tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30382275883112589462024-03-05T09:17:36.222-05:00Front Room PressA private press founded in 2007 and featuring letterpress printed cards; broadsides; chapbooks; and philatelic and misc. ephemera using hand set type and traditional methods.
Also producing copper plate intaglio, linoleum block, and hot foil printing. Special services include pinhole and standard perforating; creasing and scoring; numbering; and wire binding.Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-45013945756100888112010-12-15T20:51:00.004-05:002010-12-15T21:04:11.159-05:00It's About Time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGnxHBU0HamowjiXUH1iyIVIHXoq0fUSGZAjz_FLqHiteo0alOhdmIVE0VpbL7rCJIDX0ifCGEC7PWhQmmgdgoCA2ameGA5bOLukqMgkyCMooEEs5dDyQotPdO7Md72rZlPWhq3EPhFF9/s1600/cl_15_w.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGnxHBU0HamowjiXUH1iyIVIHXoq0fUSGZAjz_FLqHiteo0alOhdmIVE0VpbL7rCJIDX0ifCGEC7PWhQmmgdgoCA2ameGA5bOLukqMgkyCMooEEs5dDyQotPdO7Md72rZlPWhq3EPhFF9/s400/cl_15_w.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551092579612032722" border="0" /></a>My hiatus from printing and printmaking seems to be at end and I’ve recently entered an intaglio exchange in order to insure that I have a specific goal in mind to bring me fully back into the swing of things. I work full-time and, being single, must take care of the many household and other tasks myself. I found the need to focus my limited spare time on my health, specifically with regard to physical exercise. Not being interested in sports, I turned to bicycle riding knowing that this would eventually tie in with printmaking as I could ride where I could not walk or drive to get subjects for the copper plate. I now have a restored bicycle and have started regular riding. At this time of the year my riding has been greatly curtailed but the way has been paved and the journey begun so now it’s back to the stone and the press.<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FIo1YZ7J3ydCfVcr2mMQGuL_smoaXMitgb2wxmkbLqW8CVzK0H6Kg1i0S4IksKsWbes2MKF5BDazop1gXJbQzPntBOs7VQ5gneWkyO49HFn6i_ScD4Z2jdYNWaIZ4H2-gSEHLOjnlwTr/s1600/Clock+Face+Plate.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 359px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FIo1YZ7J3ydCfVcr2mMQGuL_smoaXMitgb2wxmkbLqW8CVzK0H6Kg1i0S4IksKsWbes2MKF5BDazop1gXJbQzPntBOs7VQ5gneWkyO49HFn6i_ScD4Z2jdYNWaIZ4H2-gSEHLOjnlwTr/s400/Clock+Face+Plate.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551092243995575394" border="0" /></a></p><br />I have two small projects in process that will keep me focused for the foreseeable future. One of these is the result of a recent purchase, a very nice copper cut of a clock face. I need to mount it but if everything works out I may end up selling these in different colors and on different kinds of paper. The face is just the right size for popular-sized movements for all the clockmakers and horologically inclined out there. Hurry, time is short!<br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-57049909533903799602010-04-14T22:06:00.005-04:002010-04-14T23:05:13.366-04:00Two Blogs Are Better Than One<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiClQsBDUCUeU31Ewcg7PuumTl-R7fgyi-qyK7IIAEOGC-Q2YTluSWP33QR5I7HxdInbrLuXrJd1Bg321e6pbGstZGuH45RhDAd_beYDRFXmw_uJQsoq1BdXXDTsqew6-F9IUQhyfnIKFZ/s1600/Two-Headed-Llama--32443+cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 387px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiClQsBDUCUeU31Ewcg7PuumTl-R7fgyi-qyK7IIAEOGC-Q2YTluSWP33QR5I7HxdInbrLuXrJd1Bg321e6pbGstZGuH45RhDAd_beYDRFXmw_uJQsoq1BdXXDTsqew6-F9IUQhyfnIKFZ/s400/Two-Headed-Llama--32443+cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460194860390153698" border="0" /></a><br />My experimentation and consequent interest in etching and printmaking has continued to grow and is currently occupying much of my spare time. I'm still moving forward with my letterpress work but until I attain greater knowledge and skill as an etcher there will be a natural imbalance in the direction of my posts even though I do have several letterpress projects in the works.<br /><br />The two mediums that occupy my interests have their own distinctive elements and for the most part their own adherents. I do appreciate my Followers here as well as others who find some things of interest in my posts. Because I want to share with others my experiences, trials and tribulations with both mediums I've decided to start a second blog for my etching and printmaking. This blog will continue to focus on the letterpress aspect of my work and the other on etching and printmaking. Hopefully my posts there will also prove to be of interest and value.<br /><br />My new blog is called The Bitten Line and can be found here:<br /><br />http://thebittenline.blogspot.com<br /><br />Please feel free to visit both!Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-36013747643897275762010-03-30T21:04:00.008-04:002010-03-30T21:37:08.436-04:00The Haunting_________________________<br /><p class="MsoNormal">Blood of bat and bone of cat,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Tongue of frog and tooth of rat,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hog’s hair, claw of bear,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Three times three, now follow me…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ghosts sometimes appear when least expected and at the most inopportune times. This can present problems for those of us who steadfastly deny their existence. But there are times, especially when practicing the ancient craft of printing, that we must at least partially confess the truth that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkgeI5nqyivZCNRNqluGqx0F5uotHuGHzZSfOfWQHzy-swSjdWSMYwJQ6amIb0lFPX-_GrJi7khHKsWVqblhB7vO7H61IfvQpZjH8y15oJ9-lN83PhWbXgDSTohVIZtGz3aeXjCHR8igu/s1600/Too+Much+Rope+plate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 329px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkgeI5nqyivZCNRNqluGqx0F5uotHuGHzZSfOfWQHzy-swSjdWSMYwJQ6amIb0lFPX-_GrJi7khHKsWVqblhB7vO7H61IfvQpZjH8y15oJ9-lN83PhWbXgDSTohVIZtGz3aeXjCHR8igu/s400/Too+Much+Rope+plate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454605341771620306" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I made my second etched plate last weekend, soft ground on a 3” x 4” copper plate. This was done the same as with the pine branch, laying some twine on the grounded plate and running it through the press. As it turned out, I made a mistake when doing this that I’ll detail below. I let it bite for about 25 minutes, a time that was based mostly on my experience with the pine branch and also on the line etching I did as my first experiment. I think I judged it better this time, though I’m happy with the pine branch as well.<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHXExukzS9FuqVVeaZSILoABawaHFQXgmj3rtB7jB3Wo26Nw4vkeEEY98-K-yXXNhpBeVxvuWoUqUPV9eBvT_92j415-wWkWCrAc2RpdFa1rEl76nCErvlGEL21tglEdo_DhTTtoCYrQu/s1600/Too+Much+Rope+1-+2+marked.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHXExukzS9FuqVVeaZSILoABawaHFQXgmj3rtB7jB3Wo26Nw4vkeEEY98-K-yXXNhpBeVxvuWoUqUPV9eBvT_92j415-wWkWCrAc2RpdFa1rEl76nCErvlGEL21tglEdo_DhTTtoCYrQu/s400/Too+Much+Rope+1-+2+marked.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454603941479756578" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">To pull the proof I again used Graphic Chemical's Bone Black ink. And except for the final, and I think the best proof, their 150 lb. cotton rag house paper. For that proof I used my trusty unknown 20 lb. laid paper. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The first two proofs are shown above. Note that the one on the left was final wiped with newspaper and the one on the right was hand-wiped. After the first proof I noticed the ghost image circled above and thought it was something I had done during the wipe. But it appeared again on the second proof so I moved the plate slightly on the bed and got the result on the third proof seen above on the right: the same ghost in a different place. Those pesky spirits! I thought about this for a while and before organizing a séance I examined my felts carefully and found a matching depression in the catcher and cushion and then also in the woven pusher on the cylinder. This ghost hadn’t appeared in any other proofs I had pulled previously and it pretty much matches the size of the coil in the noose. And I did in fact run the plate through the press at right angles to the direction I pulled the proofs, which explains the orientation. So my conclusion is that I should have used more padding and less pressure when running the grounded plate through the press. Another lesson learned.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMjbxKd2snw_3iHR7opqa0QTRYJEs0AMMw7Cg7wfZFwh6eTn_P4hvKGZie3_RhUe7cXHbQBv6njaOn1RVoOBihyphenhyphenz8GMNghR4L8Ja0XocsgB1M39PjnJJUrKd4IwSk_fX6pda2pKmFbJOp/s1600/Too+Much+Rope+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 331px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMjbxKd2snw_3iHR7opqa0QTRYJEs0AMMw7Cg7wfZFwh6eTn_P4hvKGZie3_RhUe7cXHbQBv6njaOn1RVoOBihyphenhyphenz8GMNghR4L8Ja0XocsgB1M39PjnJJUrKd4IwSk_fX6pda2pKmFbJOp/s400/Too+Much+Rope+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454601162743585938" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Here is the last proof I pulled which also received a final hand wipe. I’m rather pleased with it and call it Too Much Rope.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">P.S. My thanks to Barbee Oliver Carleton for the poem from her children’s story The Wonderful Cat of Cobbie Bean that I first read as a boy in the book, The Arrow Book Of Ghost Stories, that I bought for 15 cents through the Scholastic Book Services at school in the 1960’s. Do they even still have books in school?</p>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-11560971875884299392010-03-11T19:48:00.009-05:002010-03-11T23:29:03.054-05:00Well GroundedIntaglio fun continues. Last weekend I experimented with soft ground. This is like hard ground except it has a greasy substance added such as tallow, Vaseline, or even grease. While it does dry, it stays soft and a bit sticky. Hard ground is usually removed with an etching needle and creates well defined and clean lines. If on the other hand you press something into the soft ground (paper, leaf, fabric, etc.) by running it through the press the soft ground will stick to it. When the article is removed it will have pressed through the soft ground to the plate in varying degrees depending on the texture of the article and that texture will expose parts of the plate in its likeness.<br /><br />Soft ground was perhaps most common in the latter half of the 18th century and first half of the 19th. Traditionally it was used with paper and pencil. A piece of paper is laid over the soft-grounded plate and the drawing made directly onto the paper. The lines produced after etching are soft-edged, like charcoal or crayon. I was really intrigued by the idea of making a plate of an object such as a leaf or feather. I've seen work like this and it reminds me of fossils. It's somewhat haunting, somewhat surreal, impressionistic and moody. I like it.<br /><br />I went outside and picked a few end branches off the Evergreen tree next to the house. I then had to experiment for quite a while to get the combination of pressure, wax and blotting paper, and blankets to work. I also had to trim the needles off to get a basically two-dimensional flat object that would lay flat and not overwhelm the image by being too dense. This required certain artistic decisions as to how much was too much and where exactly to remove and where to leave alone. Even so, the first several trials on brass key tags produced squashed pine needles, torn waxed paper, pine-juice scented blotting paper, and no need for air freshener. But finally I got it and ran a prepared 16 gauge 2" x 4" copper plate through the press. This was another piece of the old letterpress half-tone I was given. I had to fleck off a few errant pieces of pine needles but it looked pretty good.<br /><br />I laid the plate in the mordant and a new guessing game ensued: how long to leave it in. This was even more difficult to judge than the line drawing I did on the hard grounded plate the week before. In that case at least all the lines were going to be etched to the same depth. Here they would vary because of the nature of the texture to be reproduced. In the end I left it there for about 20 minutes, checking twice during that time. For the most part I think I got it right. At least I was personally happy with it for my first time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SZYyy4cLik8I3K9p_SsrdbaldtwOGrKumj67skhFkWR7k7eKhhhoW_RItz78B7U_6PfiKH0z2prUBHxGS_biPaf-I_XgBSPcOD3CXxdE-zgDzfx0qc5_vlzNk-lHkRfuzUBKA7eIKXG8/s1600-h/Soft+Ground+Etching+1+Plate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SZYyy4cLik8I3K9p_SsrdbaldtwOGrKumj67skhFkWR7k7eKhhhoW_RItz78B7U_6PfiKH0z2prUBHxGS_biPaf-I_XgBSPcOD3CXxdE-zgDzfx0qc5_vlzNk-lHkRfuzUBKA7eIKXG8/s400/Soft+Ground+Etching+1+Plate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447558902593106018" border="0" /></a><br />It was then on to pulling a few proofs and as you can see from the photos I tried it with two kinds of paper. The first type of paper was my old standby unknown brand, approx. 