Hello I’m the new owner of a Universal III P which arrived less the carriage drive motor/gearbox/clutch assembly. I have a very good machinist/electrician who has suggested he could adapt a small variable speed motor gearbox combination to fit. Trouble is he has no idea about motor hp, gear ratios, whether the motor would have […]
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Vandercook manual
Good morning, I am binder in France and last week I bought this vandercook press. I do not find informations on this model so I therefore need of your help a lot. Thank you
MoreMotors for SP-15s and maybe others
Before I begin, let me say: I do not need a motor and do not anticipate that I will need one anytime soon (or hope that I don’t). I am posting in hopes of inspiring some knowledgeable comments about replacement motors. In recent weeks, Katie Harper successfully replaced Sp15 motor. There was another post by […]
Morelooking for a universal 1 in san francisco (not to buy)
hello! i am visiting san francisco this week, and want to take a gander at a universal 1. i have one in mexico, and it has several very strange quirks that i can’t seem to get figured out. i’m hoping that seeing one in good condition (and meeting with a fellow printer) will help illuminate […]
MoreUniversal I – Replacement Motor
In response to the recent post regarding an SP- 15 needing a replacement motor, I thought I’d add my experience this week with our Universal I. This press had been hesitating at start-up for some time. On start-up, the drive roller would need a little nudge to get it going. (I believe the capacitor was […]
MoreSP-20 roller height problem
I’m having trouble with inconsistent roller height on my SP-20. I’ve set them to type high using my gauge. When I move the cylinder a few more inches down the bed, the rollers are now above height and no longer contact the gauge. When I roll it back towards the dead bar, the return to […]
MoreVandercook #3 hand inking roller assembly
I recently acquired a # 3, circa 1939, missing the feed roller frame assembly, part M-134. This is the roller to which ink is applied to and then hand cranked to distribute the ink to the vibrator and the form rollers. Has any one come up with a substitute method for inking the #3, or […]
MoreVanderpurge circa 1965
When folks lament that there are no replacement parts for their ancient press, there’s a reason. Fritz Klinke, owner of NA Graphics and the Vandercook archives, sent me this jpeg showing a Vandercook Engineering Change Order for the 325 series. “This particular change order is about nine pages long, and includes other models. I just grabbed that one and […]
MoreSP-15 Motor Gear Box Issue
One of our SP-15 motors (Vandercook # 22155) quit last week. It has been noisy (our other SP-15 is about as loud as a sewing machine) but lately the noise was worse, and then the motor just stopped, smelling burned. The motor refurbishing place (Evans) tells me that there is a seal in the gear […]
MoreMe and my No. 4
Hi all, Over the past couple years I’ve visited this wonderful resource often and just wanted to go legit and introduce myself here. I found my No. 4 by pure coincidence two years ago deep in the warehouse of a folding carton plant where I worked in suburban Los Angeles. I had been in production, […]
MoreNo. 4 Carriage Return Issue
We have a No 4 (S/N 8655) that seems to take more effort lately to return the carriage to its resting position at the feed table. There is no problem leaving the feed table in trip or in print. Returning to the feed table seems fine in both trip and after printing an image until […]
MoreUniversal III automatic / control relay switches
We are having some trouble with our Vandercook Universal III Automatic. We THINK it is in the relays. It will sometimes not start moving when it should. Switching the forward / reverse back and forth will sometimes help. It helps to set the press speed faster which is what makes us believe the problem is […]
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