I recently manufactured some press parts: a gripper bar lever for a No. 3 inspired by several posts on this blog, a new feedboard for the No. 3, that gets bolted onto two wooden side posts, and a dead bar for a Uni I. The No. 3 is actually for sale now as well.
The feedboard I had laser cut and then bent on a basic cornice brake, and attached it to the wooden side posts with some pan head screws that screw into threaded inserts. I couldn’t bend everything on the brake, so for the last bend I perforated the bend line instead and bent it by hand. Thanks to Paul for trading us that side guide for an extra part of ours.
The gripper bar lever I also had laser cut, it replaces a bar that connects the gripper bar “plunger” pivot screw and cam follower (the cam follower isn’t installed in the picture). Instead of moving the carriage to open the grippers, you just pull on the handle. For this one I made the handle a little wider but it works just as well with a rubber grip on the top as well.
I don’t have a picture for the Uni I dead bar, but it was two 1/4″ pieces that stack to make a 1/2″ piece, I would have used a different thickness but I was getting 1/4″ steel cut for the gripper bar levers. I carefully modeled it after another dead bar, but it still needed a little filing to fit in the grooves of the press.
I had been thinking about making all three things for a while, so it was fun to finally realize them. I’d be happy to share thoughts if anyone is interested in making similar things.
Looks great, Daniel.