Yes, indeed it is. It is very exciting – as well as satisfying to me, personally – to finally be getting these casting projects off the ground. It took a long time to find the right foundry – willing to make one or two individual parts at prices we can afford… But now I need to upgrade my metal working shop and get my Bridgeport Milling Machine all set up so that I can do the finish work these raw iron castings will require to be finished and usable.

Yes,. It is very exciting – both for the folks who are looking for these replacement parts – and for me, who *promised* that I’d be making them a few years ago… Getting started on projects like this does take some time, (and a lot has happened in my old life since I began this adventure) but is very exciting once we see some progress..

I will update my blog with progress., Check back in 4 weeks to see what I get back from the foundry when I go to pick up these pieces on Feb 11.

BTW – My first lot of cast pieces included two Sigwalt #10/11 ink disks, a treadle hook for the 8×12 C&P and a (proper) gooseneck for a Kelsey that had been bastardized a bit when it was “refurbished” using the wrong part – which eventually broke, was welded and then broke again. The problem wasn’t in the part, it was in the press that should have used the proper gooseneck for this particular model. Luckily, I had the proper part on another press which I was able to duplicate. Soon I’ll have another 6×10 ready to move on to its new home…

I haven’t had time to begin the 2015 blog – which will start off with some “road trip” reports of my visits to two museums in York, PA, the .918 Club hq in Lancaster, two visits to the iron foundry, and a very enlightening visit with Paul and Austin at Bindery Tools. They also have a surprising collection of old presses and press parts – including some old Pearls, Pearl and C&P treadles & hooks and we even found the C&P drive gear that someone asked me about recently.

At the Industrial Museum in York, I found a shop equipped pretty much like mine (without the clutter) but with an Iron Washington Hand Press and, better yet, a very well done reproduction (made at least 50 years ago) of the old Wooden Common Press. Frankly, that example is better than the one we built here this summer… http://excelsiorpress.org/blog/blog.2014.html#sept and is currently being used as a prop in the musical “Amazing Grace” in Chicago…

– Alan

Tatiana –

Yes. I have already made chases for my own Golding Official. I used an extremely hard wood called “Ipe” or “Brazilian Iron Wood.” Initially, I’d planned on using it as a pattern for casting, but it works so well, that I’m satisfied to use it as the final chase. I actually made 4, using slightly different designs, but they all work fine – hard as steel, no question – and just about as heavy as steel as well.

See: http://excelsiorpress.org/blog/blog.2011.html#june (scroll down to June 25 – or see the image alone at http://excelsiorpress.org/forsale/photos/GoldingChase.jpg

In fact, I loaned one of these chases to a friend who used my design and made one for himself. Of course, he has his own machinery and equipment, but It’s not rocket science. I believe that I can make a chase for your press for about $50 or so. AND, it comes with a full 100% satisfaction, money-back guarantee. – and I might as well throw in “lifetime warranty” as well. I am that confident in both my design as well as the Ipe.

I suppose I could also use one of mine for a pattern for casting in gray iron as well, but frankly, it’s possible that the Ipe would outperform the cast iron… It certainly would not be brittle like cast iron.  – and could cost more to cast and then finish.

– Alan 908 627-2730

http://ExcelsiorPress.org

UPDATE ON THIS CHASE-BED QUESTION:

Well, it’s been a while, but I have *finally* delivered our (first) 5×8 Chase Bed pattern (with matching chase) to the foundry. I’ll pick up the raw casting on or about Feb 12, and then will begin dealing with the issues related to machining, then hardening the chase bed. It will still be a while, but at least the project is “in process”. Today, I picked up our first castings – a 6×10 Kelsey “gooseneck”, a treadle hook for a C&P and some ink disks for the little Sigwalts.

These parts also require some machining to be “finished and usable”, but at least, the work is in progress. In four weeks, i expect to have our first casting of THE CHASE BED. Then I’ll work on the machining work and then make improvements to the process until we can finally say – with confidence – that we can supply all of those incomplete presses with one of the major parts they will need to be put back into regular operation.

I’ll be documenting this process on our blog page at http://excelsiorpress.org/blog/index.html, so watch there for updates… specificaly, http://excelsiorpress.org/blog/blog.2014.html and http://excelsiorpress.org/blog/blog.2015.html – as soon as I begin this year’s new blog….

– Alan

Nancy – If you don’t find a buyer for these parts soon, please contact me through my web site; I have inquiries for these parts pretty often – which is why I’m planning on making new ones available to the community as soon as I can.

– Alan Runfeldt – http://ExcelsiorPress.org

Nicole –

Still on the trail, but nothing in hand yet. I did make two phone calls to my friend about chase beds and ink disks this past week, and received promises of “I’ll find out and get back to you soon.”

I’m sorry – and somewhat frustrated myself – that this is taking so long, but it is something I am determined to do. We are prepared to machine both ink disks and chase beds just as soon as we get some castings to put on our Bridgeport Milling Machine. Kelsey Company used a Bridgeport to make the originals, so I’m confident that ours will be up to the task.

– Alan

hi, Nicole –

I never made it to Rhode Island. That trip was planned just before Super Storm Sandy “blew through” and stopped everything in its tracks around here. It was weeks before we had power restored, and after cleaning up and catching up, it was Thanksgiving. Then Christmas. Then New Years.

But I do have someone working on it. If he does not come through within the next week or so, I will be visiting some more local foundries and make arrangements myself. I continue to receive requests for Chase Beds and Ink Disks and am determined to fill the need. Best place to find updates is on my blog pages at http://excelsiorpress.org/blog/blog.2013.html

Thanks, Alan

And, an update:

Although I’m up to my ears with projects, I do plan a trek to Rhode Island later in the week to visit a foundry which may be able to do the casting. As this project develops, I will update my blog – when there’s something definite to report. I do intend to make parts and make them available to complete those presses which are missing ink disks, chases & chase beds. This has been a dream for the past few years; now it is getting closer to reality. I am making roller hooks, rollers & locking trucks already. And, my photo-polymer Chase-Bases are back in production.

– Alan

Hah! Surprise!

I just happened to stop by the site to get and pass on the url as a link to a friend when I found this post. Generally, Terri is right; I have been backed up quite a bit and even changed my web site’s contact form message to recommend other sources and to inform everyone that I would not be back to the shop until October.  Well, it is October and I am back.

But this 5×8 Chase Bed issue is an important one and all I can say is that I am looking for some as well. And, just this morning I had a conversation about making new Chase Beds for 5x8s. There is a need for them and I receive inquiries for these and for chases and ink disks frequently, so I am moving ahead with plans to make new ones to fill the obvious need.

I have also recently acquired my own Bridgport Milling Machine – the same machine that Kelsey used to machine their castings. Next step is to make arrangements with a more local foundry, or have beds cast in Rhode Island. Then I will be able to fill this need for both beds and ink disks for the 5×8 and other Kelsey presses.

And, now that my family and I are finally moved to our new home, I am back to work after a many months’ hiatus as I dealt with the entire “find, finance, buy and move to a home of our own.” We’ve done it and we’re settled in, so now I am back to work and focusing on printing and other letterpress issues.

But it will still take some time to make this all happen. I cannot promise to have any new parts before the end of the year, but soon after that, it’s entirely possible that I will be able to begin to fill this obvious need of the small press community.

When I do have parts ready to ship, I would gladly post an alert here at Ladies of Letterpress. I look forward to helping put more of these old Kelsey presses back to work.

– Alan

http://ExcelsiorPress.org

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