I’m getting ready to have my No. 4 moved, and unfortunately the riggers are saying it will require some disassembly. The plan is to remove the carriage, then the bed, and then treat the cabinet as a separate piece (drawers removed of course). I’m familiar with most of the tips to remove the feedboard, handles, drawers, etc. but am looking for some tips on how best to go about preparing the press for the rigging company. They’ve asked that I perform 90% of the bolt work ahead of time and I’d like to do my part to facilitate a smooth move of the press. The company has lots of experience moving presses so not worried on that front, just want to do my part.
So my questions are:
- What is the best way to mark the gears on the carriage for re-timing once I get it back on the press?
- Is there anything I can do ahead of time regarding disconnecting the gripper mechanism?
- Is there anything I should watch out for when removing the top?
- Anything else I should be mindful of ahead of time that could ensure things move smoothly?
I’m sure there will be more, but appreciate any thoughts or advice on the less than ideal need to disassemble the No. 4 to move it.
You can remove the motor and speed reducer as a unit. If you shift the sped reducer back you can disconnect the chain from the sprocket without removing the master link.
If you leave the motor and speed reducer in place you can use bubble wrap.
Thanks so much for your guidance Paul, really appreciate it. As I’ve started to tackle the press disassembly, I’ve made good progress (feed board and carriage are off) but have a few follow up questions.
First – as I was removing the carriage, it went just a tad further than I had expected and began to spin freely. I have a rough mark on the gears but it’s a bit tricky to see. Even without this mark I should be able to realign the carriage as I understand from reading other posts, correct? Just made it a lot harder for myself I suppose. The taper pin for the foot pedal isn’t accessible given the clearance to the ground so I’m going to wait until the riggers can lift/adjust the height to tap that pin out.
A few follow up questions but in short, I’m wondering what can be removed with the bed as a unit vs. needs to be removed to facilitate the bed removal? It appears the motor, ink drum, and trip mechanism can all stay in place. Am I correct there?
Specifically –
1. When removing the bed, I was thinking about removing the motor as well, but wasn’t sure of the best approach to removing the drive chain. I can always check with the mover, but was just thinking one less thing to worry about bumping into something could be ideal. Totally happy to leave it on.
2. Should I drop the ink drum from below before the bed is removed – or is this easily lifted off with the bed (assuming the motor and drive chain are still in place as well)? I’ve seen images of the bed removed with the ink drum still in place and others without.
1) Use a Sharpie to mark the last tooth on the gear that engages with the last tooth on the gear rack.
If, after you reinstall the carriage, you find that the cylinder is not properly timed you can remove the front section of the cylinder gear racks and retime in the middle of the bed. This way, one person can do it without assistance.
2) To remove the pedal you need to tap out the taper pin on the casting on
3) As you know, wiring runs through the feed board on this model. Generally, you need to disconnect the wires from the motor, then remove the bolts that fasten the supports to the bed.
4) Lastly, identify any ramps, thresholds, or any narrow passages for your mover.