As part of getting a Vandercook 320 proof press into working condition, I had to make a carriage stop/bumper block. One of the original ones was missing from the press. Another of the stops was held on with only one…
Category: Equipment Acquisition, Repair, and Maintenance
First try at strip casting
I have my Monotype composition caster converted to produce strip material—leading and rule—and this is my first try at running this setup. You can see the inauspicious results in my accompanying YouTube video. I am using a pump body which…
Trying out the New Nozzle and Strip Mould
I installed the nozzle I just made into the special strip-casting pump. This pump is a Lanston (American Monotype) pump and my caster is an English-made one, and one of the incompatibilities between these is the pump body size. Although…
Home-made Monotype Nozzle
I’ve been working to get my Monotype composition caster converted to casting strip material. I have a few moulds for this, the special pump required (with a different nozzle location), the pump linkage required to run this Lanston (American) pump…
A Home-made Monotype Display Mould Coupling Hook
The Monotype caster type carrier not only catches the type as it ejects from the mould and carries it to the type channel for final delivery, but it also moves the mould crossblock between its casting position and its jet-eject…
US Display Mat Holder Insert Handle replacement
The Monotype composition caster uses various holders to position the matrix (which has the shape of the letter to cast cut into it) properly over the cavity of the mould. These are installed in the caster instead of a diecase…
Mobility Cradle for a Vandercook 320 Press
Some time ago, we acquired a Vandercook 320 proof press in need of some repair. So far, about all I’ve done is clean off years of dried ink under the location of the inkplate and chase out the mouse nest…
Challenge Proof Press dead-bar stops
As with most proof presses, for quick printing jobs where absolute alignment is not essential the type on the bed of our Challenge MA-15 press is usually locked up lengthwise using the quick lockup bar supplied with the press. This…
Yes! Another Press!
We recently acquired a Vandercook 320 in somewhat rough shape. I plan on fixing it up and we will probably sell it because it is bigger than what we need (we think). Alternatively we might sell our Challenge MA-15 instead.
A Chase for our Sigwalt Press
We received our Sigwalt Chicago No. 11 press with no chase so it has been sitting collecting dust for a while. I recently cobbled together a chase from a scrap of the ¾″-thick high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sheet we use to…
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