The essential Vandercook proof press repair manual, based on the author’s workshop, featuring over 400 drawings, photographs, and data tables. With notes on significant models and other brands, bibliography, and index. 7¼ × 10″, 230 pp, letterpress printed cover, and twin loop wire binding. Order
Thank you, Pino. I’m pleased you found the “model badges” useful. They’re new to the 4th edition and were inspired by the foreword author, Katherine Victoria Taylor’s request that I improve the navigation—best of luck on your restoration. We’re here for you on vanderblog.
Fantastic book: from the format to the wire-o binding, from the typography to the illustrations. Maybe it was already in past editions, but I love the small “Models” identification boxes, drop-cap-style, at the beginning of paragraphs to help the reader quickly focus on (or skip) them depending on which press you are working on. I ordered the book before starting restoration on a Vandercook Universal I that Arion Press recently donated to SF State. It’s going well but I am definitely reading and re-reading everything that the book includes about this press as I work on it. For example, I had noticed that “The latches that hold a raised oscillator (…) are weak.” (p. 23) but I forgot it in this position and it dropped with a thud onto the ink rollers when the carriage hit the bumper blocks. In the future I will not repeat this mistake but heed the warning: “Do not leave a press in this position because the oscillator may unexpectedly drop and damage worm and crescent.”
Oh my. Thank you. The coverstock is Neenah touché. I chose it because it’s grease resistant and able to withstand frequent handling. The whole production, from the 8o# text paper to the slab serif typography to the lay-flat wire binding was designed to read at press during repairs. Were I to visit your shop I would hope to see a copy with obvious signs of use. So please don’t fret. Every mark is a badge of your increaing mechanical knowledge.
This is an astonishingly gorgeous book (I expected it to look great obviously, but was still stunned when I opened it) to the point I hesitate to keep it with the press because it’s so lovely and I don’t want to get it dirty or oily and feel awkward when I’m doing things on the press and consulting the manual. Have you considered making a deeply unfancy version that would not inspire guilt for being handled when working? It’s so incredibly useful but this version feels too gorgeous to be used the way it’s intended.