Hello, I have just purchased a Vandercook model SP-15. I’m just starting out in letterpress printing and have taken some workshops but hadn’t expected to be owning a press of my own quite yet. But as luck will have it, I had one fall on me, so to speak. My question is, I’m going to be setting up my shop in a room adjacent to my garage which has a wood floor covered with linoleum. I believe the floor is structurally strong enough to hold the press (and I’ll be checking with a contractor to make sure), but I’m wondering if I can safely set the press directly on the linoleum or would putting a rubber mat or some other type of material down first be adviseable? I’d like to protect the surface from denting if possible, but ultimately of course having the press work properly is more important than the floor. Thanks for any comments.
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Thanks very much for your comments, they are very helpful. best, sylvia
as far as vandercooks go, the sp15 is pretty light – about 700lbs, about the same as 4-5 of your friends standing around chatting. If you’re really worried about the floor, lay down 3/4 inch plywood [which is what I did in my studio]. It will reinforce the floor a little bit, protect the linoloeum, and you could even seal it so you can wipe up ink/oil/dirt.
good luck,
alex
press817
lexington ky
Congratulation on your new press.
The standard SP-15 is only 705 lbs. so you should not have to worry about it being too heavy for the floor. I would expect it doesn’t weigh much more than a washer and dryer.
As for what you want to put under it to keep it from marring your linoleum, that is up to you, but expect to still need to level the feet with some sort of shim material both front to back and lengthwise.
Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY