The pedal on the press is sticking, I figured the grippers needed to be cleaned so I took that assembly apart and cleaned it, and the pedal is still sticking. Not sure what to do!! In another unrelated note (or maybe it’s related, who knows!), every so often, the carriage just stops for a second […]
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Universal I carriage “skipping”
Well, after 25 years of printing on Vandercooks, I encountered a new problem today. There is a 1/2″ strip across the whole sheet that is not printing with the correct impression. It is illogical, but it seems that the carriage raises up just for that line of type and then goes back down. The press is […]
MoreMore TagUniversal III Gripper Assembly Cleaning
Hi–I’ve taken apart the gripper assembly to give it a good cleaning. In the past I’ve used Simple Green to soak everything and loosen the grime and then used a toothbrush to get in all the nooks and crannies, etc. Graphite to lubricate and then I put it all together again. BUT this time, I’m […]
MoreMore TagLooking for advice. Part 2: Uni III(ab) paper guide crooked(?)
Hello again! So in the process of getting back in the saddle I also noticed another quirk on my Universal III. I’m not sure if it is a problem per se or if the problem is just me… I noticed that all the prints I have been pulling are consistently cocked out of square a […]
MoreMore TagLooking for advice. Part 1: Uni III(ab) form roller tilted
I have recently begun to produce work on my Uni III after a long hiatus, and have run into a couple of vexing issues. Firstly, I realized that the rear form roller was laying down ink only on the side opposite from operator. The roller will not adjust low enough on the operator side (the […]
MoreMore TagUniversal III form roller gear issue (again!)
I’ve had this issue before and I can’t remember how I fixed it. When I started printing today, there is this noise that is coming from (I believe) from the rear form roller gear not being in the correct position on the core. You can hear it just as the cylinder leaves the feed board. […]
MoreMore TagUniversal III Form Roller gears
I’ll say that the form Roller gear is slipping off the track. I notice it’s when the vibrating roller shifts to the near side mostly. The only thing I have noticed is the first form Roller L shaped hinge is loose turning and has to be checked and turned back. There doesn’t seem to be […]
MoreMore TagUniversal 3 electrical issue
Looking for advice on an issue that just came up on my Universal III. In my infinite wisdom I decided to swap out the beat up faceplate on the controls with a replacement that I had. While disconnecting the on/off switch, some of the connections became loose and one completely came off. I was told […]
MoreMore TagShims under cylinder and ink racks, Uni I
Our Uni I originally had red shims under the geared racks for the cylinder and ink racks. As it was disintegrating and falling out, we removed it on cleanup but haven’t found a source for replacement. Does anyone have a resource for this or a recommendation for an alternate material?
MoreMore TagUniversal I AB P — Bed Intelligence
Howdy all — I confess upfront that I am a newbee, so for any of my assumptions that are off, bring clarity. I am hoping to tap the knowledge stream here to ask if you can help with getting my press resuscitated from a 20-year nap in a basement. I have managed, with the gracious help […]
MoreMore TagCarriage hesitation on Uni III
Over the past month or so, the carriage on our Uni III has developed some hesitation from when you hit the green cycle button and when it actually begins moving down the bed. This morning it finally just stopped cycling, or at least it would do a couple cycles and then stop at the control end. […]
MoreMore TagUniversal III roller gear issue
I have taken a break from printing (it’s been 4 years) and now I’m ready to get back into it. I took pretty copious notes, but for this issue, I can’t remember how to adjust or what the problem is exactly. This piece that’s circled keeps coming loose when I put the rollers in and […]
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