20 lb. laid paper. Since it's the only etching ink I have I used Graphic Chemical Bone Black. I did the final wipe with my hand. I apologize for the poor scans which show strange horizontal lines and make it look like the plate mark is smashed, etc. Once I get a decent digital camera I'll take nice photos instead.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgYvpaA-RG0f5wPOWfRTD2IRoZ-ikELK5QiebN6AG7iWIzvml9TPh4uPgu71cXUJ67AkXkGpHFE_u7fnUTgiCMWoHvgMZ_JkViZzKoaf9r6jqvt22FM9RIPxGGw5i8chvN1CCgW97IGda/s1600-h/Soft+Ground+Etching+1+.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgYvpaA-RG0f5wPOWfRTD2IRoZ-ikELK5QiebN6AG7iWIzvml9TPh4uPgu71cXUJ67AkXkGpHFE_u7fnUTgiCMWoHvgMZ_JkViZzKoaf9r6jqvt22FM9RIPxGGw5i8chvN1CCgW97IGda/s400/Soft+Ground+Etching+1+.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447558316302201426" border="0" /></a><br />The second proof was done on Graphic Chemical's 150 lb. cotton rag house paper, a few sheets of which I purchased to try out. Again, I used the Bone Black ink. I did the final wipe with old newspaper to get a cleaner background. That rotten scan again! There are no horizontal lines on the actual proof.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqFARXbPWxRu0z7p-hw8vhDJJrT-1shCPcdk3ruCZdpgwffoY3PcrX5lNw1UwgmbHa7psTFc07UYetWpypE0fl3erJLBo6BcAlLsnnhqw-i2Vb7ypeKejGl6XEIHIqIwxXvRIkwMmzQJU/s1600-h/Soft+Ground+Etching+2+.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqFARXbPWxRu0z7p-hw8vhDJJrT-1shCPcdk3ruCZdpgwffoY3PcrX5lNw1UwgmbHa7psTFc07UYetWpypE0fl3erJLBo6BcAlLsnnhqw-i2Vb7ypeKejGl6XEIHIqIwxXvRIkwMmzQJU/s400/Soft+Ground+Etching+2+.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447557521940575138" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"> I'm not sure whether I like the hand wipe or the paper wipe better; each has its merits I suppose. I'm certain to do a lot of experimenting and of course I'm hoping my technique will improve which will have its own affect. I admit to being very pleased with the way the plate turned out, also somewhat astonished. At some point I will print an "edition" but for now I'm still learning and experimenting.<o:p></o:p></p>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-64819529072307491622010-02-28T22:04:00.010-05:002010-02-28T23:06:55.783-05:00Etch-A-Sketch ReduxHibernation continues as does my experimentation with intaglio printing. There are several intaglio processes, one of which is etching. I got some etching supplies last week and made my first etched plate today. The image is of an actual grave stone in a very secluded, wooded area in Rockland County, NY. I did grave stone rubbings a number of years ago when I was living in that area and found this grave in a graveyard in the middle of nowhere. <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The plate is 1/16" x 3" x 4" cut from an old letterpress half-tone plate. The former front of that plate is now the back, of course. I'll be buying proper plates in the future but a friend of mine generously gave me some of these that his father had kept for years as scrap metal. They were long since useless for their intended purpose but work great for practice here. They do have some issues and I cleaned and flattened what is now the face but without going to Herculean efforts. For the moment they're more than satisfactory.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I brushed shellac on the back since I wanted to save money and not buy asphaltum or use the hard ground that is used on the front of the plate for this purpose and because I had plenty of shellac. I then brushed hard ground on the face and let it dry overnight.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I drew the image on paper with a No. 2 pencil and I laid this upside down on the plate, wrapped it around the back and taped it. I then put it through the Kelton press and removed the paper. Even though the ground was quite dark the graphite adhered and the image showed up very clear and sharp. Using a medium-sized needle I made, I needled the image on the plate. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I laid the plate face down at an angle in a glass baking dish. I was using ferric chloride instead of acid so while I didn't need a feather to brush away the bubbles I had to allow for the dissolving copper to drop off the plate and not hinder the etching process by filling the etched lines. I had read different things about how much time to allow for the etching. After 15 minutes I pulled the plate out and checked it but couldn't really tell what was happening. I placed it back in the dish and found the old enlarger lens that I often use for a loop. I pulled it out again and then could see that it was working. I put it back in and after a total of about a half hour took it out and rinsed it off in water. I was surprised how nice, at least to my eyes, it looked.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pqjTk_GRgNDZdBZJ_5X8cStDl4ygrRnIAOSoWubSsfKSXJrsIy2v8CGrxNaymFoKxW6r3Ls0y6D328JG365t_SgywX3I-OFLTv1sx5pksyENK80p9RiCHShaDvGScc_GozCD5h4P3ICx/s1600-h/My+First+Etched+Plate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 331px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pqjTk_GRgNDZdBZJ_5X8cStDl4ygrRnIAOSoWubSsfKSXJrsIy2v8CGrxNaymFoKxW6r3Ls0y6D328JG365t_SgywX3I-OFLTv1sx5pksyENK80p9RiCHShaDvGScc_GozCD5h4P3ICx/s400/My+First+Etched+Plate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443501319917718178" border="0" /></a></p>I couldn't wait to print a couple proofs with it and the results are below.<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZTnEAl74du8ervaDaCgilFpgQfjsaJvDaFIphqKkv2JOPD33niXcLVj5Yli54CPAfJ7NfnCdpvzGuJXCGYnzleWCnKWoPR0iIof-umJJlKjUutuV5I8baDWvWNJP5mBFcsSJUC8wFTvB/s1600-h/My+First+Etching+Proof+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 335px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZTnEAl74du8ervaDaCgilFpgQfjsaJvDaFIphqKkv2JOPD33niXcLVj5Yli54CPAfJ7NfnCdpvzGuJXCGYnzleWCnKWoPR0iIof-umJJlKjUutuV5I8baDWvWNJP5mBFcsSJUC8wFTvB/s400/My+First+Etching+Proof+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443502122572052466" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The first proof was on the unknown, approx. 20 lb. cotton laid paper I've been using up until now since I have a bunch of it I got for free. Note the dark vertical lines where the ferric chloride bit slightly through the hard ground. Next time I will have to pay more careful attention. The brushing left light and dark streaks, thicker and thinner, even though the coverage was complete.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcJg9O4uxh9OKvbP9Odav_Rcb6zoggjF3_SyQ3sTARBcgu5EjvO0AXppKRss_R3RXB0_xmaj1yA7S3UKf0NoTlHthVVUhNhaJj1kwZGxNgjm_oiXtpbh-X9Fv6Tz4XvNIQD0JpPnaB57W/s1600-h/My+First+Etching+Proof+No+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 336px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcJg9O4uxh9OKvbP9Odav_Rcb6zoggjF3_SyQ3sTARBcgu5EjvO0AXppKRss_R3RXB0_xmaj1yA7S3UKf0NoTlHthVVUhNhaJj1kwZGxNgjm_oiXtpbh-X9Fv6Tz4XvNIQD0JpPnaB57W/s400/My+First+Etching+Proof+No+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443503149158497490" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For this next I wiped the plate cleaner and the vertical lines did not show up as much.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately I've found that scanning these prints instead of photographing them shows unsightly things that are not visible when looking at them directly. Not to mention that my scanner leaves strange horizontal lines in the image. But until I can get a decent camera this will have to do.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbD8X2wwTJTyTN-0dptKDC7KCQbRRlW1gn09YYBgo3SPUcN99r-Ikk8savHypL3QRoaJzHgFheGELOkwyxI-iAa9OdRl4uX-Rz6cO0FcRW2hS6PdZmtz2c_PwEgJmY31U0QaMgSpCexDQ/s1600-h/My+First+Etching+Proof+No+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 339px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbD8X2wwTJTyTN-0dptKDC7KCQbRRlW1gn09YYBgo3SPUcN99r-Ikk8savHypL3QRoaJzHgFheGELOkwyxI-iAa9OdRl4uX-Rz6cO0FcRW2hS6PdZmtz2c_PwEgJmY31U0QaMgSpCexDQ/s400/My+First+Etching+Proof+No+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443504242124433938" border="0" /></a></p>This last was with another more cleanly wiped plate but this time I used a heavier paper, 150 lb cotton rag. This is Graphic Chemical's "house paper" and aside from the fact that it is pretty inexpensive, seems to do a pretty nice job. Of course, I have little experience with which to really evaluate it against other papers. I didn't allow it to soak long enough and it did not press into the plate as well as it should have. Next time I'll remember...that and many other things I didn't take into account. Like the blobs of ink I missed on the edge of the plate on the last proof!<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I'm teaching myself how to do all this and so far I'm rather pleased with the result.</p>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-41213531082019800092010-02-19T23:17:00.007-05:002010-02-19T23:38:35.374-05:00Step Aside, Boys!<div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_PtSGKDfxJpAD7sbWaq0wd25lc8-4Ovl_UByO529IsC-SNXCwdYgyrc_IxVLcfmG08gR3_O2fjCjC_oNELka9lTGaulMni_j0KUKuMI1DLpzJb0DcHfvNAK-eATXJunAtn59JkQXDbYy/s1600-h/Girl+Using+C+and+P+Press+Vintage+cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_PtSGKDfxJpAD7sbWaq0wd25lc8-4Ovl_UByO529IsC-SNXCwdYgyrc_IxVLcfmG08gR3_O2fjCjC_oNELka9lTGaulMni_j0KUKuMI1DLpzJb0DcHfvNAK-eATXJunAtn59JkQXDbYy/s400/Girl+Using+C+and+P+Press+Vintage+cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440177838189525602" border="0" /></a><br />Part of a long tradition.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrW6rlRnrL96QME8h2tU9kkdmHKGzNx4GwOWlOd7QzzPyj_U7qnpMqfvv3ilO16WyWuwsZreHLnbP0fS8aB8gpJr9JMvb_nsZNiMr8Ltrtqh7GFmq5Sg3NWy4CWCigo48QOB_SOPVVz0c_/s1600-h/Vintage+Girls+School+Print+Shop+with+Imposing+table+cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrW6rlRnrL96QME8h2tU9kkdmHKGzNx4GwOWlOd7QzzPyj_U7qnpMqfvv3ilO16WyWuwsZreHLnbP0fS8aB8gpJr9JMvb_nsZNiMr8Ltrtqh7GFmq5Sg3NWy4CWCigo48QOB_SOPVVz0c_/s400/Vintage+Girls+School+Print+Shop+with+Imposing+table+cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440177452577616306" border="0" /></a>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-55658615635843200412010-01-09T20:25:00.009-05:002010-01-10T13:22:51.157-05:00Cleaned And PressedI finished the restoration of the etching press last weekend but couldn’t get my camera, the Sony dinosaur with 3 ½” floppy disks, to work until today. I’ve actually been doing some letterpress printing in between but more on that later. I’ve got a few Before And After photos below as well as some detail shots. The Before is on the left and the After on the right. The quality as usual is poor and in some cases doesn’t do the cleanup job justice. For example, the face of the large cylinder on the bottom was completely covered with paint, which it should not be for use. It is now completely clean. The same is true for the bed and the cylinder, in addition to which they were both covered with rust under the paint. They are now down to bare metal again. In fact, all of the bare metal and bronze bearings that you see were once covered with paint, dirt, and grease.<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDsMydjsVFBRHieimRJFOf7reugWlkSzzsCLYUGojdxVPvmWbBbGNvQ9cKlxMlycBASaOn1i5MSPr8sX9elYBJ1l4_XKwtrAugc6ndkfjmloYKSlNUR5De2vRFVzlWGl_CzI378q4NcLz/s1600-h/Kelton+Press+Restored+Comparison+Right+Side.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDsMydjsVFBRHieimRJFOf7reugWlkSzzsCLYUGojdxVPvmWbBbGNvQ9cKlxMlycBASaOn1i5MSPr8sX9elYBJ1l4_XKwtrAugc6ndkfjmloYKSlNUR5De2vRFVzlWGl_CzI378q4NcLz/s400/Kelton+Press+Restored+Comparison+Right+Side.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424917956253668354" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Speaking of grease, I found on this press what one often finds on old machinery: grease in the oil bearings. If any of you have old machinery that requires regular lubrication remember that the engineers who design machinery design bearings for a certain type of lubrication and that you can’t just decide on your own to change it without consequences. Bearings designed for oil have channels and reservoirs and oil holes and are sized to work with oil. Bearings designed for grease are specially designed to do so and have appropriate grease caps attached, etc. Some people put grease in bearings designed for oil thinking that the grease will last a long time and they won’t have to oil it. This is completely wrong, especially the idea that greased bearings require no attention. Except for the first day or so, the grease will not keep the bearing surfaces coated with lubricant and the bearings will wear. That was the case with this press. Remember that bearings designed for grease will have cups with screw caps or grease nipples like the universal joint bearings on your car. The cup type will have grease in them and periodically the caps must be screwed down a bit pushing more grease into the bearings. In the case of nipples, a grease gun is used to pump more grease into the bearing. Bearings design for oil will either have open holes or caps with hinged lids. More rarely, there are oil cups with glass reservoirs that can provide a constant drip of oil and there are a few other types of automatic oilers. But the average printer will not likely encounter these. The thing to remember is to identify whether or not the bearing should get grease or oil and then use the correct lubricant; don’t substitute one for the other. If someone else has done so clean out the bearing completely and then use the right lubricant.