I am in the process of removing one side plate of my no. 4’s carriage to get to the oil hole block that oils the eccentric bar. Pardon my lack of correct nomenclature for the parts. I am stuck with this part right here, these don’t seem like taper pins but more like rivets, and […]
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SP15 Plastic Cover Hinge and Misc Parts
Hello everyone, New post again! So the first photo shows some misc parts I found on the bottom pits of my No.4, I would really like to know what these parts do, or where they go. I’ve confirmed that that pin is not in fact an MR-110 pin, I’ve compared them. The second two […]
MoreImpression Issue
Hoping there is a simple solution to my impression problem. I’ve had my Vandercook No. 4 for several years now and this problem just started happening on my last job. It seems to me that the impression cylinder is dropping into impression mode later than it ought to be. Rather than the typical 3 1/2 […]
MoreVandercook #4 leveling feet specs
Hello, I am helping a friend with a #4 who works in a space with a very uneven floor. His press has had the leveling feet under the press removed and it keeps slowly walking off whatever shims he puts underneath. Does anyone know the correct thread pitch for those feet? I can’t get in […]
MoreRe-assembling a No. 4 – getting ready to paint
Hello everyone. I’m pretty close to completion of my No. 4’s restoration and I’m very eager to have it ready to start printing on January, at the latest February. I was reassembling the Non-Operator side last night, trying my hand at it, and I thought everything should go smoothly since I took the time to […]
MoreNew
Hello. I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Kelly Shields and I am an high school art teacher. I am also one of those “enthusiastic newer printers who are learning letterpress printing and keeping it alive and well.” I have been a silent observer of this site for several years, and have just recently […]
MoreQuestions about clutch plate, oil holes and automatic gripper release
Hey guys, first of all, I’m sorry about the many posts lately, but I’m trying to make real progress and have my no. 4 working by the end of the year, which is almost here, anyways. So I’m getting up to speed. First question: Are these wear marks on the clutch plate going to affect […]
MoreTrip/Print diagram
Hello everyone, I’m looking for a clearer trip-print lever system diagram or blueprint than the one in the manual. My no. 4 was pretty complete parts-wise, besides a few knobs and bumper springs, but one thing I noticed at the beginning was that the trip-print lever mechanism was “disengaged” and wouldn’t do a thing. I […]
MoreUnknown spring
This spring came with my No. 4 in the miscellaneous parts in one of the drawers. At first I thought it was a bumper spring (because I am indeed missing the two far side of the bed bumper springs), but then I compared it to the feed table side bumper springs, and it’s definitely not […]
More1953 Vandercook No. 4 Proof Press (serial #16261) for sale in Charlotte, NC [SOLD!]
1953 Vandercook No. 4 Proof Press (serial #16261) for sale in Charlotte, NC. Originally purchased in great shape from Don Black Linecasting in December 2003 and operated from 2004-2007 for printing short run wedding invitations and has been held in covered storage from 2007 until present. The press is in good/great shape with just a […]
MoreWestern 4c push rod and gripper lever
apologies as is virtually identical to Marianne’s, but all good fun posting..you can see where I have had to deal with rust on the carriage sides, maybe I’ll paint them later, just concentrating on getting it mechanically correct at the moment. I will remove the red paint marked from the holes just either side of […]
MoreAligning Vandercook No. 4 Cylinder Carriage
Hello Vanderblog, I am working on getting my recently acquired No. 4 (Serial No. 14509) working and have a couple of questions about how to go about removing the cylinder carriage and getting the gears to line up correctly again. To give you a little backstory, as far as I know, this press belonged to […]
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