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 […]
MoreCategory: No. 4 / 215
Vandercook 4 … nothing happens?
Hi, I bought a Vandercook 4 in December, and I have not been able to get it to work. The issue is this: when I throw the power switch, nothing happens. I have replaced both the switch and the indicator bulb, and I have had a local machinist come out to review the wiring, but […]
MoreDrive belt for Vandercook 4
I recently purchased a Vandercook 4 (serial number 15744). The press was supposedly housed for many years at the University of Notre Dame. In any case, it is not operational at the moment. I have a local machinist looking into the wiring, which seems to be the issue, as the motor, when all the wiring […]
MoreNo. 4 Won’t Advance
When in print, my No. 4 stops advancing just as the cylinder is about to shift down into print. I thought I had the cylinder eccentric mechanisms assembled incorrectly, but I’ve reassembled it several times… The trip roller (BR-134) is at the very top of the trip wedge when the cylinder stops advancing, but there […]
MoreVandercook No. 4 Paper Release Issue
We’ve been having an issue at MSU with the paper releasing at the end of the bed of a Vandercook No. 4. I had talked to you about this briefly at Hamilton, but I took some photos and it looks like there is a large shim and was wondering if this is normal. I feel […]
MoreVandercook No.4 Piece Fell Off
Hello! I’ve been trying to identify what this part is that fell off the press and find the home to reinstall it on the press. It was found on the right side of the press when looking up towards the feedboard side. I have a Vandercook No.4. Any direction you could provide would be great, […]
MoreVandercook #4
Hi Paul. We’ve just purchased a Vandercook #4 we think it was originally owned by University of MN Duluth, serial #9903. We removed the carriage for transportation and will be following your directions for reassembly! While it is off we’ve been getting her all cleaned up and noticed that three of the steel carriage rollers […]
MoreRoller issues, squeaky sound on No.4
Revised. I’ve recently refurbished a No. 4. When the roller carriage is in contact with the ink drum (hence the form roller clutch is engaged), there’s an awful squeaking sound. The front rider roller does roll, and the oscillating roller seems sort of sluggish. It’s difficult to gauge where the sound is coming from, but […]
MoreVandercook 4 Blunder
Hi all – I’m in the last stages of cleaning up my Vandercook and I did what I told myself I never would. I ended up with 4 bolts and 8 washers that I cannot for the life of me figure out where they go. I’ve looked over the press and also the schematics and […]
MoreInstalling New Rollers — Clutch Pin Issue
While installing new rollers on the #4, I ran into an issue where the threaded pin (MR-109) won’t pass through the new clutch pin (MR-110) once in the roller. Separately, all the parts fit together just fine. Once on the roller core, the threaded pin will pass through the holes in the clutch block (MR-108), […]
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 […]
MoreMoving a No. 4, Some Disassembly Required
I’m getting ready to have my No. 4 moved, and unfortunately the riggers are saying it will require some disassembly. The plan is to remove the carriage, then the bed, and then treat the cabinet as a separate piece (drawers removed of course). I’m familiar with most of the tips to remove the feedboard, handles, […]
More