook made any other equipment for production presses? Good question. After all, their presses were marketed as pre-press equipment. But nothing in the catalogs I’ve seen references anything like the Gordon Vibrator.

Some time ago Daniel Morris gave me a CD of pdfs of Vandercook patents he found on Google Patents. After reviewing these files it appears that the vibrator and R.O. Vandercook’s first patent “Means for Dissipating Static Electricity” (1902), plus three for offset presses, were the only ones issued to his company for inventions not part of a proof/test press or plate making equipment. Hacker Manufacturing Co., acquired by Vandercook in 1937, held 14 U.S. patents for equipment that later became part of the Vandercook product line, notably their well known plate gauge.

Rather than uploading Daniel’s files, I’ve created a page with tables listing the patents issued to Vandercook and separate pages for Hacker and Challenge. Each feature links to the drawings and descriptions on Google.

Vandercook #3, paint on rails

Kirk Jorgensen — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:39:58 +0000

Hello,
I was wondering if anybody had any tips for removing a single coat of paint off of the rails of a vandercook #3. Would a solution such as Citristrip do the job without damaging the rails?

Thanks!

Kirk
Sycamore Street Press