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6TydtKsHsNugJM69JTC6dLbRCPeRGH2TIw3sA2FAQrWdLeUaqB55wmRlK32ZE-BVT0K27bByHj1BTl6c9dgWLPziK7Ge1yHLss83fvCPZOQeJYVfi_yA4HjxCoXYIWYCKngDLZyU3AGJ/s1600-h/Kelton+Press+Restored+Comparison+Front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6TydtKsHsNugJM69JTC6dLbRCPeRGH2TIw3sA2FAQrWdLeUaqB55wmRlK32ZE-BVT0K27bByHj1BTl6c9dgWLPziK7Ge1yHLss83fvCPZOQeJYVfi_yA4HjxCoXYIWYCKngDLZyU3AGJ/s400/Kelton+Press+Restored+Comparison+Front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424918834977376770" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">NOTE: In the above After photo of the press, that brown thing hanging down that almost looks like an extension of the cylinder blanket is actually the window curtain that just happens to be lined up with and the same shade as the blanket.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijW3oEOB8YM8asBb6_OvvyNuawPoG4rH0IFArnce4GnAAad8vUUdzFtweeTEXwzCMj3qroNELXoYRdWBL-XUuTlYYSbeAVAkWmPFZLAr1U-iSU1CXsxguGxF1-gGoGlKEVbnWoP3Q3OTP4/s1600-h/Kelton+Restored+Bearing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijW3oEOB8YM8asBb6_OvvyNuawPoG4rH0IFArnce4GnAAad8vUUdzFtweeTEXwzCMj3qroNELXoYRdWBL-XUuTlYYSbeAVAkWmPFZLAr1U-iSU1CXsxguGxF1-gGoGlKEVbnWoP3Q3OTP4/s400/Kelton+Restored+Bearing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424921050625341810" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Two of the bed’s guide/support rollers were broken and have been replaced with new, machined copies. Most of these rollers were rusted or otherwise frozen but everything was disassembled and cleaned and now turns smoothly. Etching presses use felt blankets, usually three long ones of different thicknesses on top of one another. They perform several functions including soaking up sizing from the wet paper, pressing the paper into the incised lines of the plate, and helping the cylinder push the bed and plate through the two rollers. This particular kind of press has a D-shaped (half) cylinder and the top blanket is attached directly to it as the photo above shows. The other two felt blankets are held in place at the rear of the bed by the bars and thumbscrews shown in another photo below and pass under the cylinder. I removed those two for the photos. The blanket on the cylinder gets a lot of wear from pushing the other felts through the rollers and is therefore usually woven felt in contrast to the pressed felt from which the others are made. I was fortunate to have a piece of used woven felt that was once the cylinder blanket of an old galley proof press. It was filthy and is still stained as the photo shows. But I cleaned it by hand with Woolite and it is now clean and perfectly serviceable, if dark in color.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-XNUDT1s_aM6NiVNFuPJNIQUhYIRJ3T54KpwyGiCRrfpsUr7jCaVXvw-0dWnxFG80OGSJSYLey2UlZu2HeKh6sGW0BPLX0z6eS55Q2mnIWdEZhGSjfV7LxnoiV4QDRNBRrRqJIB_QV_i/s1600-h/Kelton+Restored+Return+Piston.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-XNUDT1s_aM6NiVNFuPJNIQUhYIRJ3T54KpwyGiCRrfpsUr7jCaVXvw-0dWnxFG80OGSJSYLey2UlZu2HeKh6sGW0BPLX0z6eS55Q2mnIWdEZhGSjfV7LxnoiV4QDRNBRrRqJIB_QV_i/s400/Kelton+Restored+Return+Piston.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424921960321376402" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The above photo shows the air piston that helps slow the bed down on its automatic return to the forward position. I described in a previous post how that aspect of the press works. I had to make a new leather cup washer as the old one was almost completely destroyed. It was surprisingly easy to do and is basically the same kind of mechanism found on old hand-operated water pumps. There is also a rubber bumper directly above where the piston goes into its tube. The rear of the tube has an adjustable cap with a hole so that the amount of air exhausting out and thus the speed of the bed’s return can be controlled. Pretty clever, eh?</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGA-qOSpThsBiYPQ2Hv4-ckZBQLVW7YgFX5P3S0hsvFxtRPip3xc8BHV_PJV-AR7lhzYwErX-cyXpKHsIMMaCLKR3oHKMpFaYwv_Br-vgUC8He0hlmemlp6WIJ-dycx0po9YJ55LV6TmG/s1600-h/Kelton+Restored+Counterweight.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGA-qOSpThsBiYPQ2Hv4-ckZBQLVW7YgFX5P3S0hsvFxtRPip3xc8BHV_PJV-AR7lhzYwErX-cyXpKHsIMMaCLKR3oHKMpFaYwv_Br-vgUC8He0hlmemlp6WIJ-dycx0po9YJ55LV6TmG/s400/Kelton+Restored+Counterweight.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424922998566366242" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the above photo if you look carefully towards the bottom center you can see the counterweight that pulls the bed back to the forward position. It is suspended from a leather belt that runs over a pulley on the rear support roller shaft. You can see the brown belt in the photo of the air piston. I made the counterweight from a large slug/cylinder of brass I had laying around. It’s about 3” in diameter and 8” long and weights about 25 pounds. I wrapped it in leather with a large wooden dowel so I could easily attach a screw hook for a D-ring on the leather belt.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnJPvZEWdIC3pXocr-7YHxtRDm5wAgdsU4xkL6G8I1YeHtPP1CC7nN59fvarHvW0yknjqlmCU4FMBWimm0AoGwhNJr8AmUHNBH8f1Tejadx72RKfybiMJuNKIRf_4oql-i_aBjKMuri24/s1600-h/Kelton+Restored+Right+Side.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 340px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnJPvZEWdIC3pXocr-7YHxtRDm5wAgdsU4xkL6G8I1YeHtPP1CC7nN59fvarHvW0yknjqlmCU4FMBWimm0AoGwhNJr8AmUHNBH8f1Tejadx72RKfybiMJuNKIRf_4oql-i_aBjKMuri24/s400/Kelton+Restored+Right+Side.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424923444409389890" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In one of my previous posts on this press I described the mechanism by which the felts are automatically held up and out of the way. I did hook things up so it would work but the felts I have, scraps I had laying around, are not quite long enough for this to work too well, though it did work. When I’m able to replace the felts I’ll hook it up properly.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> A few other things I did: I made a new arm for the wheel. One had gone missing sometime in the distant pass and a wooden replacement had been fabricated for use while it was a display piece. Fortunately I had a length of 1-inch bar stock and the correct screw-cutting die on hand so after some grunting and groaning and plenty of smelly cutting fluid the job was done. Cutting a 1-inch diameter thread by hand is not that easy. I also made wooden runners for it. I also decided to place pieces of leather between the upper cylinder’s bearings and the iron pressure pads. I’ve seen this and read about it in a number of places and it seemed a good idea. Supposedly it provides a slight amount of give and avoids undue strain on the press. Maybe. But it certainly doesn’t hurt.<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5nWN9-PBltZEOzg-MpW7DEPiFM53cchvzcz-CvspVd0oa0wfw1zzN-W775XKFVFIzJTLyOAKyz8xdaiZ8ONLAEjw6BXFdwbWVos7Jdos6nqB-UNLx8dUqmcAcPXeFNMXuuZVu-iaKhrs/s1600-h/Kelton+Restored+Overall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5nWN9-PBltZEOzg-MpW7DEPiFM53cchvzcz-CvspVd0oa0wfw1zzN-W775XKFVFIzJTLyOAKyz8xdaiZ8ONLAEjw6BXFdwbWVos7Jdos6nqB-UNLx8dUqmcAcPXeFNMXuuZVu-iaKhrs/s400/Kelton+Restored+Overall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424923979299536930" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m very happy with the press and am making some more test prints. I can’t wait to incorporate what I can do with it with my letterpress work. And I’ve got so much printing to do now, both letterpress and intaglio, that I will be quite busy. No more restorations for a while!<span style=""> </span></p>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-14759762398735406052009-12-29T21:52:00.004-05:002009-12-29T22:00:58.333-05:00Playing TagI’m about 95% finished with restoring the Kelton intaglio press. Later I’ll post more about the adventure of cleaning and adjusting it, which turned out to be a bigger job than I had at first suspected. This was mostly because after it left its useful life as a working press it lay somewhere getting rusty before the next owner applied black paint to every surface whether it was dirty, rusty, greasy, or was supposed to be painted or not. They then used it for a display piece which is also what the next owner intended for it when he got a lobby. Since this lobby never materialized, I now own the press. The net result is that many things were frozen and a lot of paint had to be removed which revealed a lot of rust that had to be removed. In the end it was fine but time consuming. <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anyway, I was so anxious to try something I had never done before, namely intaglio printing, and so much wanted to see whether or not the press actually worked that I threw caution to the winds. After final adjustments Sunday afternoon I had things just together enough to pull a proof. The problem was that I had virtually nothing that one needs to do this; nothing proper that is. I had no intaglio ink, copper plate, tarlatan rag, hot plate, or blotting paper. And I had only watched some Youtube videos and read about the process in a few vintage books I downloaded free online. But fools rush in where angels fear to tread.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I did have a few scraps of felt and some 100% cotton paper however. Also some rubber base letterpress ink and a couple 2” diameter brass key ID tags that had been stamped with numbers. Into one of these I made some scratches to try the drypoint technique. The end results can be seen below. Keep in mind that I didn’t wipe off the (wrong) ink properly and that punched numbers are not the same as etching or engraving; also that I wet the paper too much and didn’t blot it properly; and top all of that the fact that I was rushing a bit to get it done after a long day. They may be some of the worst intaglio prints ever but in the above context didn’t come out too badly for some quick test prints. I certainly got a thrill from the “accomplishment” and the knowledge that the press actually worked. If you look closely you can see my backwards initials in the little scratched box in the second photo. These lines are extremely fine and it surprised me how well they showed up.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJBbc4MRcBXi0-MYu0BzDOWvmvnjTGTumtERtPZdMZzsDAjoLFsGsfey7wYsuu54qbttnKXwA5VYp9iOIDXJ0_7n9p5MNsXeuopw3OlKsfM3f8ehdALCiydibWwDVbQ601fNHFsRLGJKQ/s1600-h/Intaglio+Test+Print+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 399px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJBbc4MRcBXi0-MYu0BzDOWvmvnjTGTumtERtPZdMZzsDAjoLFsGsfey7wYsuu54qbttnKXwA5VYp9iOIDXJ0_7n9p5MNsXeuopw3OlKsfM3f8ehdALCiydibWwDVbQ601fNHFsRLGJKQ/s400/Intaglio+Test+Print+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420858452557738258" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfN-Q0kv-c7KTYS6m3urIwl3HA-2lDMxslRtuyZTs7t8fEG_53W-BAgs09_E67UE8zqkeQ3z2kycNBjxXTiVeLkxuhfxjW5po5c5FWwQaiHR0lI_EQn5PSjtQM6EqR9UUJI0ojwGeG3bG/s1600-h/Intaglio+Test+Print+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 368px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfN-Q0kv-c7KTYS6m3urIwl3HA-2lDMxslRtuyZTs7t8fEG_53W-BAgs09_E67UE8zqkeQ3z2kycNBjxXTiVeLkxuhfxjW5po5c5FWwQaiHR0lI_EQn5PSjtQM6EqR9UUJI0ojwGeG3bG/s400/Intaglio+Test+Print+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420857480649183106" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’ll detail in another post the last stages of the restoration and have some photos of the restored press as well as a few more things I learned about it.</p>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-2239110731863783062009-12-13T22:57:00.003-05:002009-12-13T23:13:42.344-05:00Sign Of The Time<div><div>The time in this case is somewhere in the latter half of the 19th century. I found a little time capsule in the Kelton copper plate press today. But let me lay some groundwork.<br /><br />Presses of this type, especially older ones, needed the lower roller adjusted to come into contact with the underside of the press bed. This was done quite simply using shims under the bronze bearing blocks. Any hard, stable material will do, thick and thin pieces being used as required. Wood and paper were sometimes used but these materials are dynamic, expanding or contracting with changes in the humidity, and therefore not the best. A possible exception would be oiled paper such as tympan that is both hard and stable. Steel, iron, copper, and brass were all more appropriate choices.