I am having an issue with our Uni I—it has a squeaky rider roller. I took a look at an old post, ‘Inking Roller Squeal,’ and that was helpful, but I have an additional question. The black knob at the end of the rider is loose, but when it is held in place, the squealing […]
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215/4 Ink Rollers Dropping
I have had a continuous problem with the Vandercook 215 form rollers dropping down too low due to the hex bolts working themselves loose. We tighten these by hand because with a wrench, they get too tight and the rollers won’t turn freely. Is this an indication that there is something wrong with the bearing […]
MoreVandercook 4 Cylinder Problem
Hello, I recently bought a Vandercook 4 from the Hick’s Bros. Everything seems like it’s in working order except the cylinder needs to be adjusted – the rail on the operating side is bearing down hard and there’s a gap on the non-operator side where you can see daylight between the rails. I think as […]
MoreHand gripper redux
Goudy said: “The old fellows stole all our best ideas.” Proving it again is this No.4 with a custom-made hand activated gripper bar, similar to the idea for a No.3 discussed on this forum Summer ’08 (archive links here and here). The pedal and chain linkage are still intact, but don’t work, I was curious […]
Moreadjusting roller height on vandercook 215 proofing press
hello everyone, i have a 215 ready to print – soon as i figure out how to adjust the height of these rollers. i don’t have a manual, any other press i’d used have knobs at the ends of the rollers but this model doesn’t have anything so obvious. looks like maybe a hex key […]
MoreRocker Weekend
Here are some photos from my December visit to the Museum of Printing History in Houston, where I spoke about the Vandercook centenary and consulted on their recently acquired circa 1909 Vandercook Trip Action Proof Press, commonly known as a “rocker.” It had belonged to a company in Cincinnati whose owner said that his grandfather […]
MoreVandercook 219 Power Grinding
Hello! I have two pictures (pictures below) of a piece that is grinding on my vandercook 219. There are fine metal shavings under the press after about an hour of running. I see no way of adjusting this to lift it up. Any suggestions? Pictures: Nick
MoreUni III Power motor query
Dear Vandekin I am in Memphis cleaning & repairing two Vandercooks, a 4 and a Uni III. The operator of the III tells me the motor jumps (or rather jolts) itself randomly during a press run and there appears to be a little bit of slack in the chain. I tested it out and sure […]
MoreA Question about Cylinder Rack Shims
I’m having some issues with low ink distribution in the first inch or so of my form. I noticed that the area coincides with the first few inches of the cylinder rack which is separate from the rest of the rack and slightly raised with some plastic shims. Does anyone know the reason for that […]
MoreBalancing the Cylinder on an SP-20
Is anyone familiar with balancing the cylinder on an SP-20? Our 20 never seems to print well and we’ve balanced the base & made sure the rollers are seated properly to no avail. I’ve asked around locally & balancing the cylinder came up. Any instruction would be greatly appreciated–a step-by-step breakdown would be even more so. […]
MoreRemove Vandercook 4 Motor
I recently bought a Vandercook 4 with an engine that doesn’t run. I plan to bring it to a local motor shop for repair early in the new year. Does anyone have any tips for successfully removing the motor and / or any essential information that should be passed on to the mechanic? Thanks, Kyle […]
Morewobbly ink drum–sp15
Hello all, My Sp15 has been put through her paces in the last two days, and tonight during cleanup I noticed that the ink drum is wobbling…or more precisely, the three screws that hold the pulley gear to the ink drum are wonky. The head to one screw is sheared off (and thus the source […]
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