I recently helped someone with his SP-15. One of his problems was that one of the roller height adjustment knobs had broken due to an impact. His press had knobs of solid plastic, sort of pear-shaped with a tapered stem. I installed a replacement knob which was round with a brass threaded insert. He also […]
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SP-15 Motor / Ink Drum Noise
We are having some issues on our SP-15 with a “clicking” noise from the ink drum. It sounds like it’s coming from the pulley/timing belt area. It’s gotten progressively worst the past 2 days and also looks like it’s maybe a little lopsided (or is that just the belt?). This press is still new to […]
MoreSP15 spare part, broken trip spring
I was levelling my press yesterday (SP15) and found a ‘spare part’ (?) lying beneath the press. It has the same greyish colouration of the press and looks like it could be vital? The press is still printing, though might prefer to have the piece if indeed it belongs somewhere? Is it part of […]
MorePolishing drums on a SP-15
So I’m rehabbing my SP-15 currently. The rollers melted a long time ago, and the printer has been sitting in a garage for 20 years. There was some light rust and goop on most surfaces that I was able to remove. I followed the advice here and removed a lot of the rust with WD-40 […]
MoreSP20, Roller Rack
Hi, I have been helping a friend with cleaning and readjusting his SP20. Now that we’re almost done the moveable end of the roller rack seems to be sticking a bit too far up. The press hasn’t been used for probably something like 20 years… So hard to tell why that is. Anyway, the spring […]
MoreSP15 replacement feedboard and side guide
I’ve recently started up a community workshop in Traverse City, MI – Blackbird Book Arts & Press. We’re getting off the ground with a Pilot clone, 8×12 C&P and this slightly ragged SP15. It came to us out of Indiana without rollers, feed board and brackets to mount it so with a little ingenuity and […]
Moresp15 Motor specs: please explain for replacement
HELP PLEASE! My sp15 motor crapped out today. I’m pretty sure it’s a goner. It made two sputtering sounds about 3 seconds after turning it on and then died and smoked. I was reading through a past post about replacement motors for the sp15 and the motor specs page and it all seems a little […]
MoreSP-15 Belt is loose again!
Seems like we just replaced the V-belt on our SP-15, the one with the newer Baldor motor. It is already loose again. The last time we had belt issues, Lad Boyle wrote about a process he had for removing the bottom plate, the plate the motor sits on. I think this was so my machinist […]
MoreSP-15 rear trip pin wearing ink drum belt?
My SP-15 is showing wear on the rear trip pin from the ink drum belt. Photo shows wear from both trip and print positions. The belt touches the trip pin. Is this expected? And if not, what’s the best way to adjust this? Additionally the trip arm had been touching the ink drum (wear from […]
MoreNyliners too big for SP-15?
Dave Seat discovered that both our SP-15 presses were missing the outer bolts that hold the outer nyliners in place. We ordered new from NA Graphics, along with nyliners, but the nyliners are too big; the neck is too long to put two on the shaft. Instead of going to the hassle of returning, etc., […]
MoreSP-20 inking problem
I’m printing a very large plate of a linear illustration. The poster size is 18×24 and the plate is almost that size. I’m using my SP-20. The problem I’m having is, right in the middle of the form, I’m not getting solid ink coverage. It’s almost exactly in the center. My rollers are only 4 […]
MoreSp-15 Slowdown
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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