<br /><br />I had disassembled the Kelton as much as possible with the exception of the lower roller. I was able to remove the bearing blocks and shims but removing the roller itself would require taking the main frame completely apart. This wasn’t necessary as I could clean everything with the roller in place and supported by two pipes. I cleaned the bearing blocks today and the shims and it was here that I made my discovery.<br /><br />The press has been moved at least four times in its life including from the factory to its first owner. Adjustment of the roller would have taken place after that first move and I think I know enough about the subsequent life of the press to state that no one has likely changed this initial adjustment. The roller is very heavy and holds the shims in place quite securely. By the time I got it the shims were pretty much glued in place as well with the gunk of the ages and the paint one of the previous owners had sloped on to make it shiny looking. Further examination bore out that they were certainly very old.<br /><br />On both sides they consist of small steel plates, a few brass pieces of two different thicknesses, and on one side two pieces of oiled paper, possibly tympan. While the steel plates were for the most part unremarkable, one of them contained some evidence of the craft for which the press was intended. An example of this craft in action can be seen in the circa 1860 illustration below of the press room of the American Bank Note Company in New York City. </div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414938813045813954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3wS81K8cgxZPTcg7jEGjsD_e3GN96PQzo8fULUQafOT3LMGKU4vZ8mTibUeWhJIpCrZnPrJNDw-roBiGTVNv-QzvyCY2uGDZbcHapKFkgkLT9C5QyNfbubZj-3T7ZWrQipNDVnZeQxTn/s400/American+Bank+Note+Company+press+room+engraving.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Copper and other plates used for intaglio printing have a bevel filed at the outer top edges, sometimes at a 45-degree angle but more often one less steep. The purpose of the bevel is to keep the otherwise sharp right angle of the edge from cutting into the paper under the great pressure exerted during printing. Anyone who has seen an intaglio print will likely remember that the edge of the plate is visible at the outside of the image. Even today plates do not come this way from the factory but the printer files the bevel himself. What I found on one of the steel shims was this hand-filed bevel.<br /><br />The plate is 1/8” thick, a standard gauge for printing, and approximately 1 ¾” by 2” though not a perfect rectangle but a rather accurate parallelogram. As you can see from the photo, there are two holes drilled into it and it has numerous scratches in it. On one side the bevel is a fairly consistent 1/16” wide while on the reverse the edge has only been filed slightly, a distinct bevel but just enough to remove the sharp edge.</div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414936517854344482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 396px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 279px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0p9sXXyT2Jhbx0PdEG4WTz2iPIZ_9KjnZETSkK7YJW1p4cdQTY1UileM9w1zBvmDaGPgfMDBnY6UoXWMC5SJwpJk1K57MsuRONLo84w6d6_SPtRTT1tv2Jcp40VykIh9IJfJgXYvTo-i/s400/Kelton+Press+Shim+1+cropped.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>I can’t explain the reason why this small plate was prepared as if it was to be used for engraving or etching a print on it. Perhaps it was done for practice. Or perhaps when making a shim for the press the force of habit took over when removing the sharp burr at the edges. I do plan on reusing the original shims now that I’ve cleaned them and if further adjustments are needed simply adding to those. But I’m tempted to replace this one with a new piece of steel.<br /><br />The stories this press could tell and in some ways is telling, eh?</div></div>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-49741141393715636412009-12-06T22:11:00.006-05:002009-12-06T22:41:27.656-05:00Look Out! Here Comes The Spider-Man.If Peter Parker had wanted to be a print maker of a more ancient variety, he may very well have chosen intaglio as his medium. Had he done so he would have needed a copper plate press, sometimes called a spider-press because of its large spoked handwheel. I don’t spin webs of any size or catch thieves just like flies but I am in the process of restoring a vintage copper plate intaglio press. Eat your heart out, Spidey.<br /><br />This press was built by the M. M. Kelton Company of Brooklyn, NY sometime from the 1850’s through the early 20th century. I haven’t been able to pin it down closer than that and have found little direct information on these presses. However, by doing a lot of internet research, piecing together tidbits of information including that gleaned form vintage photos and etchings, and disassembly and studying the press as part of its restoration, I’ve learned quite a bit. For one thing, this style of cast iron mass-produced press was used extensively by bank note companies as well as the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing throughout the latter half of the 19th century. One of the largest users in my own area was the American Bank Note Company which had a printing house in Brooklyn, NY in addition to it’s headquarters in Manhattan. Brooklyn is of course where my press was made. Below is a photo of the ABNC’s now closed Brooklyn plant as it looks today.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412327783645836322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 211px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLSfajtvahEKKbK6fwWV1qB7vsay0_OfAV42AM6tF8vmYbUXTgWAntrjrzwDyOZajLVx5NhmNyMF-rF4zP5MxZ3IXHezaaIUqPGPJlB7LFl1jOOToQCCRuMqPYlG6KgMhqEmJ4Y_J1zFy/s400/ABNC+at+Barretto+St+%2B+Lafayette+Ave+Hunts+Point+The+Bronx+cropped.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />Another photo shows these presses in operation and there are dozens, maybe hundreds of them churning out paper money, certificates, stamps, and all manner of financial documents. These presses were not designed for artists but for production. The top cylinder was in fact only a half-cylinder, its cross section appearing as a D-shape. The bed had a weight attached to the back that in conjunction with a pulley kept the bed in the forward position. When turning the handwheel an adjustable cam on the right side of the cylinder engaged with an adjustable mating cam on the bed which started the bed through the two (upper and lower) rollers automatically. Intaglio presses use three felt blankets laid over the paper and plate in order to cushion the pressure and press the paper into the incised plate to pick up the ink. On this press, the top blanket is attached to the top cylinder and a bar at the rear of the bed holds the other two blankets that extend along the bed under the upper cylinder.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412328724799550994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 274px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aHNx7nY_hHT0JUQuhZbmDpOB1FLQuHJ9pqwOI3RP-scz6LaLjW_OBXPh6NwASyXrW2o2mW2fTRpkuqfiLPaBYonlHqJcp59cnoON53bq_4HsMZGT1m1huPV2acQzK0lRXvNrPkjuBJWr/s400/Bureau+of+Engraving+and+printing+Presses+early+20th+century+cropped.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />Additionally, there is an iron frame above the press with a cross bar on which is a pulley. The blankets attached at the rear of the bed are held together at the front end where a rope is attached that goes over this pulley and on the end of which is a weight. When the press is at rest the bed is in its forward (start) position and the front end of the blankets are held up in the air out if the way so the plate and paper can be laid on the bed. Then the handwheel is turned, the bed is engaged and goes between the rollers making the print at which point it is automatically released merely by continuing to turn the handwheel. The bed automatically returns to its forward position and the blankets are automatically drawn up out of the way so the proof can be removed. Anyone who has operated an intaglio press will recognize the time saved with this arrangement. While not necessary for artist’s proofs, it’s a definite advantage for meeting production deadlines.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412329327821311282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 309px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwDEE-MVUxO3mtQcCm4Ma_qzKD2hOLhBFZIA0wI1YKDD-mExvxaAPNsq4iZdJ4XZOHQw0wVpCCP8PLu8whoLWkPFOjsyUMjmdP0aTf8vfir45v8jt-597at8Q-wqQuBS7ECNMeki-PQiV/s400/Etching+Presses+1904.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />The press is not large but it is heavy. This is partly because the upper cylinder is solid, and even though the lower cylinder is a hollow casting it is very large and has thick walls as you would expect on an intaglio press because of the pressure exerted during printing. Modern presses have rollers about the same size top and bottom but it was common in the 19th century for the bottom roller to be much larger than the top as is the case here. Altogether the press weighs between 300 and 400 pounds, though that’s just an estimate. In practical terms it will print a plate up to 8” x 10”. The presses most recent use was as a display item in a print shop in Long Island City, i.e. Queens. It had been coated in black paint right over any dirt and rust so it would be nice and shiny. It needs to be completly cleaned and adjusted, the paint taken off where it shouldn't be, and some minor repairs made but otherwise nothing major. I suspect it came from the ABNC in Brooklyn when they closed that plant which is not too far away from its display post.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412331547611803250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 321px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIeSlRXeIEsz8JvU4FXkHfcVuhyphenhyphen9-aZRvNAaVReTGOPm1AQnxywO1fCQ-vm18NMdCh_xinFEpFaIdYDIr5AYqyXfR2oP1DwZ-1tYs7msqGuKr52EN9O1tP2HhJTzv-BHljbPiJKje1Lcd/s400/Kelton+Copperplate+Press+5+cropped.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />I have several letterpress printing projects that are a priority at the moment but I’ve begun the restoration process on this press and hope to be able to experiment within a month or so. I’ve never done intaglio before so it will be interesting. Besides limited edition proofs, I want to use it to produce artwork for my letterpress journal and also for artistamps that I can perforate on my Rosback perforator. I’ve seen some examples of work that is a combination of intaglio and letterpress so there are a lot of options, even if I don’t have radioactive blood.Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-91749064643592418062009-10-31T15:58:00.003-04:002009-11-07T22:15:57.875-05:00Good VibrationsMany thanks go to David Lukens of the Lauchmen Printing Company in Lansdale, Pa. Dave very generously presented me with this paper jogger, a very nice 7” x 10” size perfect for most work. Dave has been a printer for years and years and is still hard at work doing what local print shops have always done: take care of his community’s basic printing needs. Schools, churches, businesses and individuals all make use of his skills and experience. While no longer doing letterpress work, he does all kinds of single and multi-color offset work (making his own plates), binding, folding, etc. His shop looks like a working print shop with cans of ink, paper of every description, boxes of envelopes, and all the misc. debris and brick-a-brac of printing laying about everywhere. While in some trades this is often considered a sign of sloppiness that is reflected in the work, such is most definitely not the case here. The work Dave produces is crisp and clean and he does this with easy efficiency. The old cry of “don’t clean it up or I won’t be able to find it” rings true here. The focus is on being productive and getting quality work out the door when customers want it and not maintaining a museum or laboratory environment. The proof is in the printing and Dave provides excellent work to happy customers.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398858605788843778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfk2-PH-AWLvkbr9VPF-fa1PnV19ECXyR1QXmbd6eScf07KYR1lYF0uWwK-3_fTrPSbqAK5ybXvW6UIxSt7Ic-lDfxxOZuWGokDeuZu5_EqdKgM2Wwf0_wOD1woIsht5OVj5x9RrobHjt/s400/Paper+Jogger+2.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />A paper jogger is probably not one of the most needful things in a small shop, especially an amateur one like mine. But I do confess there have been times I’ve wished I had a way of more easily getting a nice even stack, especially when making pads. I happened to notice the wood table of the little jogger sticking out from among some debris on a bottom shelf while Dave was showing me around the shop and exclaimed, “Hey, what’s that under there?” Once pulled out it was obviously a jogger that Dave said he used to use but it hadn’t worked in a while. He then placed it in my hands and asked me if I wanted it.<br /><br />Hmmm.