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?
MoreSP-15 Ink Drum Lubrication?
My sp-15 started squealing today; I deduced the noise was coming from either the motor or the ink drum assembly – inspected the motor oil reservoir and topped it up without overfilling. Moved onto the ink drum assembly x 20613 and on removal found the ink drum shaft to be very resistant to rotation. I’ve […]
MoreScrew threads: British vs. American
This will likely be of interest to owners of British-built Vandercooks: Chip Coakley (the Jericho Press) emailed me with the serial number on his No. 4 made by Pre-Press Ltd. and to let me know that its original brass bearing blocks had British Standard Whitworth interior threads. When he bought replacement blocks from NA Graphics, […]
MoreFor Sale Vandercook SP15
I am selling my Vandercook SP15 proof press. I have had it for about 5 years and purchased it from a man whose family had run a long time print shop in the Atlanta metro area. The serial # is 23805, inspected by H. L. Keller. This is a wonderful press but for the type […]
MorePossible Carriage Problems (Uni I)?
Okay, so it a simple 2 color business cards. A newbie could do this is an hour. But Nooooo. Using polymer plates, we ran the black, then matched up the red plate PERFECTLY on the Boxcar Press base. And guess what? Nothing lines up. So we adjust the plate on the base and run another […]
MoreR.L. Pelland
Raymond Louis Pelland (1893-1977) was a draftsman and design engineer at Vandercook from at least 1935 to 1947. His name appears on many assembly drawings and on four U.S. Patents including the large 4-color 604. (His first was a tie stitching machine for a previous employer). During World War I, Pelland was a private in […]
MoreVandercook #2 HELP
I have a Vandercook #2. It’s a very simple press. No inking and no grippers. The only parts that move as the cylinder goes down the bed are the roller bearings. I can move them with my hands but they are sticky. The press had been in a barn for a long time when I […]
MoreUniversal 1 Motor Questions
Hello all — In the middle of a big job this weekend, my Universal 1 Power started making a persistent new noise –something between a chatter and a squeak. The noise occurs as the carriage is moving, a little more on the return. The noise occurs whether the motor is driving the carriage or whether […]
MoreHelp ID parts from Vandercook No.2
Can anyone help identify these unattached parts that came along with my Vandercook 2 acquisition? #1 appears to be a scraper of some kind. The “blade” looks replaceable & is not sharp. #2 is a thin gauge painted metal plate with a bit of a lip or maybe paper guide along one edge, and a […]
MoreVandy 3 – Inking Roller Question
Our inking roller on our Vandy 3 is a bit worn, so we’re wondering if we should get it replaced before we print an initial run. We tried it out before purchasing the press, just to test it out, and it seemed to distribute the ink pretty well since it is still quite soft. That […]
Morecomparisons for valuing 325g
I’m purchasing and donating a 325g to a artists studio non-profit and need to have some comps on the value for my 2011 taxes. Apparently the IRS likes to see comps and won’t just accept the receipt for what I paid as a full picture of monetary value. The press has new rollers and is […]
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