One of our SP-15 presses at UAFS has an oscillating cylinder that is slowing way down shortly after being inked. It doesn’t seem to matter what kind of ink (ie, stiff or loose); it’s as though the ink is too thick. This machine has had a motor replacement (posted a few years back on this […]
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Adjustable Bed Surprise
Here’s some lovely photos from Barbara Crocker of her 15-21 who writes “I had been having trouble with my press bed being high on one corner. Thanks to you, I decided to clean the wedges and it has definitely taken care of the bed issues….lubed the wedges and got it back together, much better without mouse […]
MoreFabricating Replacement SP-15 Impression Cylinder
I’m considering grabbing an SP-15 press but, like many presses out there, getting it into running order will require some TLC. The press bed, cylinder rack, bed bearers, under rails, gripper pedal, trip latch & rail along the bed, steel cabinet, and feed table all check out and seem to need nothing more than heavy […]
MoreTrip 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?
Moreunder 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 […]
Moreadjusting 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?
MoreSP-15 Form roller gear height
Dear friends, The print co-op I belong to recently had the form rollers for our SP-15 recovered by Pamarco. After reinstallation, I adjusted both roller heights to achieve proper strike on the roller gauge. When the rear form roller is set to a proper height, the roller gear skips along the gear rack, barely making contact. When I […]
MoreSeeking a M-134 Feed Roller Frame Assembly for a No. 3
I have a Vandercook No. 3, the same one (SN 13165) here, that’s missing its M-134 feed roller frame assembly. I’m looking to first see if anyone has a spare (which I imagine is unlikely). Or if anyone has fabricated an alternative to the stock feed roller. I’ve also looked into Paul’s suggestion here but the sprockets […]
MoreUniversal Problem
I am having a problem with a roller on my Universal. The roller closest to the feed board is binding and can’t be removed. The offending area is opposite the press operator. We can not move the carriage and the roller is not spinning. We believe that a screw has worked loose and is not […]
MoreReplacement switch for an SP-15
Hi everyone, I’m looking for a replacement electrical switch for an SP-15. Any ideas if there is a replacement switch out there I can drop in there?
MoreOS Side Guide Parts Needed
I’m looking for missing parts for an old style side guide (for my No. 3). It’s not an immediate need, as the press is disassembled for cleaning, but I would like to try and use this one (when completed) if at all possible. I know Fritz has a new side guide available, so if I can’t […]
MoreUniversal I Under Rails Rebuild
Hatch Show Print, with the help of the venerable Dave Seat, had rebuilt the worn out under rails on their hand-cranked Vandercook Universal I. Worn out under rails yield uneven impression and the inability to maintain registration. Wear is caused by excessive pressure due to these conditions: 1) an unleveled press; 2) grime buildup on the cylinder bearers, bed bearers, […]
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