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 […]
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SP-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 […]
MoreSP15 Plastic Cover Hinge and Misc Parts
Hello everyone, New post again! So the first photo shows some misc parts I found on the bottom pits of my No.4, I would really like to know what these parts do, or where they go. I’ve confirmed that that pin is not in fact an MR-110 pin, I’ve compared them. The second two […]
MoreSP25 Carriage Misalignment
I am in the process of getting our SP25 up and running and the first order of business is realigning the cylinder carriage so that the grippers are at the “12 o’clock” position when at the feed board. Does anyone have any suggestions of the best way to adjust this? During a class with Paul […]
MoreWhat does this do?
Hello everyone, I’d like to know what this part does, the one that moves horizontally, and has a spring. I noticed that the small knob on the right “locks it” in place when it’s retracted, but does not unlock automatically. So.. my question is. Is something wrong with my SP15?
MoreGripper Assembly for SP-20
The foot pedal/gripper assembly on my recently acquired SP 20 is not functioning properly. The foot pedal seems to engage the gripper mechanism when manipulated by hand, but does not lower and return to its position as it should. Left to its own devices, it sits on the floor (see pic). Also, the rear assembly […]
MoreA novel solution to incorrect form roller diameter
I was recently trying to set the form (inking) roller height on an SP15 and found that I was unable to properly set the gear-driven one (nearer the impression drum). There was no way the back end (closer to the gear) could drop down far enough. I measured the rollers and found that, instead of […]
MoreNew form rollers causing slurring?
I recently had the form rollers on my SP-20 recovered and I’m having trouble getting a decent print out of them. The short version is that my printing is slurred. The detailed version is that, if printing a line of type that’s parallel to the gripper bar, the rollers will print heavy towards the top […]
MoreSP-20 Inking issue
Hello all, I’ve owned a Vandercook SP-20 since April of this year, and it’s been, to this point a beautiful machine. About a week ago, I started getting a strange issue that I have not been able to decipher, and is not covered in any of the books I have looked at. Here is what’s […]
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 […]
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 […]
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