Dear Printers,
I was lucky to find an SP15 many years ago, albeit in nightmarish condition. I’m finally able to start restoring it again, and would like to give poor Paul a break from identifying the parts that I didn’t document properly in the dim past, and instead pester other pros with queries.
Print/trip functionality is disconnected, so I can’t say whether I should be concerned about the following:
• I’ve cleaned and lubed both x-20805 plungers and their through-holes. The operator side plunger remains very stiff, as do both trip arms X-20804. The ARS-5 spring seems functional. Nothing grinds,exactly, but it seems that movement should be smoother. Is stiffness normal or should I keep on lubing? It doesn’t appear that parts are damaged.
• The blocks on the X-20510 trip arm are pinned, so are not adjustable of course, but aren’t spaced equally where they contact their respective X-20510 trip arms. Is this critical? If so, how to adjust?
• The collar inside the compartment that keeps the X-14514 handle stud against the side plate has a pin attached. What does the pin do and how should it be oriented?
On another note, Paul kindly identified mystery parts as a BR-44 plunger and BRS-1 spring under BS-429 starting tooth, along with some misc. little pieces, including an external tooth lock washer, tiny split lock washer, and tiny thin ring (shim?). Can’t seem to attach photo here. I can see a blind hole drilled under the starting tooth, and a through-hole next to it in the rail, but don’t know how it all goes together or how the plunger and spring are kept in place. An image would be very helpful, but a description is great too.
Any and all advice and support will be so appreciated. I live in a remote part of Maine. Dave and Beth Seat may be planning to see a client in an even more remote area of Maine this winter. (Bring the snowshoes!) Hopefully, they will be able to swing by. But until then, I will be slogging through this, inch by bloody inch.
Thanks to All, Judy
Thanks, Paul. Did all that, using Phil Wood waterproof grease. I’ll add more and really work it in.
There will be tension on the X-20804 trip arms because of the ARS-5 Spring. However, you should be able to make the movement smoother:
unhook the spring, remove the pivot screws on the lift arms, then clean and lubricate the underside of the arms and the top of the bracket.
While you’re at it, see if the plungers are bent in relation to the arm.
After you do this, may not have an issue with the blocks on the X-20510 trip arms are in the position Vandercook deemed to be, so are not adjustable of course, but aren’t spaced equally where they contact their respective X-20510 trip arms. Is this critical? If so, how to adjust?
Pins keep two or more parts fixed to one another, so if there is rotation all will move as a unit.