<br /><br />Once home I took it apart, cleaned it out, replaced the cracked and warped table, plugged it in and it was time to give it a workout. It was manufactured by the Syntron Company of Homer City, Pa. and is called the Syntron Paper Jogger, Type PJ4, Style 1763, Serial No. C8PJ65154. It has an on/off switch and a dial control to adjust the amount of vibration. The knob itself is missing and I’ll be picking up a replacement though it’s easy to adjust as it is. Based on the finish, construction and other little things I’m guessing the vintage to be 1930’s or 40’s. Syntron is now owned by FMC Technologies and is still making joggers today. I’m going to write to them to see if they can provide any information about mine from the serial number. But if anyone can narrow the date of my jogger down I’d appreciate it. Well, I’d write more but it’s time for my daily jog.Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-49401478234962613432009-10-25T19:56:00.005-04:002009-11-07T22:18:10.228-05:00Cinderella, She Seems So Easy; “It Takes One To Know One”, She Smiles.Not too long ago I was reminded that not all stamps are postage stamps that pay for sending a letter from Point A to Point B. Some are in fact fantasy postage stamps, made up by someone to represent a fictional state, country, or protectorate. Some are made to advertise commercially or for non-profit organizations. Some promote various causes, groups, or anything at all. Some are simply ars gratia artis. In the worlds of art and craft they are commonly know as artistamps. Philatelically speaking such non-postage stamps are called Poster Stamps or Cinderellas.<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396693548302135490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 394px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 255px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0N-6MoXznSw2vwNnjMszgNDP0wLWagrkOWnSdV7k2kaJQ2bZphas5CjlmWo0l9REGMpg10k2RboiOQec05RV9ARlje_u5cloA-9D652Wpxx37yGBL-3j4jT1_mFUOk9JdTrsydAlESU-/s400/Poster+Stamps+Side+By+Side+1.jpg" border="0" /><br />The first postage stamps in the 19th century were printed in sheets and cut one singly with scissors or a knife. With the invention and marketing of the pin-hole perforator, separating them became much easier. Today postage stamps are self-adhesive and peel off a backer. But as I was reminded that not all stamps must comer from the Post Office and be used for postage, I was struck by the idea of letterpress printing my own stamps and perfing them. This is what I have in fact decided to do. I’ve done a bit of research and the consensus from those who do this kind of work with a printing press as opposed to an inkjet printer (which some do use) is that a cut should be made with anywhere from 4 to 12 images in the standard stamp sheet format. Here's a nice example from Rachel Scott at Fox Paw Press:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.foxpawpress.com/Printshop/giftshop/artistamps/artistamps.html">http://www.foxpawpress.com/Printshop/giftshop/artistamps/artistamps.html</a><br /><br />All sorts of ideas come to mind and my first effort will be a simple Front Room Press stamp I can apply to envelopes or most anything. It will be a good opportunity to learn how to design something on the computer and have a plate made which I’ve never done. But even more fun will be to actually print and use them. This was a lot of my inspiration to get my perforator restored. Now it’s on to the next step. I’ll keep you posted.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396694219604885650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOga8BdMiBvok_naAhI2RyDbkM1sV46hE68TsFZoFJ5_Y1POE0VOHbPKefRP8XxTKhfhEkhs1KAacDGTpeTSGDnY3NEtludj9z2d23MMB5WFMbYp4PONm8HAZAG68pnQNqBhvXn1AQ1El/s400/Poster+Stamps+Side+By+Side+2.jpg" border="0" /></p>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-59309176236395683752009-10-24T18:49:00.010-04:002009-10-25T15:47:16.880-04:00Holy Perforator!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAANSNelwcL2tBsIzCkEoPJ7XVkZ28o3BUAOOq39EEYM_3q8yqBHSc0i1MAcGVBo1Mj2iPQ_i7qAucEmsRLboUREKaRpgeZWHyfcAkk47c1Z6v349BbhjpDIVLTfpRzfxeiS8NaANgOAf/s1600-h/Perforator+Restored+Daylight+1A.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396625909622851170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAANSNelwcL2tBsIzCkEoPJ7XVkZ28o3BUAOOq39EEYM_3q8yqBHSc0i1MAcGVBo1Mj2iPQ_i7qAucEmsRLboUREKaRpgeZWHyfcAkk47c1Z6v349BbhjpDIVLTfpRzfxeiS8NaANgOAf/s400/Perforator+Restored+Daylight+1A.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The restoration of the perforator is complete and it actually works. Huzzah! Given the amount of rust and the condition of the punches it was no certain thing. For the most part cleaning was pretty straightforward if involved as described in my previous post. The punches and the holes they go in were the most tedious and troublesome part.<br /></div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396626211396042930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUmH8E531iqQKEag9fSnQtcmol1zZtTSrFIiKQD9o5DTweUbwFCe6fm_F7IGG0Alfbdnek8d6lEygAC3ykYWZBeLmG6C9jq3UtxwuWPnWwEisGVNdJ406JH92Ns5GNhQkZnfOpWES7DmD/s400/Perforator+Restored+Daylight+2B.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div></div><div>The perforator takes 365 punches about 1/32” diameter and 13/16” long. There are three parts that have holes for the punches: the punch holder, the stripper, and the die. So I had to clean out as best I could 1095 holes. I had soaked the parts repeatedly in WD40 after I finally got the punches out and after cleaning them completely I used one of the punches to scrape out the holes as much as possible. The last step here was pushing the punch through, wiping the WD40 off the far end, push it through again, wipe again, etc. until all of the extraneous WD40 was out. This actually worked pretty well and when I was done the punches all moved freely in the holes. The concern I really had was if they would go through freely when they had to pass through all three parts at once.<br /><br />When these three parts were manufactured and the holes for the punches were bored they were clamped together in a jig and the holes bored through all three at the same time. The three parts were stamped with the same number so they could always be matched up. This is how alignment was always assured. Of course, a lot had happened to the perforator since it was new so it remained to be seen if this alignment remained.<br /><br />I had picked up the replacement screws I needed and after the last one was replaced in the die I reassembled the stripper bar and its stiffener, reassembled the head, and then put the head back on the machine. I was almost done but looking at the punches I realized that I really needed to clean them down to bare, shiny metal and not leave them with any corrosion, no matter how minor. I was concerned about leaving them too long in the vinegar and salt bath because the surface of the metal becomes rough, if only mildly, and I wanted the smoothest surface possible to ease passage through the holes. What all this meant is that I would have to clean each punch one at a time. Fun, fun, fun.<br /></div><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396305694222672194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 428px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 209px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhJAWZObaL51cd_uNzoTmKgU3hlgc7tj5QhYT1_N5AAAvLBTCWZAiIT744LqjuR7JvQOKpFfZQmwcIoNjhyphenhyphenNJEiQQOrX6zKwPjMG0kClJwaNKMvSbGoeF_mOflz62H3K0smYhLw5E-ZWl/s400/My+Perforator+Before+and+After+2.jpg" border="0" /><br />Of the 365 punches the machine takes all had been present and I was able to recover 214 that were straight. There are perhaps 50 or so more that are only slightly bent and which I’m confident I can straighten out at some point and install. The complete row of punches is 24” long but even with only the 214 installed there are enough to perforate anything of a size I’m likely to need. I do plan on buying brand new punches in the near future because the ends on the old ones are not in the best shape and new punches will mean cleaner holes. But it punches good enough for any normal work, certainly not something the average person would notice.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396305014881549234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HoikcEvS43yBlvOMFBmJUU8-P1uoZlNh47p6OjJPNRAqC2fkvcQDYavDrETiwcSOoETFTXW_D6Gwi3HGssA5EcysIwjVBVIz_uY19OE72r74nkZZXeSgbyq3pyEfi9cI3KfkiZH1Bzi_/s400/Test+Perforation+1.jpg" border="0" /> </p><div>Anyway, one by one using sandpaper I cleaned the punches, rolling them around with the tip of one finger on some chipboard while I sanded away with the other hand. I was careful not to sand in such a way to round over the edges on the working end of the punches but of course they weren’t perfect at this point anyway. This operation took episodes of Marcus Welby, Quincy, Kojak, Deal Or No Deal, the local news, two episodes of Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, and Ghost Whisperer to complete. Whew!<br /><br />I installed the punches from the center of the head out so the pressure of the punching action would be centered. They went in better than I expected, with a few needing a slight helping hand from the tip of a screwdriver instead of my finger. I put oil on top of the stripper where the punches passed through and then started pumping the pedal. This was to break up remaining “stuff” in the holes and to lubricate things. I put some paper towels in harm’s way and stair-stepped my way to a cleaner, well-oiled perforator. I moved the paper towel with each step and it soaked up the excess “stuff” pretty well. It still leaves a slight residue on the top sheet but there is less each time and it works nice and smooth.<br /><br />I had taken the tables to work to sand them with a pneumatic random orbit sander. This makes the work go fast and does a great job. The wood is cherry and was originally stained. Even though the tops of both tables had virtually no finish left it was intact on the underside and I found a match for it among some old cans of stain I had. I sanded enough to get rid of the dirt and paper that had been stuck to the wood when it had gotten wet, and to make everything smooth, but not enough to remove the patina. I stained it at home and then applied two coats of orange (amber) shellac, a traditional vintage topcoat. In the end I was surprised that the match was so close. I wasn’t worried about dents, bumps, chips, etc. because these tables have little affect on registration which is accomplished by the fences. Mostly the simply support the sheets.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396304283472703794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 447px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPNxBLLL1v1WGcJfTl9rbgGTOrDcb_NWe5-SHCmJ3nmRdyQCUiJQIvzbsoR6hVU95OQvOfpeuH53ECyy2F3UPgq9cDflFDwaPPoXZG_2GY2S56gOL1lNH2rKeNrAB9dmXnrvQASGmg63M/s400/My+Perforator+Before+and+After+1.jpg" border="0" /> </div><br /><div>Next time I’ll explain more about what I plan on doing with it besides the obvious, i.e. making holes. One thing I did realize is that because the holes are so small, this is a nice vintage option for general jobs requiring perfing instead of the more usual slit perf. The paper stays together well but tears very easily. And it won’t tear up the press rollers. Oh, boy! </div></div>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-21467595542764507862009-10-18T20:16:00.008-04:002009-11-02T00:05:09.989-05:00Stamp ActI’m in the process of restoring a Rosback treadle-operated round-hole perforator circa 1920. It is 300 pounds of mostly cast iron with a 24” row of hundreds of tiny punches. Philatelically speaking it punches a perforation measurement of 12 which is, or rather was, the standard for U.S. stamps before 1914. Guess what I’ll be printing in the not too distant future? But more on that later.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394099147487645346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 262px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUT9Qu_AA1hWm-sn-NU33lztEaSUpRp4kIoNZFvaeL2LTEhJ2SjhxjM71_xaBlkMfqnbI1l99Ap6TCrqz3jnVKHcXUWjRFi1PJCbtz48e2SvAz4IADgObUqKS-DXGjHf1eaK_agdPKHnC/s400/Rosback+Perforator+2.jpg" border="0" /><br />While in generally good if typically dirty condition, the perforator had one serious problem: at one time it sat someplace where water was allowed to get onto the punch assembly. This assembly consists of three main parts besides said punches: the punch holder, the stripper, and the die. The punches are 13/16” long and a little over 1/32" diameter with a small head on one end like a brad. They drop into holes in the punch holder and down through the stripper bar. When the treadle is depressed the punches are pushed down through the stripper bar and into the die which has corresponding holes. Well, when stored at some point the head which carries the punch assembly was adjusted in such a way that the punches were pushed down below the bottom of the stripper. Add water, time, and neglect and presto! Rusted punches, punch carrier, stripper, and die plate. O joy!