It looks like I’m going to have to remove the ink drum on my 232. Having never done this, I’m a bit intimidated. The construction looks very similar to a Universal III. Can anyone talk me through this?
John Horn
Home
A proof press resource
Hi, all.
Yes, indeed. I’m in the same boat that I was in two years ago.
The drum in my Uni I is frozen to the bushings. The press was badly stored by an associate in a damp limestone cellar. Fortunately the bed and cylinder were covered, but somehow the damp swelled the wood bushings (I’m speculating) and perhaps rust on the core has caused the bushings to lock to the core. The drum and core will turn together if I remove key plate where the core comes through the chassis.
However, I’m still at a loss as to how I might break the drum free on the core… Or will it be impossible, and require a laser to cut the core?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfraterdeus/538132023/in/photostream/
etc.
Thanks for hints/ideas!!
Cheers
peter
Perry Tymeson has had a machinist fabricate Oilite Bronze bushings to replace the wooden ones in my Uni III ink drums. I doubt it will be necessary to service that assembly again in my lifetime!
Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY
Hi John, glad to see you are tackling the 232. I recently pulled the drum out of one we installed in Auburn, AL it is fairly straight forward. The shaft has 2 allen screws securing it in place from the top and I believe there is a locking screw coming in from the side. The shaft is hidden from view on the far side behind a plate for the gripper arm, remove the plate and once the allens are removed the shaft pushes out from either direction (mark the shaft NS, FS, and arrow up for ease of re-installation). Remove the master link and with help, lift the drum. when reinstalling, be sure to put rags down to protect the drum, reinsert the shaft, align and bolt. Guide the chain on the top of the sprocket, hand turn the drum and with a magnet guide the lead edge of the chain all the way around. Here is the 232 in Auburn: http://createtwo.com/vandercook-232p/
Best of luck, Steve
Clever idea. No, I didn’t unlink the chain nor move the motor either. I just angled the drum.
OK, I see that; you could tie a cord to the links at either side of the master link before you unlink the chain (and perhaps at the drive gear end too) and keep control over it.
When I worked on a 4 drum, I don’t recall it being that hard to reposition the chain around the drive gear and the drum gear. We did not need to unlink the chain.
I’m reluctant to unlink the chain on a No. 4 because it resides in the nether-space between the cabinet and the bed. I’d be concerned that unless I were to remove the bed casting I would have difficulty reconnecting the chain around the sprocket. However, it may be that the 232 has better access.
There might be a master link in the chain that can be disconnected. Look for a link that is slightly thicker with a removable clip.
If it is like the 4, look on the side of the press for a bolt and nut in line with the ends of the ink drum shaft. As I recall it, they bear on the ends of that particular shaft, and loosening them frees the shaft. As Paul says, keep it supported. On the 232 it will be very heavy.
I neglected to say that there’s a chain spocket mounted on the far end of the drum. So to release the chain you will need to either slide the motor forward or if there is room in the drum well angle the drum toward the motor.
I’ve removed a drum on the much smaller No.4. which has wood bushings. Fritz can confirm if this is true for the 232. Rig straps around the drum to stabilize it while unbolting and so it may be lifted safely. You’ll need two assistants or a hoist that you can position above.