No one else has answered…I don’t own a C&P pilot, but I think the cores of Pilots have a tab or two pinched out that the trucks go over…there is a slot in the truck for them to fit into. Ideally the trucks do not rotate independently of the roller, they should roll with the roller. This one reason the trucks should be the same size as the roller. Thus the trucks should not be lubricated. Oil on the rails causes all sorts of inking/printing problems.

Where the roller cores fit into the roller hooks is a different matter. Those should be lubricated. 30 weight non-detergent motor oil seems to be the accepted product. It’s what I use on my presses.

https://skylinetype.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/stf-initials-collections-ed-27.pdf

collection #6

Not sure on the tympan…mine is on a roll and I cut it off square. Not sure if it matters as long as the tympan covers the area you’re printing.

Pressboard is the best packing but it is expensive. Manila file folders work well for me. they come in two thicknesses. If I need a bit more thickness, a sheet or two of smooth paper for the copier goes in between or underneath the folder.You want a fairly hard packing normally.

You are unlikely to need grippers unless you are printing large solids and the paper wants to stick to the form. Unless I’m doing some stenciling I usually leave them off as they get in the way when cleaning. Grippers also have a distressing tendency to smash gauge pins and even type.

I use both 8×12 and 10×15 C&Ps regularly at home and the university.

Mine arrived yesterday. Making it a Good Mail Day. While the snow built up to 12 inches I ignored it and spent a very fun 2 hours perusing the contents. Some mighty fine printing.

OK. I’ll join in. Details please.

Rising Stonehenge. I prefer to print dry, but it can also be dampened.

The digital point, I believe, is exactly 1/72 of an inch and the metal Anglo-American point is slightly larger. For most purposes you can set short amounts of text on the computer and have it come out fairly closely to the computer version when using the same point size. The differences can be noticeable, however. On a 36 page poetry chapbook I ended up with a few poems running over the page size, adding two unplanned pages to the book. I only had enough type to print a couple of pages at a time. Unfortunately I didn’t discover the problem until about half done. Adding two pages to the back also added two blank ones near the front. I solved that problem by commissioning a student artist to draw a frontis piece at the last minute. Now I’m a bit more careful when mocking up my work by computer.

Cut a 1/2 x 1/2 inch slot into the wooden stick. If you place it right you may get 2 cutting surfaces out of each plastic surface.

I use about 15% per color.

I may have an interested student here East Lansing.

David Rose says it best: http://fiveroses.org/intro.htm#Choosing

I don’t do a whole lot of scoring, but when I do, I lock some 2 point rule into the chase and  use my press. I’ve also tried string scoring, by locking up two lengths of rule separated by 2 point lead and taping a string on the platen so that the string falls between the two rules. Works really well, but a bit trickier to set up.

Not strange. Normal for me. I turn down all jobs for money as printing is just a hobby for me. Sometimes a job is impossible to refuse (family, close friends, etc.) then I try to invite the person over to print their own invitation or whatever. Usually works and since they print their own…no complaints or do-overs. And some folks have a better concept of what letterpress is. If they can’t come to the shop, I have to decide if the job is a gift. I’ve done a few of those.

[Author]

Posts