Our Vandercook No. 4 does not stay in trip. When printing, the operator has to hold down the trip to keep it in place. In comparing it to our other No. 4, the trip mechanism is still in place, but the trip bar connected to the handle has a lot of play; there is no […]
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identify vandercook
hello all, i’ve just picked up this Vandercook and would love some help to identify it, i’m guessing it’s a no 4 but the sides of the main ‘carriage’ seem to be different from those i’ve seen pictures of, it’s made of one piece unlike the other no 4’s which look to be made of […]
MoreMore TagNew form rollers for a No. 4
Hello Vanderfolks, I just had the form rollers on my No. 4 recovered. A very nice gentleman from RotaDyne came to my house to pick up the old ones. He took the whole assembly with him, and they shipped everything back disassembled. I’ve looked through the archives for instructions on putting things back together, but […]
MoreMore TagInconsistent print quality
I’m sorry for having problems two days in a row, but here’s another phenomenon that I’m not understanding. These two drop caps (48-point Rondo) were printed one after the other – same lockup, same ink, same paper, same packing, same everything – yet the print quality is markedly different. What could have made the difference? […]
MoreMore TagErrant ink
Hello Vanderblog Friends, I’m hoping someone can help me solve a problem I’ve been having with ink being where it’s not supposed to be. The piece I’m printing has two lines on which I’m getting flecks of errant ink. The problem occurs no matter how much ink I have on the rollers, and the ink […]
MoreMore Tag4T motor belt replacement: seeking tips
Hi there, I am restoring my 4T proofing press from the early 1950s and am dealing with replacing the motor belt. I bought a new one from NA Graphics (thanks, Fritz) because the old one was pretty badly dry-rotted even though it still functioned. Even with much adjustment to the height/position/angle of the motor in […]
MoreMore Tag#4 Proving Press questions
#4 Proving Machine available, would like advice of selling it.
MoreMore Tag215/4 Ink Rollers Dropping
I have had a continuous problem with the Vandercook 215 form rollers dropping down too low due to the hex bolts working themselves loose. We tighten these by hand because with a wrench, they get too tight and the rollers won’t turn freely. Is this an indication that there is something wrong with the bearing […]
MoreMore TagVandercook 4 Cylinder Problem
Hello, I recently bought a Vandercook 4 from the Hick’s Bros. Everything seems like it’s in working order except the cylinder needs to be adjusted – the rail on the operating side is bearing down hard and there’s a gap on the non-operator side where you can see daylight between the rails. I think as […]
MoreMore TagHand gripper redux
Goudy said: “The old fellows stole all our best ideas.” Proving it again is this No.4 with a custom-made hand activated gripper bar, similar to the idea for a No.3 discussed on this forum Summer ’08 (archive links here and here). The pedal and chain linkage are still intact, but don’t work, I was curious […]
MoreMore Tagadjusting roller height on vandercook 215 proofing press
hello everyone, i have a 215 ready to print – soon as i figure out how to adjust the height of these rollers. i don’t have a manual, any other press i’d used have knobs at the ends of the rollers but this model doesn’t have anything so obvious. looks like maybe a hex key […]
MoreMore TagUni III Power motor query
Dear Vandekin I am in Memphis cleaning & repairing two Vandercooks, a 4 and a Uni III. The operator of the III tells me the motor jumps (or rather jolts) itself randomly during a press run and there appears to be a little bit of slack in the chain. I tested it out and sure […]
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