<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394100822251847138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 359px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GrEof3TNZHdFVmnq3IChOf5QOJv4D6LLVEUzYZMSg3vBk5MSdQB9O8pIzudhAjDQV6Z2XZPVJt4CFGPmz_28hy5beqyW94s7noXPtjxn4gPNYVagWAheKDVuflH1IgRaVGu8z5nDETZK/s400/Rosback+Perforator+6.jpg" border="0" /><br />Adding a bit to the sorrow is the fact that at some point someone with more physicality than patience tried to loosen the head and get the punches moving. To do this he inserted some kind of crow bar into the assembly and did what one does with a crow bar. While not loosening the punches it did have the affect of snapping the heads off four of the six screws by which the punch holder is attached to the head. His work apparently done, the perforator was left to get older. On the bright side the tables, while needing refinishing, are in good shape and it has both of its original fences with attachments. Also, it is not rusty to the same degree on all the punches.<br /><br />Having disassembled and restored any number of antique machines in various degrees of decrepitude, I was reasonably certain that I could get it apart and that it could be cleaned and restored to use. The first step was to somehow get the punch assembly off the head and disassemble it. There was little point in cleaning anything else unless this could be accomplished. I sprayed on a liberal dose of PB Blaster “penetrating catalyst” and let it soak. I was prepared for a long process and this was the first step. Over the next three days I kept adding more Blaster and gently pried and tapped. No crow bar. During that time I was able to remove enough of the punches from both ends to get at the two bolts that hold the stripper bar to the bed. The stripper bar is attached to the bed and normally you can remove the entire head with the punches with the stripper bar remaining behind. But of course the punches were rusted to the bar. So in this case when I was finally able to lift off the head the stripper bar came with it.<br /><br />Now I had access to the bottom of the stripper bar and after a couple more days of soaking I was able to tap the bottom of some of the punches to loosen them and pull them out. Just like pulling teeth, both descriptively and in terms of it being somewhat difficult. Keep in mind that there are literally hundreds of punches. I haven’t counted all of them yet but have got as far as 238. I got enough out finally to bend the stripper bar slightly and come at the screw heads of the last two screws holding the punch holder to the cast iron head using a right-angle screwdriver. More soaking and more tapping. It took a week but finally the last punch came out. Now all the parts needed to be cleaned down to original paint or bare metal. I don't like repainting unless absolutely necessary but I hate rust. I let the punches and some other parts soak overnight in a solution of vinegar and salt to loosen the rust up. Except for heavy rust this allows you to virtually wipe if off. In the process of removing the punches a number of them were bent or broken but I saved about 230 and I’m hoping they will work once clean. Replacements seem to be available from a couple sources and I’ve been in touch to get particulars. If the price is right I’ll replace them all and keep the old ones as spares.<br /><br />Four screw heads had been broken off in the head and I had to drill out the remaining parts of the screw. I’ll pick up replacements at the hardware store. Cleaning itself was straight forward using WD-40; sandpaper; 3M green pads; a wire brush on a grinder and drill; and lots of paper towels. I’m not afraid to use sandpaper to get heavy rust off, stopping as soon as I get to bare metal. Then it’s the green pads and finally the wire wheel to make it nice. I used one of the old punches to clean out the inside of the hundreds of holes in the punch holder, stripper bar, and die plate. They weren’t that bad, the punches having provided some protection from direct exposure. But this part of the job was very tedious and cleaning the holes in the three parts took 5 hours. I did this in the evening while watching TV.<br /><br />The main frame has been cleaned and the die plate reinstalled but for one screw that needs to be replaced. Once I get that screw and the others I need everything can be reassembled. At that point we’ll see if actually works. I hope to refinish the wood tables this week at work. More on that and what exactly I’ll be doing with it will wait for another post.Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-13750906705984628642009-10-01T20:41:00.007-04:002009-10-02T13:30:37.469-04:00Once Upon A Time<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKvBz-aXMbnAZspXNqSWsOiqAnBofZJghBnQCzB3DApRMQnHR-YZA0qK9enSYmgdcnU4B9B_K6zUArXAqTNvWkx8AYMWbYk4Bpttc2GYTNSNce9j0LLlhvKf94KFLOscSDFkClZuFe8gT/s1600-h/1852+Interior+View+Of+Our+Press+Room+cropped.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387815470656376178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 603px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 403px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKvBz-aXMbnAZspXNqSWsOiqAnBofZJghBnQCzB3DApRMQnHR-YZA0qK9enSYmgdcnU4B9B_K6zUArXAqTNvWkx8AYMWbYk4Bpttc2GYTNSNce9j0LLlhvKf94KFLOscSDFkClZuFe8gT/s400/1852+Interior+View+Of+Our+Press+Room+cropped.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>Old photographs and engravings conjure up feelings of nostalgia, historical interest, and rank curiosity. And they can often be a source of a surprising amount of practical information about the past, information that helps one gain real insight that goes beyond the superficial objects seen in the image. If we looks closely and carefully and where necessary take the time to do a little research to truly understand the snapshot of time that has been immortalized, we can make a tangible connection with those who have gone before us. Such a connection will enlighten our modern experiences and place them within a context in which their true meaning and worth can be grasped. Further, such an interaction with the past will give greater pleasure and satisfaction in those activities in which we take part in the present.</div><div></div><br /><div>Take the above image as an example. It shows the press room of The Pictorial Drawing Room Companion circa 1858. Let's look at some of the things we can learn from this image that can help us understand better what the printing trade, the workplace, and society in general was like at that time.</div><div></div><br /><div>First is the obvious. Even at this early date cylinder presses were actively at work. Even more so, the plant was steam-powered. Note the steam engine at the right which powered the presses. This place was very modern and they are making a point of letting people know it. Did you ever notice that pre-twentieth century factory buildings are long and narrow? This image shows why. Whether powered by water, steam, or later even electricity, machinery did not begin to have dedicated motors until the beginning of the twentieth century. Even then it took years for industry to fully change over. The single source of power must be distributed to the individual machines and this was accomplished by the line-shaft system as the image illustrates. The water wheel, steam engine, or whatever was connected to a main shaft that ran the length of the building. Because the machines, often different, had to be run at certain speeds, intermediate shafts with pulleys of different diameters were used to mechanically change the speed of the main shaft and deliver the correct speed to any given machine. The use of the line shaft dictated the architecture of the building. But it did even more.</div><div></div><br /><div>These shafts were mounted to the ceiling and sometimes to the floor, by cast iron hangers in which were mounted bearings of a composition metal that was soft enough not to mar the steel shafts, hard enough to last many years, and that could be lubricated with oil and so allow the minimum of friction so the shafts could rotate freely. These were, and still are, the famous babbitt bearings, named for the inventor of the metal Isaac Babbitt. These bearings must have a regular supply of oil or friction will cause them to heat up, turn slower and even bind, causing damage and costly repairs. </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>Have you ever heard of grease monkeys? Ever wonder where that term came from? The means by which these bearings were kept oiled was through the labor of young boys who would climb into the rafters on a daily basis and oil each bearing. While the machines were running. And boys they were, even 9 and 10 year-olds. Why young boys? Their small size was an obvious advantage in tight quarters as was the small wage they could be paid. By the time they reached their early teens of course, they could start operating the machinery itself and start to really learn the trade. They're not seen in this image, but they and the social mores of the times are present nonetheless. Think of your 10 year old son going to work down at the steam-powered printing house every day for at least part of the day, including Saturdays, coming home all dirty like his father does from his own job. He gives you or perhaps his father his small wage every payday, helping meet the household expenses. Think of him climbing around, through, and over the moving shafts, pulleys, and machines, the flapping belts, 15 or 20 feet off the ground as he squirts oil into the small holes of the bearings. Are you getting a better understanding of the people and their lives at the time that image was printed?</div><div></div><br /><div>Another interesting social aspect is in fact on view. Who do you see feeding the presses? Could it be...yes I think it is...women! This shouldn't really be a surprise, especially to letterpress printers who know even a little about the history of the craft. Women have long been associated with working presses. What makes this example a bit more interesting is that this is not a small family print shop or a forlorn western newspaper. Clearly they are well established working women in a large, for that time, printing operation employing dozens of workers at least. Just another day of work for the ladies of 1858. Eat your heart out, Rosie the Riveter.</div><div></div><br /><div>There are any number of other things that can be gleaned from the now long forgotten steam-powered press room of the Pictorial Drawing Room Companion. See how many more you can spot for yourself. Get a feel for yesteryear that will help you understand tomorrow. Or today.</div>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-17390009402407697662009-09-26T19:40:00.007-04:002009-09-26T21:18:56.567-04:00What’s The Buzz?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1R24XRwad1tkLSKufF3fgQ9gAn5-VnqusLOPW9m7dEe-JW_pmiXJMYKEqlNn0fRuXLB21j7f5QTlhj8uDUxE8bHAI1PSo9pR5uea0mTShLumTU8SgGo9aQ7w1zpiwuvvFhjaE1zF6ZeP/s1600-h/Bumble+Bee+by+Rachael+cropped.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385950359166741458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 343px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1R24XRwad1tkLSKufF3fgQ9gAn5-VnqusLOPW9m7dEe-JW_pmiXJMYKEqlNn0fRuXLB21j7f5QTlhj8uDUxE8bHAI1PSo9pR5uea0mTShLumTU8SgGo9aQ7w1zpiwuvvFhjaE1zF6ZeP/s400/Bumble+Bee+by+Rachael+cropped.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div><div><div></div><div></div><div>I’ll tell you what’s happening: printing. Yes, after a period of high stress at work that hasn’t actually ended I’ve gotten myself in the swing of things again, cleaned up the shop, and got the press running. A number of projects are now back on track including the upcoming first issue of my journal, otherwise known as a ‘zine for you non-hipsters. And that bit of news leads me to the events of today.<br /><br />Friend-of-mine and very creative and talented artist Rachael Faillace expresses herself in many ways and I highly recommend you check out her website to see for yourself: <a href="http://www.rachaelfaillace.com/">http://www.rachaelfaillace.com/</a>. I want to include original artwork in my journal and I asked Rachael if she would contribute a linoleum block print. The idea was that she would provide the cut image and I would mount it type high and print it. That way I could incorporate the cut in one of the two-page forms. She very graciously agreed and the result appeared in my mailbox a few weeks later. She had been working in her garden one afternoon and the bees flying from flower to flower inspired her. As planned, I made a cherry base for it at work and mounted the cut.<br /><br />Today I printed the cut for the first time and the result can be seen above and I really love it. This is the first time I’ve printed a linoleum block since elementary school. I know it’s a common practice to print them with a platen press but I had several concerns. One was over the ink. Block printing ink sold for this kind of printing is different from the rubber and oil base ink used for letterpress and I don’t have any and didn’t really want to buy any. I also wasn’t sure how the linoleum would handle the strength of the impression and thought I might find myself in limbo, printing too lightly but not being able to increase the impression for fear of damaging the linoleum.