Recently when inking the rollers on my Vandercook SP20 I have encountered the following problems. 1) When I apply ink across the distributor roller and let it down on the form rollers the ink does not spread evenly and there seems to be some hesitation in the distributor rollers. 2) When I roll the rollers […]
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Vandercook No. 2 Proof Press – For Sale – $900
I purchased this press when I was making woodblock prints 13+ years ago. I had a dream of refinishing it and properly setting it up. However that dream has since long passed, but perhaps that’s your dream now. If so, let’s talk. Pickup or arranged shipping would have to be from Morton, IL 61550. $900 […]
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.
MoreReattach Bottom Roller Assembly to Lift Arm on No. 3
Hello all, here’s another question for a No. 3. I got brand new rollers and have secured them into the bottom roller assembly, but now I need to put the assembly back onto the lift arm bracket and want to make sure I’m doing it correctly. Any tips on how this should go? I have […]
MoreRoller Height Differences along Length of Bed?
I’m still running into problems on my No.3 with respect to roller height and I haven’t seen anyone else having this issue. I’m using a type-high gauge (from NA Graphics) on top of a cold-rolled steel 18-gauge plate. I set the proper roller height where the start of my Boxcar Base would be, then roll toward […]
MoreVandercook No 4 gripper foot pedal problem
We have a No. 4 (S/N 8655) and have a problem with the foot pedal mechanism that interacts with the gripper trip assembly. The foot pedal is connected to the pivot mechanism on the non-operator side of the press by way of the bicycle chain on the outside of the press cabinet. I had the […]
MoreUniversal 1 home/start position
Hi Folks, Sorry if this has been covered before… Haven’t printed on this machine yet, but in the course of general lube and clean-up, I detect one issue: in the home/start position, the carriage doesn’t quite sit well-settled to the left/feedboard. it wants to roll off of the correct home/detente position and almost begin travel. […]
MoreNo. 3 Form Roller Lift Arm Bracket
Hello all– Wondering if there is a rule of thumb for bolt placement in the slot for the lift arm bracket on the No. 3 (and why there’s such a large slot in the first place)? Do I need to adjust those in some way before I start adjusting my roller height (e.g. on one side of […]
MoreSP-15 carriage making weird noise
This past week my SP-15 has started making a whining/humming when I move the carriage forward. It happens in both trip and print although it sounds a little more dramatic in print. I have oiled everything I can possibly think of to put oil on and it makes no difference. This also happens when the […]
MoreSP15 form roller slipping
I have a friend who has an SP15. She was having trouble getting the inking smooth and I stopped over to see if I could figure it out. Turned out that the roller and the drive gear were acting independently of each other. Once it was printing the gear that should drive the form roller […]
MoreInk drum on the No. 4
Hi guys, you might remember that last year I posted about this problem I was having with my ink drum not getting fully inked. https://vandercookpress.info/vanderblog/2013/08/ink-drum-oscillator-rider-rollers/ I finally got around to changing the wooden bushings on the Ink drum and on the rider rollers. Very nice oilite brass bushings for the ink drum and some nylon bushings for […]
MoreGripper Cam Question
Hello All, I own a Uni I. I’m trying to move my gripper cams to accommodate thicker papers and make the gripper pins open higher. I can’t get them to budge. I’ve removed all of the set screws, used penetrating oil, and lots of elbow grease. Any suggestions? This seems so simple, and I’m worried […]
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