I had an inquiry for a manual for a Potter No. 3. Does anyone have one or know someone who might? I did direct this person to the Potter census and to ATF catalog pages posted on the old site.
MoreVandercook #4 Foot Pedal Problems
Hello. I’m afraid that I’m having issues with my Vandercook No. 4 (Model 14186). I’ve looked and looked, but something isn’t connecting properly anymore to make the paper grippers raise when the foot pedal is pressed. When the pedal is pressed the bumper block is bumping out about 1/8″ when not in connection with the […]
MoreGrafix Proof Press
Revised. Thomas Gravemaker sent these photos of a German-made Grafix proof press used during a recent four day event at Officina Tipografica Novepunti in Besano, Italy. The fourth photo below shows a cylinder trip assembly similar to a Vandercook Universal (1958-76) or a No. 4 (1935-1960). Some Grafix models have an adjustable press bed. The manufacturer Haas & […]
MoreNo 4 Motor Vibrations
Help! – our No 4 sounds like a freight train and can be heard two floors up. Thinking the sound was possibly coming from the ink drum or chain, I removed the belt that connects the motor to the gear box, but no luck. The motor itself is quite (I disconnected it from the press […]
MoreSP-15 Ink Drum Scratches/Resurfacing
I read with interest Ray Nichols’ prior post regarding the resurfacing of his SP-15’s ink drum. The drum on my own SP-15 is also scratched, presumably from the previous owner’s use of the automatic washup system (the blade was missing when I bought the press, and I haven’t replaced it). The scratches on the drum […]
MoreHelp me be sure about what I’m doing
Hello everyone, I’d like your input please. I need to know… Is NevrDull abrasive? I know their website says it’s not abrasive, but, does it remove steel from surfaces? I read somewhere, some time ago that whenever your cleaning fabric turns gray it means that there’s metal being removed. Also.. Is a Nylon scouring pad […]
MoreErgonomic concerns?
I doubt this has ever been discussed here before. A few years ago I went to a lecture by Claire Van Vliet (our Great Mother) and she mentioned the physical problems she inherited from printing on a Vandercook for some five decades. These were spinal in nature, as I recall. Never thought much about it […]
MoreUnknown press markings
Hello all – You’d think that after 4 years of owning this press and scrubbing, cleaning, and rebuilding most parts of our SP20, I’d have seen everything. A few weeks ago I noticed a pair of markings on the non-operator side of our press. Directly across the end of the press from the serial number […]
MoreEquipo más completo
Enrique Woolfolk sent this ad from the August-September 1958 issue of Las Artes Gráficas en México (Vol. XI, No. 67), which he says was the Mexican version of The Inland Printer. This Spanish language trade journal has 23 entries in WorldCat. The most interesting bit of information in this ad may be the name of the selling agent: […]
Moretemplate to hand-cut tympan packing / top sheet?
i live in mexico city, and i can’t find tympan packing or drawsheets for my newly purchased vandercook universal 1. does anyone have any suggestions on how to make my own? a template that i could use to hand-cut would be amazing, and also any suggestions on what type of material i should use (gotta […]
MoreBearings on a No. 03
Hi everyone. While restoring my no. 03 I noticed my bearings were a bit dry and you could feel the metal touching inside, which is, as I’ve been told a sign of the bearing being worn, or spent. So I decided to replace them, but to my surprise these are not standard bearings you get […]
MoreTightening bearing block on SP-15
I have found that the adjustment posts for the form rollers on our SP15 go out of adjustment rather easily of late. The locking screw is tight, but not tight enough to stop the post from turning. Do I simply remove the bearing block, remove the locking screw, and ‘gently’ tap the side of the […]
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