This may prove painfully obvious, but here are the details of my issue, which I’m hoping someone out there may be able to help me with. Running a sheet through the press over a 2-page spread of metal type, head to foot, without ink I’m getting a good, clean, even impression. I then set my […]
MoreRare No. 119 Proving Machine
Recently, I toured Thornwillow Press in Newburgh, New York where amongst the numerous letterpress equipment on premises is a 1927 Vandercook No. 119 Proving Machine. (The image at left is its entry in one of the early sales record books.) Currently, this press is the only known example of the model in the census.* In […]
MoreVandercook #4 gripper adjustment
We are going through the process of getting our Vandrcook #4 back into use. One issue we have almost solved is the grippers did not move either at the feed table end or the tail end of the bed. In addition, the foot pedal would not move the grippers at the feed table end. We […]
MoreVandercook Model No.14
Hi there, I have just picked up an old No. 14 Vandercook Proofing Press, model no. 7459 from Wellington NZ. The cylinder spent the weekend soaking in a bucket of diesel to un-sieze the mechanism and is now moving beautifully. Judging by the off-set on the cylinder packing, it was possibly printing in South Africa, […]
MoreSoldan video
A Vanderblog reader just alerted me to a brief youtube video of a 30 x 24″ Soldan proof press in the UK that appears to be for sale.
MoreVandercook ‘The British’ for sale
Hi all, i posted a while ago asking about my 4C MK2 (serial 6453/4) Vandercook press. Just like to say thanks heaps to all who commented and gave me info on the machine, I really did appreciate it. However, it all seemed too hard so I have listed it on ebay (australia) this week. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/printing-press-vandercook-typeset-/180676010370?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Printing_Equipment&hash=item2a11212182 […]
MoreVandercook No. 4 Oldstyle Ink drum issue
I’m trying to remove the ink drum on our No.4 Oldstyle in order to replace the worn bearings with some new plastic ones. I cannot seem to figure out a way to get the ink drum free in order to get access to the bearings. I have completely taken out the screws on either side […]
MoreRollers Universal I
The rollers on my recently acquired press are in a bad state and I will have to get them re-covered. Any indication as to what kind of hardness of rubber I will have to ask for? Soft, hard, medium? Any advice is welcome.
MoreCylinder Carriage Bearings Questions
I have been studying the directions in various posts and articles regarding adjusting the cylinder carriage bearings and was hoping for clarification on a couple points. First, on a Universal III, which bearing set are the impression bearings (x-12216) and which are the trip bearings (x-2688)? It seems that the lower set which ride on […]
Moremoving my Universal I
Horace W. Hacker
Horace Wardner Hacker (1879–1968) was the founder of the Hacker Manufacturing Co. in Chicago, which made plate gauges, and test presses that featured reciprocating beds with stationary carriages. Hacker held 14 U.S. Patents for various gauges and press mechanisms (and four later patents unrelated to printing). Like R.O. Vandercook, he was a proponent of pressroom […]
Moreserial number
The Vandercook Universal that I bought last week bears the number 21258. Could you tell how I can find out what year it was built? And would you like to add it to the census?
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