I noticed that the drum cam (especially on the non-operator side) is looking worn. There’s corresponding wear on the cylinder. Does this indicate I need to adjust the screws on the support arms per page 11 in Paul’s book? If so, I’m a little unclear what screws I should be adjusting. thank you!
MoreAuthor: Jess Snow
Updating wiring to add ground
I want to share my recent experience updating the wiring on an SP-20 motor to add ground. (Disclaimer: I am not an electrician although I consulted with an electrician.) My press arrived with the power cord cut off where it exited the press. So, I needed to add a plug anyway and decided it would […]
MoreSP-20 No Impression
I’m working on the rebuild of my (previously) dismantled SP-20 and I’m finally ready to test the impression. After calculating the correct amount of packing for a .019″ sheet (.024) on a cylinder with an undercut of 040 I proceeded to attempt a blind proof. There was nothing, not even when I added another .006 […]
MoreSP-20 Taper pins in ink system lever bar
I’m in the process of putting back together a heavily desconstructed SP-20 #29569. I suspect (pictured top) these are taper pins that connect through the rod (picturesed 2nd) that raises and lowers the ink system. The pins are pretty stuck in place, so before I put a ton effort into trying to loose them, I […]
MoreSP-20 Restoration: Adding oil to the motor.
I recently acquired a Vandercook SP-20 in great need of restoration. I’ll be tackling this project over the coming months and will be posting progress and questions as I go along. Luckily, I have most of the major parts! I decided to start with some low-hanging fruit: check to see if the motor had any […]
MoreVandercook 425 ink fountain missing part?
I’ve been running a Vandercook 425 for a little under a year and am finding that I would really like to get the ink fountain working. However, I think I’m missing a part. The 425 Manual that I have (thank you Paul!) shows an ink fountain system that looks very different from mine, so I […]
MoreNo. 4 Trip/Print lever
I’m hoping this is a simple question. What part of the trip/print lever on the No. 4 maintains the lever arm in trip? When I depress my lever into trip and the arm moves upward, but it doesn’t stay engaged and immediately falls back down along with the trip wedge (back into print). I’m not […]
MoreVandercook No. 4 Steady Roller Issues
I’m restoring a No. 4 that’s in pretty rough shape. I noticed that the steady rollers do not have adjusting levers on either side. Additionally, when the carriage rolls down the bed, sometimes the steady rollers move laterally and in one case even fell out. I’m also having difficulty matching with the manual drawings with […]
More