<br /><br />Of course, as is so often the case with premeditated fears, they were unfounded in the event. In fact, the block printed surprisingly well, at least to my eyes. The image itself is about 2” x 2 1/2”. I decided on a yellow colored cover stock and it so happened I had some pre-cut scraps from a print shop I help clean out. I believe it’s about 80 pound stock. So the final sheet is 3 7/8” x 4 ½”. Remember: never turn down free paper. </div><br /><div></div><div>I’ll describe my basic procedure in case that might be helpful to anyone. If I had a decent camera I’d have taken a few photos. Oh, well. First I got the dirty work out of the way and oiled and wiped down the press. Then I redressed the platen with a new top sheet. Except in very rare instances I always replace the top sheet for each job. That way I’m always sure it’s clean and flat. My tympan paper at .012” is thicker than what is most often sold today which is .006” thick. When I got my first press and most of the contents of an old print shop there was a partial roll and one new, unwrapped roll. I haven’t seen the need to get something thinner and it actually works very well as it holds any kind of gauge pin very firmly and lays flat and tight.<br /><br />After that I went to the stone and locked up the cut using a spider chase to save a bit of time by using less furniture. I prefer using the chaser method of lockup as I think it’s more secure, especially with type. I snugged the quoins, planed the form, tightened the quoins the rest of the way. I checked to make sure they weren’t overly tight and had sprung the chase by trying to rock the chase from corner to corner. Finally, while not as critical as it would be with type, I checked for lift.<br /><br />I put the rollers on the press, taking a chance by only using two for no other reason other than it would be one less to clean. I wiped a dab of ink, in this case Van Son rubber base black, across the ink disc with an ink spatula and then ran the press to distribute the ink. Then in went the chase and I pulled an impression on the top sheet. I always pull an impression on the top sheet for setting the gauge pins. I wipe the wet ink off with a rag and mineral spirits and then a bit of talcum powder (actually baby powder from the grocery store). It’s then very easy to measure out the margins directly on the top sheet and draw lines to place the gauge pins. I find this method to be fast and accurate. I laid out my margins by measuring the height and width of the image and the height and width of the paper. I subtracted the one from the other for each dimension and then divided by two. That gave me my top/bottom and side margins. I drew a line directly along the lower edge of the image on the top sheet and then did the same thing along the top edge of the image using a drafting square. Then I measured off the margins I had worked out and drew lines parallel to the first two the width of the margins apart. Those were the lines I would use to set my gauge pins.<br /><br />I generally use McGill’s double-grip pins so after placing a sacrificial piece of pressboard under the top sheet I used a makeready knife (basically an X-Acto knife) to cut an approx. 1” slit. Then I inserted the pins, lined them up with the layout lines, and tightened them in place. I removed the sacrificial pressboard and placed a sheet of the stock I was going to print in the gauge pins. I use the sacrificial pressboard so I can easily press through the top sheet with the knife without damaging the pressboard in my packing which I reuse as many times as possible. Waste not; want not.<br /><br />I set the grippers; in this case one would be able to hold down the right side but the left gripper had to stay to the outside of the far left gauge pin. So to help strip the sheet off the form I ran a rubber band between the grippers so it would lie across the top portion of the sheet in the margin area. Turning the flywheel by hand I cycled the press through slowly and pulled an impression on the test sheet. This also made sure that the packing was not too thick and showed me on the test print that I wouldn’t need to make any further adjustments. I adjusted the left gauge pin slightly and pulled another proof.<br /><br />Thus did the printing commence. </div></div></div>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-67002891725282134152009-07-31T22:07:00.009-04:002009-07-31T23:32:00.474-04:00Extra! Extra!<div>Let me first apologize as so often before because of the poor quality of the photos below. I'm left with the ancient Sony digital camera that records on 3 1/2" floppy discs. Enough said. But I figure they must still be worth at least 750 words.<br /><br />I live in Hunterdon County in central New Jersey and while today there is only one local newspaper, the Hunterdon County Democrat, at one time there were a dozen or more papers published in many of the little towns that make up this area. The largest town in the county was and still is Flemington, today about a 45 minute drive north from Trenton.<br /><br />Peter Haward was a teenage immigrant, later one of Flemington's leading citizens. In his diary for October 11, 1802 he recorded: "In Trenton I got the Newspapers at the Printing office, & left at sun-rise, rode to New Market & left a package at Benj. Johnson's, then at Price's tavern, arrived at Flemington at 11 o'clock, delivered packages there, had dinner, then to Pittstown, left papers there, then to Mr. Exton's, left one paper, then to John Maxwell's in Bethlehem [Pennsylvania], arriving about sun-set, left two packages of papers there, returned to Mr. Exton's, having ridden 48 miles."<br /><br />The first local paper was the Hunterdon Gazette, originally The Hunterdon Gazette and Farmers' Advertiser. The first number was published on March 24, 1825. It was a one-sheet, four-page paper with four columns to the page. By the 1880's there were numerous competitors, many openly aligned politically as was common in the 19th century; some independent; some of a religious character; and even some amateur efforts like The Amateur Sun and others published by boys of the Jersey Blue Amateur Editors' Association. Another was The Jerseyman published by H.E. Deats who described his paper as "an Amateur Journal devoted to airing the pet opinions of the Editor and others."<br /><br />One of the regular local papers was started in 1880, The Milford Leader. Living in Milford, NJ as I do, this paper has a special interest for me. The "Leader" was an independent paper meaning it was not aligned with a political party or local interest group, at least not in an overtly partisan nature. Most independents strove to give balanced coverage even as they maintained a character of their own given to them by their editors. The proprietor of the "Leader" in 1890 was George B. Corson and the editor Samuel H. Bast.<br /><br />The Hunterdon Democrat, today the Hunterdon County Democrat, had its roots in the election of Andrew Jackson to the presidency. The Gazette was a Whiggish paper and most of New Jersey had gone with the democrats in the election of Jackson. So the county officeholders were determined to have a paper that would "hew to the official line". Over the course of the next 100 years many of the small local papers failed and the Democrat bought out the others. In 1949 they purchased the Frenchtown Star and the Milford Leader, merging them into the Delaware Valley News. The Democrat ceased publication of the News two years ago and is now the sole surviving local newspaper.<br /><br />The photos below show the original press used to print the Milford Leader; a "turtle" used for transferring chases from stone to press; and the last issue of the Leader from 1949. Some other misc. bits and pieces of the printing trade are also present. All are on display in the foyer of the Democrat's office in Flemington.<br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364832581659059282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAQdumc_coSHaLcQc7A1bBxXaS_KSVUx2cW2Z-4sfw9QpQGHqPfWyRzTGJunS9tpHOdi4pX9HcD-LWmwB9WZGVxDTFE8mqkual3_TCguSXiFbuOQ1eVeVaEX5Fbx8ZNATzCkMRAAvnSkM/s400/Milford+Leader+Press.jpg" border="0" /> <p></p><p></p><div> </div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364832314623734978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRM_b3696V6nLfNpxf5YAX7iAQr8fnMwOH9T5cfEFOKHQL9nXbTjlk7s_xXJvn6Zg2wwuTaM79ZCma68bO3GNwF1RrXJr2VU3NagyMUAujfl5GM81LdQt23ZIE-XJe0utA1yK4PxMxsIR/s400/Milford+Leader+Turtle.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364832086726228434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcBcEEtRs-0n5BLbO4u4K86cGw_luBZnuCv5PZN504E5ktCHTKO5meuTiI99uVJnb4fArUhggxmDk4hzQcW1OEUgHMp_oNbhKBQmrgU__UGxcduUrZ4-etKjYyib-4TuOqZwr6wLYO5yu/s400/Milford+Leader+Front+Page+2+-+1949+cropped.jpg" border="0" /></div>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-61241065700634081432009-07-24T00:28:00.005-04:002009-07-24T00:42:48.734-04:00You Want It When?<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361881804336107538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 282px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTpNb_BRcBZRan9QzXKX64f90QoED6IXi0iizXyaiWzfeICjrz3nboS3teauRugP0c_9lr_z5RLEMz-D8p54T4BDM8TBXh8toDyKgZr0WSmgzEkD0m50RAJJXq-aqSYGB2s9gHUkR9Re2/s400/Printers+Calender.jpg" border="0" />Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-52225064407176904982009-07-17T18:54:00.010-04:002009-07-17T19:25:50.978-04:00A Family Affair<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoPX-WnHYwwuDW60clKYunV3CFWqGmkLJ4vcyAgPU1nIB2Zlrc_6ueK_g6SLuvvn0ba9AxxmmCv4Ks1_M757Dl_ZaBXiMe4hcRfOaNvIzVKsaSKOS0nfeg826QwaZeR8rKCKP0WODdDer/s1600-h/Husband-Wife-Boys_printshop+cropped.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359566940093726066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 279px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoPX-WnHYwwuDW60clKYunV3CFWqGmkLJ4vcyAgPU1nIB2Zlrc_6ueK_g6SLuvvn0ba9AxxmmCv4Ks1_M757Dl_ZaBXiMe4hcRfOaNvIzVKsaSKOS0nfeg826QwaZeR8rKCKP0WODdDer/s400/Husband-Wife-Boys_printshop+cropped.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I love vintage photos of print shops and try to latch on to as many as I can. This is one that came my way while online this afternoon. I think it shows a family operation and I think my hunch is a reasonable one. The age of the three boys: young, older, and oldest; the presence of those who appear to be a father and mother of appropriate age to be the parents; and an older man who seems the right age to be the scion of the family. How likely is it that a group with those characteristics would be found working in a small shop. I think it likely that this is a newspaper office also doing the real money-making job work.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>I'm particularly drawn by and attracted to this photo. One reason is for the apparent family relationship and that it therefore represents a not uncommon though seldom seen working scenario of that era. Another is that it shows regular, daily <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">print shop</span> activity <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">including</span> the accompanying work that goes on in any shop. The woman appears to be collating or otherwise sorting and stacking printed matter for some kind of jobbing work.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Unfortunately I don't have any <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">information</span> about where this photo was taken or the date, but based on the clothing, equipment, and facilities I'm thinking circa 1900-1920, possibly out west or in some rural area.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>I wonder what ever became of them all...</div>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-27067020986411830802009-07-14T12:33:00.007-04:002009-07-14T12:47:15.351-04:00Ship, Ahoy!The mystery is no more. Of all things, it turns out that the cut is for an advertisement for the mast of a sailboat. Three respondents suggested this and two provided links.<br /><br />The link with the most comparable information is here: http://www.dwyermast.com/items.asp?cat1ID=20&cat1Name=Masts&familyID=40&familyName=DM-6+Mast<br /><br />Since the basement print shop was near Hartford, Conn. it makes sense that there would be something nautically related. But I never would have figured out it was the cross section of a mast. And the text is not just random filler but the the arcane specifications for such a thing.<br /><br />Now, how to use it...Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-19747880286916259232009-07-11T11:54:00.000-04:002009-07-11T11:56:52.326-04:00Cut It Out!I have a mystery cut that I recently acquired. It was packaged well in paper and looks to be unused. The use it may have served is a mystery to me. The "border" does not look like anything that I have reference to and the text is equally mysterious. My guess is something to do with sports or fishing. Because the cut appears to have come from the manufacturer and never been opened I'm assuming the text is related to it's use, but perhaps is just a bizarre filler. It consists of Lino slugs and 2 pt leads and 6 pt slugs for spacing. It is slightly snug but not tight enough for a lockup. It would need another lead or some other means of wedging it a bit tighter. If anyone can provide some insight I would really appreciate it.