Hello All, I recently brought my Uni I motor to be recoiled / rebuilt. It started to smoke and eventually burnt out. The motor had previously been working and turning the cylinder (a bit slower than normal, but functioning). I received a call from my machinist, who after taking it apart told me the internal […]
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Re-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 […]
MoreSliding, chattering rollers on SP20
Recently, and all of a sudden (or perhaps having reached their tipping point), the rollers on my SP20 are not laying ink correctly. I get the sense that the rollers are sliding over the form (I use photopolymer plates) and the look of the prints produced (scuffed and uneven) support this idea. The sliding is […]
MoreSP-15 Roller Blocks/Knobs Issue
We have recently discovered that some of our roller knobs are loose, even when the allen screws to hold the knobs in position are tight. John Horn was by our shop the other day, and says that the threads on the knob screws might be worn. We also have the opposite problem on at least […]
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 […]
MoreWear to bed bearers on SP20
I’ve noticed a pattern of wear on the bed bearers of my press. The wear is localized where the support rollers and the carriage bearings sit when the carriage is at the feed board. This occurs on both sides of the press, but the wear is more distinct on the operator side. I’m not sure […]
MoreVandercook 325AH help
Greetings, I am involved with a voluntary museum which has a Vandercook 325AH which has not been used for a long time. We have got it freed up and seemingly nearly ready for use, but there seems to be a feed tray missing and there seems to be a problem with the paper tray on […]
MoreFriction Fingers
Hi All! My SP-15 has the round bases on which friction fingers mount, but no friction fingers, friction finger stiffeners, or screws that hold these things to the brackets. Consequently, I don’t actually know what these fingers are for. do they help keep the tail end of the paper from hitting the form? Should I […]
MoreGalley Height Bed Plate
Hi Vanderblog, I’m looking for advice on buying a cold-rolled steel galley height bed plate for a Vandercook No. 4. I ordered an 18 gauge cold-rolled stainless steel from Online Metals which was perfect except that it has a noticeable curve which makes it bounce when sitting on the bed. This makes setting the rollers […]
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 […]
MoreVibrator worm lubrication
Hello, There’s a squeaking noise happening when my SP15 vibrator heads toward the non-operator’s side of the press. I have plenty of vaseline on the worm on both sides. I suspect my press isn’t level. Should I take the vibrator off and attempt to clean the worm, or try to level the press first? Thank […]
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