Yup, lucky me! I found one in a tin barn in the northern Catskills. It needs some love, but after half a day with penetrating oil, Simple Green, scotch pads, wire brushes and q-tips, etc., the drum turns over and the motor whirs; the press is level and the bed is clean.
The belt for the motor is quite worn, and I wonder about best sources for a replacement? A bumper spring is broken, and I’m wondering about replacing that, too. Screws holding the feed table to the press, and chain cover to the motor could be replaced. Sources and sizes for these? Finally (for now), the spring that supplies tension to the gripper mechanism on the non-operator side of the press when you step on the gripper pedal is missing. I believe this is MRS-106? (I left my notes and diagrams with the press today). Is this comparable to a part off the shelf at the local hardware store, or is it an NAGraphics purchase?
Oh, and it was spray-painted (badly) a metallic silver. No oil-ports or moving parts covered, but it’s (sadly) ugly. How do people feel about paint colors? I know this is a big issue…! Is an enamel/Rust-Oleum workable? Something solvent-proof and hard. Ideas? And ideas for how best to prep and prime the press?
Looking forward to checking in and hearing ideas–and thanks!
Andrew
It’ll always be the 3,000th in my heart….
Thanks, but oops. I mis-typed, yours would only be 2100. But you helped it come of age.
Got it!
10341.
Clutch pins and plate look good, like the bearing bars. I’ll check on the serial and send it along next time I’m back at the press (prob. this weekend). And hey–if I’m fast enough, is this the 3,000th rescue?? (Maybe I’ll run down to the shop right now just to make the mark!)
Very lucky. Congratulations! You should be able to find a belt at Grainger. However, you’ll need to go through NA for the springs, you won’t find any comparable elsewhere.
Rust-Oleum will do. More importnatly, check the condition of the inking assembly: the form roller clutch pins (MR-110), clutch plate (MB-104), and the form roller bearing bars (MB-7).
Also, please send me the serial number. The census is at 2,999. https://vandercookpress.info/vanderblog/census/