<br /><br /><br /><br />The text reads as follows:<br /><br /><br /><br />P-5 BARRACUDA<br /><br />Length 4.25<br /><br />Width 3.00<br /><br />Wall 0.95<br /><br />lxx 2.10 in. 4<br /><br />lyy 1.23 in. 4<br /><br /><p></p><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357021167570702866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 291px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkejXbPiifURdcHz7Uba4_CjTmkmv9IW7pktIk9Y6NW5rYVUVMVHv338bwo0zd5FI6N-U5D99mfcvJZiIQri4cLkpNp0WVafCQLxAMQMOMugahyGi8h5lJCmNV3BknfD8BfQ7l3XFXBSu/s400/Mystery+Cut.jpg" border="0" />Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-16674282729015488932009-07-10T21:59:00.001-04:002009-07-10T22:03:33.146-04:00The Return Of The NativeWell, it's been one of those months when not much has gotten done around the shop in terms of printing, my day job has been extremely stressful and tiring, and so finding a real need to relax I helped some friends move thousands of pounds of iron, wood, and lead. Oh, yeah.<br /><br />The first such adventure was helping my friend Sarah Smith of Smith Letterpress move her recently acquired C&P 8x12 press, a Challenge paper cutter, imposing stone and bench, and misc. items from Alan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Runfeldt's</span> Excelsior Press in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Frenchtown</span>, NJ to Long Island on a Saturday the second week in June. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Interestingly</span> enough, this paarticular press was my first press which, as readers of this blog may remember, I traded for a 10x15 last Fall. I can't say how happy I am that Sarah now has this press.<br /><br />The day started out fine as we used a small U-Haul box truck with a pullout ramp to move everything. It looked like we might avoid the rain but no, after traversing the Lincoln Tunnel, Manhattan, and Queens, we ran into some wetness just before arriving on the north shore of the "Big Island". It was then we found out that the layout was not quite what we had thought and the truck had to be parked somewhat further away from the storm cellar entrance than we had anticipated. But we had come well prepared with plywood and 2x6's and as you will see from the photos. Good thing we had recently watched Bridge on the River <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Kwai</span>.<br /><br />Photos are posted here: <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/funkedude/PressMove?feat=directlink">http://picasaweb.google.com/funkedude/PressMove?feat=directlink</a><br /><br />When all was safely in the basement we were treated by Sarah's very gracious, easy-going and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">companionable</span> parents to massive, juicy, marinated and delicious <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">BBQ'd</span> steaks and accessories. I took advantage of an offer by Sarah's mom and took an outdoor shower that was extremely refreshing. We <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">sweated</span> and we grunted and we ate, and then we had a long drive back home. All in all it was a very satisfying and enjoyable adventure.<br /><br />Adventure No. 2 started on Friday morning the 24th about 9:30 and ended Saturday morning about 5:15. The mission was to travel to Clinton, Conn. and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">retrieve</span> a Heidelberg platen press, a Golding jobber, a paper cutter, cabinets of type and galleys, and misc. treasures. The shop was once owned and run out of the basement of Alan Duran who began printing privately about 30 years ago. He recently passed away and the house is being sold. His son and grandson wanted his equipment to go to people who would preserve and use it and carry on Mr. Duran's legacy. They contacted my friend Alan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Runfeldt</span> of the Excelsior Press who in turn found a man in West Virginia looking for a Heidelberg. It was arranged that he would come up with a trailer and pick Alan and I up and then <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">continue</span> on to Conn. where we would pick up the equipment. We would <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">stop</span> back at Alan's shop and unload everything but the Heidelberg which would continue on to its new home father south. Alan will make the other equipment available for sale to help <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">others</span> building their shops and provide funds for his Excelsior Press museum.<br /><br />Here are photos of that move: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shawfamilypublishing/sets/72157620540304943/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/shawfamilypublishing/sets/72157620540304943/</a><br /><br />Fortunately the shop was in a basement that was at garage level and we only had to demolish a short section of wall to make room to get everything out. The wall was somewhat makeshift and will be easy to replace if necessary. Once again there was plenty of rain and we just missed a tornado. But though extremely tiring and taking nearly 24 hours from start to finish, it turned out well and we all have a few more things for our shops and to pass on to others. Mr. Duran's family was very personable, only to be expected of members of a Bluegrass band of course, and provided labor, coffee, pizza, and plenty of moral support. I even got a vintage oscillating fan from the garage sale pile for my shop!<br /><br />All in all it was an eventful month even it it did keep me out of the shop. Now it's on to pending projects.Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-81639045109475780242009-06-06T13:15:00.004-04:002009-06-06T13:26:12.196-04:00Spooling AroundAll right, that's perhaps the worst heading ever but since it's for a relatively unnecessary post, it's actually appropriate. I just wanted to put up a photo of the label on the spool of stitching wire that came with the stitcher. It's a wooden spool and the vintage label is pretty interesting. The label has the imprint of the manufacturer who made the stitcher but while gluing it back on I noticed that it had actually been placed over the original label. I couldn't see enough to determine the manufacturer of the wire.<br /><div></div><br /><div>BTW, I'm still looking for some additional spools, partial or full, wood or plastic, whatever gauge. I know I can buy them new but this poor printer is hoping to save some money if possible.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344266973841589090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 378px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmR3DizXm0X9sU6dGJwzdbqcxzcHcVu57119Zsj59CCsoh_iDjX7ATelpG2pu0UUoh3ao8AfeNAwHvq8J4OaDpscwW2N29_14uUexpr3U6-k6X9q_kPWid_PCT-bpolUF7rNCc6uui6bs/s400/Wire+Stitcher+Wood+Spool.jpg" border="0" /></div>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-51888523065762491132009-06-02T23:10:00.005-04:002009-06-02T23:28:21.037-04:00Wired!<div><div>Many thanks to my friend Alan Runfeldt of the Excelsior Press for having numerous printer's supply catalogs laying around and allowing me to borrow them. In two I found ads for my No. 8 National wire stitcher. </div><br /><div></div><div>The top scan is from the circa 1950's New York Type Distributors catalog. They were located at 579 Broadway in New York City: just phone Canal 6-6767.</div><br /><div></div><div>The second scan is from the Zimmer Printer's Supply catalog from 1969. Their main office was at 225 Varick St. in New York City with a sales office in Boston and an executive office in Hawthorne, New Jersey. Orders can be placed by cable using the code: Zimsupco</div><br /><div></div><div>Don't you just love old catalogs? The information in these two ads tells me virtually everything I need to know regarding the stitcher. Capacity, speed, and clear enough graphics to allow me to reconstruct accurately the table gauge. Fortunately one of the end slides was still attached so I can use it for scale and general construction.</div><br /><div></div><div>I now need some wire. If anyone has any 5 pound spools of wire they don't need, aren't using, or wish to donate please let me know. Older wooden spools are especially welcome!</div><div> </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342937699021204386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 183px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJWEBhxjDf0HPGJFnHsq4916ozMCyTU41GlsgFnbZUiS8mtI6lVTjR_dS7J7bPkUXar0Kv_86GTYHAiHfDiAelfLvmJNAvKz25YjRJKiOuQlXlIo7wUxWXNvtIgux_srhWF23wlbvPSnO/s400/National+Stitcher+New+York+Type+Distributors+1950s+1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342937309394078834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 289px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvr_ABWeJ626xLcVN8GYNB_CF4NVUHtTwV2aHSproY3s_echBsrwCxyhOczemoWxN-ObMRZtVW4-sLNObFx33Eh0v1TsR-z5ZQ-azX_OrbQhLBOO9-WhyphenhyphenFhH7UaseAH32sFyZE8QgLjgw/s400/National+Stitcher+Zimmer+Printers+Supply+1969+1.jpg" border="0" /></div></div>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038227588311258946.post-68579047829759818832009-05-22T21:31:00.007-04:002009-05-22T22:22:25.980-04:00A Stitch In Time<div><div>I've been on a slight hiatus from posting because I've been without a computer at home for about three weeks. I had an ancient 366 mhz unit that I've exchanged for a less ancient Pentium III at about 800 mhz. I still have dialup so dowloading, etc. is as slow as before, but aside from that I'm cookin' with gas. And it doesn't lock up every few websites. And it has Windows 2000 and Corel Draw, and it's the best thing since sliced bread. Now I'm loking into DSL. Yep, I'm moving right into the 90's.</div><br /><div></div><div>Anyway, in honor of the first post since my return, I have a nice new addition to the shop to introduce, a National wire stitcher. While I don't plan on doing thousands of binding jobs of my own work, I will do some and want to have the option of doing binding for others on a paying basis. Besides, it's a cool machine and I love machines and because I only paid $50 for it and picked it up locally, I indulged myself.</div><br /><div></div><div>I picked it up today and while I wasn't surprised by its overall dimensions which were about what I expected, I didn't realize it was so beefy. It's made of heavy castings and is very substantial. I still need to look into its particular specifications, but it certainly looks heavy enough to bind up to at least an inch thick as opposed to the smaller, lighter models.</div><br /><div></div><div>It was made by the Gitzendanner-Muller Co., Inc. of New York, NY. It's their National Wire Stitcher, Size #8, serial number 1325. There is a supplier's tag on it as well showing that it was sold by the E.P. Lawson Co. Inc. of 426 W. 33rd St., New York 1, NY. The tag indicates they sold paper cutting machines and binding equipment and probably a lot of other things related to printing.</div><br /><div></div><div>I'm estimating it is from the 30's. This is based on the paint color, style of the maker's and seller's tags, etc. The "New York 1, NY" will be a clue that I have yet to look into. It had a wooden wire spool with some 28 guage wire installed. The spool had a paper label from the same company as the maker of the stitcher but because the label was partly falling off and partly damaged I was able to see that it had been glued over a label from the actual maker of the wire. This is not uncommon as for example Martin guitar strings are sold in Martin packaging but are actually made by a company that makes strings as their main business. I wish stitching wire sold today still came on wooden spools instead of ugly, bright colored plastic. I repired the lbel and reattached it to the spool. Gotta love that wooden spool.</div><br /><div></div><div>The stitcher is dirty with minor rust on some exposed parts but otherwise seems complete and cycled through when I turned it by hand. I need to replace the cord. If anyone could provide me with scanned catalog pages, instructions, or any other information on this particular stitcher or a similar stitcher I would really appreciate it. I'm pretty good mechanically but am flying blind with this machine.</div><br /><div></div><div>The photos below were taken by the man I bought it from and aren't so good. I'll take some better ones and post them later.</div><div> </div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338838588565458466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamMO18CIe8b2tpRiCFid4SwA02FhiOA0eXHu76AOk8ZMwfMYlyW-wjCQPPJE5PBEKiirpZWsTiwgyich9Gxiwi3DOGnoJkGw9Swk6WqCEb0PFj1ALBus57-rij2gR1RWg2E83obprVmV7/s400/national+wire+stitcher+ebay+2.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338838183996505394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyjCR8mbbHAwMCppwRS6XrYgNktZaHcFTeQiq8X1XE_YSOvyYrX10Zgz2pgmoYrtZSuZ3EGD7fTu6wNiJoY-dQPJGGLPW7EWqRxiNsMuMFp5mRdVUdFvTAPTpp0sDqnQ8SdIGeZP02Mdd/s400/national+wire+stitcher+ebay+1.JPG" border="0" /></div></div>Rich Polinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668886954675397098noreply@blogger.com0