Right, or better yet find a replacement part.

I would recommend getting a welder to weld it for you.

Hi Cindy,Yes. What perfect timing, as I am in the middle of another studio clean out. I have many A6 boxes, and some A2s and A1s if you’re interested in those. I’ll have to do a count to verify how many. I also have random colored envelopes if you’re interested. I’m just running out of room and need to part with some things! :)You can email me:…[Read more]

Hi Karen- are the ink and boxes still available? Thanks!

Yes indeed- I am very happy about the little Kelsey. 5 X 8 is a little small- but its big enough to handle business cards, greeting cards, and most stationary. Eventually I’ll probably need to expand to a slightly larger press, but this is a good starter machine from everything I’ve been able to determine – and with a little practice I should be…[Read more]

Hi CamilleThank you so much for the link- I have been looking around for where to buy rollers and these guys definitely look good.

Hi Tara,     Congratulations on your new Kelsey!!! I love my 5×8 Kelsey. I purchased my rollers from Todd. They print perfect, have locking trucks, and the customer service is awesome! http://www.toddspresstime.com/      

Great, it sounds like it will work out!

Hi SusanUnfortunately I got outbid at the last minute on ebay for the Morgan (kind of bummed out by that I will admit). On a happier note, I found a nice little Kelsey 5X8 on ebay for a decent price and have purchased it (its missing the rollers but nothing else- and even has some of the original paint left). Barring disastrous shipping issues I…[Read more]

Hi Tara,I have a Morgan and a Golding Pearl #1 tabletop–I’d be happy to talk to you. The photo on ebay doesn’t look too promising to me, but I have no idea how much effort it would take to bring it up to speed. The roller looks damaged to me. That said, I have only been printing a year or so. I paid $425 for my Morgan, which is in great shape.…[Read more]

Funny how he didn’t take this on with your husband. Quite the bully.I would follow up and see if he actually is the president of the chamber of commerce. Santa Cruz is a small enough community. I guarantee that others have had run-ins with this guy. Also, although this was your first encounter, I am pretty confident the rest of the Santa Cruz…[Read more]

Gary,It sounds like you have all the makings in place to be a small, custom shop that focuses on your strengths–LETTERPRESS FOR THE PEOPLE!I loved your sneak peeks on instagram, of the young couple printing part of their invitations–that is one thing that you can certainly do differently than the other local printers.My local strategy was this:…[Read more]

Thank you, Jessica.  You and Kelly have both confirmed what I have been thinking. I am laying a different set of plans out for the next year, which will major more locally, and more in terms of education.  What you both have pointed to does connect!  Heh, here is where I wish I had everything under one roof where I could have open house eve…[Read more]

He doesn’t understand, like we do, that there’s room for all of us in the pool. Your work and his work are different and will appeal to different people. I also venture to guess that his interactions with his clients might not be all that pleasant either, considering how he was with you. Please keep up your excitement for printing, and keep doing…[Read more]

Hi Gary,I’m in a similar boat, having run a letterpress business of sorts for the last 5 years, after finishing grad school in 2009. I feel like this is the first year that I’ve done comfortably (financially) well, and things are finally starting to look up. I did it by saying ‘yes’ to EVERYTHING when I first started: craft fairs, custom printing,…[Read more]

Thanks for the response, Kelly!  I had wondered as to whether I should appeal locally or not.  I have noted that when I do meet folks, at shows or shops, I spend half my time describing what Letterpress even is. This includes our local University here in DeLand, FL!!  It seems that before I even show what I do, I have to first teach a sh…[Read more]

Such an unhappy experience! You’re right that letterpress is about community and sharing what we know–the bonus is that there is plenty of work for everyone. Your love of the craft and care for your customers will speak volumes.

Gary,I too am running a small letterpress shop in a not-so-saturated area…and I’ve had much better luck focusing my efforts on LOCAL business, local craft fairs, etc. The bulk of my custom work is filtered though local graphic designers, who are more than happy to have “bespoke” wholesale printer. And I’ve built a wholesale/retail line, which I…[Read more]

So sorry you had this experience. But your story is very well written. He may have been put off by the fact you are a woman! But go on with your shop at home. The rewards will be worth it! And odds are he will never get a press anyways.  And good luck with the little one!

Firstly, your bed plate shouldn’t matter to anything, as long as it’s level and brings your type/plates up to type high.Vandercook recommends no more than .03 over the undercut–so you’d want you paper and tympan/packing thickness to total .43. I find that with Lettra (because it’s so soft), you want a bit more than that–closer to .50.(I’m not…[Read more]