After 12 years of being in the same location, NA Graphics and the Vandercook records and parts inventory successfully completed its move to our new building on Wednesday–and in some respects, it was the move from Hell. I had no idea I had accumulated such a mountain of crap, in addition to the good stuff. First to be moved was the ATF type collection, and Alex Brooks spent 2 weeks here reshelving many thousands of packages of type. Next to move were the very precious Vandercook records, blueprints, and related paper material. That collection occupies 19 file cabinets. Then the task of moving 5 Monotypes, 3 Vandercooks, a Miehle Vertical, Model 31 Linotype, Little Giant, Elrod (and Elrod, the resident cat), and C&P to another location took much effort, especially the stuff in our basement print shop, not to mention 450 cases of type. Then all the office stuff, inventory, and employees and getting the business reestablished was made more difficult working without electricity, phone or water for a while. We still have no water or sewer or heat, and we are now seeing frost in the mornings, but all will be in order in due time.
I apologize to anyone who needed something and we didn’t get your call or missed your email. We are now back in action full time and things will get better service wise, once I find what’s in a room full of boxes. The Vandercook parts are readilly accessible. We did take 40 or 50 Vandercook rollers to be recycled today, but it was stock that had been sitting here for 12 years without a single inquiry. We did keep some nifty all steel rider rollers for rolling equipment on. I kept some representative samples in case someone needs rollers for a 30-26 4-color proof press, but I sort of doubt that will ever happen.
My advice to anyone contemplating a basement shop–don’t. We had the advantage of a 5 foot wide concrete stairway with a built in ramp and winch system, but what an ordeal. Gravity was not on our side. Paul Moxon, who has been in the old shop several times, would marvel at a cleanly swept concrete floor with not even a brass or copper space defiling the place. The new owners of our old space were incredulous that we actually pulled it off, but it took the services of about 10 people, not all at once, working from early July until September 3rd. There are not too many more of these moves left in this old body.
Fritz
I just returned from the dump with 7 form rollers and 3 ink drums for the Vandercook 30-26. I knew Larry Raid had the 30-26 that came out of the Washington Post newspaper several years back, but did not know he had acquired a second 30-26 that was missing all the rollers. When complete, this press weighs in at 16,000 pounds, and 700 of that is in these rollers. These came off a press at Kala Graphics in Michigan that was scrapped about 1998, and I’ve had them and about 1000# of parts off that press since. So, Larry will get these, minus a little wear and tear, and maybe he can get the second 30-26 up and running. What broke my heart was the brand new cast iron Stephenson-Blake imposing stone now residing in the dump. I had 5 of them, sold one, gave 2 away to people here in town, and kept one for my shop. These weigh 469# and were shipped to the US back in the 1960s. That one takes a fork lift to retrieve and will soon be on a rail car headed for a mill.
I was once told that when the Daily Express newspaper moved its printing operation from its rickety Central London premises (I assume Fleet Street)they decided not to bother moving the huge web presses installed in the basement – they just poured concrete in and bricked it up… apocryphal maybe but looking at those images you’ve posted I’m now more likely to believe it…
Basement locations suck–my shop was in a commercial building and the Miehle Vertical was directly under the public restrooms. Not a scientific survey, but I venture that the women’s toilets overflowed 5 to 1 over the ones in the men’s room. Mark was present for a nasty sewer line backup that involved kitchen waste that blocked the main sewer, and it shut the restaurant and ice cream parlor down on a very busy day and there was much shouting, cursing, and tense nerves until we broke the block, and this all took place right in the middle of my pressroom.
The new address, with no basement, is 4 Mears Avenus, Silverton, Colorado 81433. All phone numbers, email remain the same. We are about a mile from the former location, next to the Animas River, and we have spectacular mountain views.
Fritz
Hey Fritz
What’s the new address & contact information?
Terry
Congratulations, Fritz!
Hopefully, the plumbing situation has improved. I’ll never forget helping scour the town for a plumber’s snake late one Friday night. :)