I found this advertisement of a repro-company in the 1952 Christmas issue of the Dutch Federation of Printers. They proudly announce the purchase of a second Vandercook proof press. The quote at the top of the advert is from an article that appeared earlier in a publication of the Amsterdam Typefoundry. In the article, the progress […]
MoreSP-20 Motor (Shaft Key) and Ink Drum Removal
Hello – I removed the ink drum chain this morning and noticed that there is quite a bit of movement in the gear that comes out of the motor. Is this normal? Or do I need to push the pin (that is sticking out) further in? Here is a video. I am sorry about the […]
MoreImpression variation
To go along with my previous post about plate movement, I noticed the leading and trailing edges of my prints have a noticeably deeper impression than the middle. I ran off a blind print of a small leaf plate so you can see it here. My packing is 4 sheets of tympan and 1 sheet […]
MorePlate movement
For those of you that use Patmag bases, what do you do to keep your steel-backed plates from moving? I have a pretty large solid – about 15″ x 4″ – that I’m running and I discovered, upon running the second color, that the plate had continually moved throughout the run. Makes registration a damn […]
MoreSP-20 Wash-up Blade
Hello – Has anyone found a replacement source for wash-up blades? Any leads or even blade specs would be greatly appreciated!
MoreO.C. Geffken
Otto C. Geffken (1901–71) was an engineer at Vandercook & Sons and is named in at least one patent. The card, set in Kaufmann Bold and Stymie, is ca. 1938. Geffken appears in catalogs and model brochures of the era such as this one at right. (R.L. Pelland, another engineer, is believed to be second from the left).
MoreSP-15 Motor Belt
The oscillating roller on one of our SP-15 presses began hesitating this week, out of the blue, just like the video posted in January. For that poster, it seemed the solution was a new belt. However, both the motor and belt on our press are relatively new, so I figured that might not be the […]
Moremagnetic rubber sheet
I have come across this amazing magnetic rubber sheet eg on ebay(probably for making fridge magnets), from various thicknesses , for example starting at 0.4 mm, I’m going to use it on my treadle platen press instead of a manilla tympan especially as in my damp garage this cockles, it is easy to clean, I […]
More15-21 Grippers rise unevenly
I got a call from our local art center that the grippers on the V15-21 rise unevenly with the ones closest to the handle lower than the others. They assembly has been taken apart and cleaned. Anyone have any idea what might be the problem or where I should start looking? Cross listing on the […]
MoreSP-20 Taper Pin Specs for Handle
Hello – Alas, the taper pin for the handle of my newly acquired SP-20 disappeared during transit. Can anyone provide any specs? It looks like I could order one from Grainger or maybe NA Graphics has originals? Thanks!
MoreChallenge 15MP carriage bearing adjustment
Hello all, I made the first adjustments to the lower two eccentrics on either side of the carriage today, gaining a much more even impression across the width of the bed. Special thanks to Gerald Lange, Fritz Klinke, and others for their very helpful posts/articles here on the Blog re: this topic. The remaining issue, […]
MoreSP-15 retaining screw
Greetings! I’m looking for advice regarding a retaining screw that has partially worked its way out of the bearing block on the operator side of the front form roller on our SP-15. Any suggestions for best practices in terms of returning the screw to its proper location? It doesn’t seem to want to budge… in […]
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