SP20 Pitted Press Bed

Hi!

I teach at a university that has a Vandercock SP20.

I am looking for advice on how (if anyway possible) to alleviate uneven inking due to small pits in a press bed.  We have a thin sheet of metal over the press bed to create the proper printing height, but we are still having inking issues.  I have recently become aware that the press had severe rust, which was most likely the cause of the pits.

My first thought is to replace the metal sheet but I am not sure if doing so will resolve the underlying problem.

Thanks in advance for the advice,

Kari

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
6 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
anthonycreative
5 years ago

Howdy Kari — I have an SP-20 and had to replaced the bed plate after I discovered the plate was warped and was experiencing inking issues. I did not realize that when I removed the plate that I should have placed the plate somewhere flat and not to have propped it up on-end (for several days) which caused the warping. I tried rotating and flipping the plate but still had to deal with how it effected the form and inking. After replacing it with a new plate, I have thankfully not had any issues.

I agree with Mr. Boyle, it would not seem that minor pitting on the bed surface would effect inking as the bed plate (if flat) would level out the pressure being exerted by the cylinder. Mr. Moxon and others may need to weigh-in, as the above are just my experience. FYI, I bought 18 GA Stainless Steel / .05 for the replacement plate on my galley-high bed. Where are you located?

Best regards,

Tony

bowerbox
Admin
5 years ago

Hi Kari,
Are you still having issues? If you want a second pair of eyes to take a look, let me know!
-val-

Lad Boyle
5 years ago

kari

I’ve had one more self-help ideas: flip the plate over to see if its now low in the middle and high on the sides. if it is, then the plate is likely the problem – if not, it’s something else

lad

Lad Boyle
5 years ago

press bed sheets are not very expensive – i would replace it –

As an alternative test, think about testing the press bed without the bed sheet to see if it is perfectly level. I think you can buy a lollipop that is galley high rather than type high – if you cant find one, improvise (maybe wrap the type high gauge with tape).

good luck and report back when you solve the problem

lad

Lad Boyle
5 years ago

I cant see how small pits in the press bed would cause uneven inking if the bed is covered with a metal plate. Surely the metal sheet is not deflecting because of the pits.

The metal sheet not fitting snugly to the press bed could be a problem (I assume the press bed is galley high so the metal sheet is to bring it up to type high.) Is it somehow bowed?

There at lots of reasons you get uneven inking – problems with the rollers not being perfectly round is an obvious one. The form not being consistently the same height is another.

Copyright © 2024 vandercookpress.infoTheme by SiteOrigin
Scroll to top
6
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x