Hello all, I recently purchased an SP 15 and am finally getting around to cleaning/restoring it to printing condition. In the process I came across what appears to be a broken trip spring. Since the gears and trip mechanisms were an inky, greasy disaster I decided to pull the side plates and give it a […]
MoreWANTED: #4 motor speed reducer
I am looking for a motor speed reducer for a #4. This press belongs to Gray Zeitz, who is the nicest person you’ll ever meet, has a beard like ZZ top, and has been hand setting & printing books at Larkspur Press for 35 years. He’s charged me with getting this press running, and this […]
More325 Cylinder rack trip/print positions
Vanderblog stalwart Eric Holub sent these photos of the cylinder trip rack on his 325G to help Kyle van Horn solve his alignment problem. The first pair shows the rack in trip (whole assembly, then close-up) and the second pair shows it in print (whole assembly, then close-up).
More325 Mis-alignment question
Happy New Year all — I have a question for the masses – I’ll try to keep this concise. The shop I work in has a 325 that has forever seemed to have issues. We solved it various ways – extra packing being one, realizing it needed a bed plate was another (that helped!). We […]
MoreVandercook Book
I just had the opportunity to sit down with a copy of the Vandercook Book assembled by Roni Gross and Barbara Henry of the Center For Book Arts. It was clearly a massive undertaking and it was worth the effort. Huge congratulations to the Center, to Roni and Barbara, and to those who contributed work. […]
MoreHappy Vanderyear!
I want to wish everyone a productive year of printing for pleasure and/or profit. Here’s a photo of R.O. Vandercook at a trade show circa 1930 with his ever-present pipe and those spooky deep set eyes. (Courtesy of NA Graphics)
MoreProblem with 215/4 Motor
The motor on my 215 just started stalling in the middle of today’s run. I had switched off the motor during a pause in printing, and when I switched it back on again, it hummed but did not move. I was able to get it moving again by physically moving the belt from the motor […]
MoreVandercook 32-28
SOLD Thanks for the listing Paul. The mover picked up the 32-28 today and delivered a Universal lll which will be a bit more manageable. Casey McGarr Inky Lips Press McKinney, TX
MoreNew User Interface
I just updated the blog software (WordPress 2.7), which promises faster page loads. After loggin in, registered members will see a new dashboard. Please contact me if you experience any difficulties.
MoreChallenge 21MP Vibrator Assembly Issues
Hi Folks – I know that I use one of the “knock offs”, a Challenge 21MP (similar to the Vandy SP15), but I’m up poop creek without a plunger. I am calling on the collective wisdom of this group…. I’ve been restoring this press (some rust – lots of gunk) and have run into a […]
MoreHappy Thanksgiving
Be thankful your press doesn’t look like this one. This is a 1955 No. 15 (SN 17885) seen earlier this month in Minneapolis. I don’t know the story behind it and didn’t have the time (or courage) to knock on the door. The only other 15 of this vintage I know of was salvaged by […]
MoreInking roller squeal
Yesterday morning we had a rather strange experience with our Vandercook SP-15. It was about noon and the studio was just starting to warm up. Temperature was maybe 50 degrees when we started the heater. After a bit we inked the press to print some notecards and what I think was the vibrator roller (pretty […]
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