Hello, we recently acquired a refurbished Vandy SP20 at UT Austin and it is having issues. The worst problem we’re having is the form rollers not making contact with the ink drum. We bought two new springs from Fritz for the ink drum and replaced those, so I think that is at the proper height. […]
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Vandercook Uni I reintroducing past ink; ink drum calibration?
Hi! One of Virginia Book Arts’ Vandercooks (a Universal I AB P that was converted to hand-crank) has always had a difficult-to-clean ink drum* that would appear to be successfully cleaned by a printer post-printing session, but then randomly introduce bits of ink from past print sessions into future printing sessions (e.g. you’re printing with […]
MoreVandercook No.4 motor jolts and more: easy to fix?
Hi! I’m in the UK and looking at buying a Vandercook 4C, serial no. 6018, made by Miller. We visited it this weekend, but there are 3 things I’m worried about. I’d really appreciate some advice. Points 2 and 3 are the biggies for me. I’m maxxed out on budget to buy and move the […]
MoreUniversal I Ink Drum Repair
I traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts, earlier this month to make press repairs at four print shops. At Lesley University, the main concern was an unlevel ink drum. I had anticipated that one of the ink drum bushings (F-760) had broken or slipped into the drum’s hollow. After removing the drum, my assistant, Chris Bradford (a […]
MoreHow to replace drive belt for Challenge MP-15?
The drive belt on my Challenge MP-15 just broke. I found a link to buy a new one from Grainger, based on a link Paul had posted for an SP-15 (the specs seem correct, 18″ long, 1/5″ pitch, 90 teeth). Any details on how to remove the ink drum? I assume the procedure is very […]
MoreSP25 ink drum “bouncing”
The ink drum on my SP25 has started bouncing up and down at one end as soon as any slight pressure is applied, like when I lower the form rollers or when I wipe off the ink while the drum is turning. I can’t see any visible irregularities in the chain links or any of […]
MoreNo. 4 Drive Chain
I’m slowly making progress on cleaning up my No. 4 and the other day I ran into a strange issue. Hoping others can shed some light on the situation. After re-timing the carriage I noticed it wouldn’t return all the way to the feed board. It seemed like the trip wedge wasn’t being pushed out […]
MoreSP15 Ink Drum uneven
Paul – That SP15 I sold to your friends at Old Dominion last year is having a problem with uneven inking = uneven pressure from the main ink drum. My guess is that, since it is spring-loaded, that either the spring has failed/is failing or that there is a build-up of ink and solvent coming […]
MoreSP-15 Motor / Ink Drum Noise
We are having some issues on our SP-15 with a “clicking” noise from the ink drum. It sounds like it’s coming from the pulley/timing belt area. It’s gotten progressively worst the past 2 days and also looks like it’s maybe a little lopsided (or is that just the belt?). This press is still new to […]
MorePolishing drums on a SP-15
So I’m rehabbing my SP-15 currently. The rollers melted a long time ago, and the printer has been sitting in a garage for 20 years. There was some light rust and goop on most surfaces that I was able to remove. I followed the advice here and removed a lot of the rust with WD-40 […]
MoreInk Drum on #4
The ink drum on the recent #4 was frozen in place–bound up by years of uncleaned ink, and it was also in contact with the operator side of the recess where it sits. After much penetrating oil and some heavy manual ink removal, I loosened the lock nuts on either end of the drum, and […]
MoreVandercook SP20 Ink Drum Not Spinning
Though the ink drum drive chain and gear seem to be operating normally when powered on, the ink drum itself is not spinning. The ink drum does move freely when manually manipulated.
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