My 15-21 has a history of the carriage rollers and ball bearings seizing up now and then. This makes moving the carriage very difficult and printing impossible. The last attempt I made to loosen them up involved a vacuum jar and motor oil. The grease inside the bearings was dry and (let’s just say…) “crunchy”. […]
MoreMore TagAuthor: seedpod press
I am a jeweler by profession but do letterpress printing on the weekends. I have a Kelsey Star jobber and a Vandercook 15-21. I work on small editions of poetry and do the binding as well.
Update on 15-21 rail issues
I haven’t checked in on the Vanderblog for a long time but wanted to say I had my rails milled at a reliable machine shop in Holyoke, MA, that works on a lot of old press equipment. I removed the bed and transported it to them, they milled the rails on both sides to my […]
MoreMore Tag15-21 gripper adjustment?
I’m doing some reassemble on my press after having some work done on the bed and I don’t know what this part is called but it has something to do with the grippers in relation to trip/print mode. This is on the side opposite the operator at the head of the bed. It connects to […]
MoreMore TagWear on rails / Carriage bearing adjustments
I have been methodically troubleshooting the irregular impression I get on my 15-21 and have since learned about wear on the rails. I am at a point where I’m wondering if I need to do something really serious or if the amount of wear isn’t a big deal and I can somehow adjust the bearings […]
MoreMore TagTrip rack on 15-21
When in Print mode, my cylinder trip rack rides up the trip wedge and makes the carriage jump up right when the cam follower rolls off the top of the wedge. Is it possible to adjust this?
MoreMore Tagunder rails worn – what is reasonable?
The under rails on my 15-21 have wear on them from use before I acquired this press. I can see this pretty clearly and it looks like it’s about .oo5, primarily at the the carriage end of the rails, then it tapers off. What is reasonable to work with when adjusting the carriage bearings? And should […]
MoreMore Tagadjusting cylinder bearings resulting in rail sweeper drag
I just adjusted my cylinder bearings with great care and find that now the rail sweepers, the cow-pusher things that are meant to keep the rails clean, are dragging. Should I adjust these or just remove them? Any advice?
MoreMore Tag15-21 rail “sweepers”?
Are these things meant to keep the rail clean and, if so, are they supposed to have some other material like felt on the bottom of them? Is this something I can do myself – any ideas? They are very worn on the bottom and don’t really make contact. – Seedpod Press
MoreMore TagVandercook 15-21 maintenance
I’ve acquired a 15-21 and am pretty much teaching myself. I have the manual from NAGraphics for this model, have read and absorbed a great deal but don’t know the history of this press, feel like there are things that might need some attention by a professional. I live in Western Massachusetts and wondering if […]
MoreMore TagVandercook nyliners
Does anyone know where I can get 5/8 ID nyliners for my Vandercook 15-21. I know I can get 1/2″ nyliners from NA Graphics but they aren’t the right size for this press. Thanks…. Barbara at the Seedpod Press
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