It’s true, I only change the vibrator rollers, I keep the other four in place all the time. I’ll try that, too! You know what’s funny? I posted this question on three different letterpress lists, and yours, here, is the one and only response I’ve had! I didn’t think my problem was that unique! 🙂

Hi, Kseniya! No, can’t say I’ve ever used roller bearings. I will try raising the rollers with added rail tape at the top. It could be that one of the rollers, possibly the end roller which sets a bit higher by design, might in fact by skidding a bit. I’ll have to see where roller bearings for 10×15 and 8×12 chases might be available.

Pete, maybe it’s the late hour, but I’m a little confused.  Do you want to put your stuff on, say, my blog, or do you want to put my stuff on your blog?  Thanks!  :)-gary // paper wren presshttp://www.paperwrenpress.comhttp://www.paperwrenpress.blogspot.comhttp://www.gjohanson.blogspot.comhttp://www.q5letterpress.blogspot.com ( “All Things Wireless & Letterpress”)

Hi, Monica, try Vbelt Supply:The link above takes you to a page that has belts 1.25″ wide and over 100″ length. I forget, I think my 8×12 uses a 120″ belt for the flywheel.  If you need to do any calculation for belt length vs press speed, I treated this some time back on my blog. gary // Paper Wren Presshttp://www.paperwrenpress.comhttp://www.paperwren.blogspot.com

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]

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]

I would second the floor model idea, personally.  For one thing, you can probably get two 8x12s for the price of one Pilot.  Secondly, if you are going into business, you are probably going to print in quantity, and at some point your time sched. will become crammed enough that pulling the one armed bandit will be just too slow.  Pilots are gr…[Read more]

Thank you for not calling it as having been “letterpressed”.  Sets the hair on the back of my neck on edge whenever I hear a proper noun used as a verb.  But all that aside . . . back when Letterpress was part of a standard commercial shop, and still a part of the daily production routine, Letterpress was the term given to the press type i…[Read more]

Ok, it’s taken a while, but here it is:  I photographed in fairly high rez all the pages of my Ludlow manual, about 155-odd pages.  My PDF maker choked on the images, so these are .jpg images at about 8 mB per image, in a zip file, which I uploaded to my site.  You can download it here.If that link didn’t come through, try th…[Read more]

Barb, would a scan of a manual be of help?  I have a manual, it’s my only, as I am also in the process of obtaining a Ludlow.  It’s gonna be a protracted endeavor, because down here, it seems that turn-key operations are unobtainum.  I have to get a Model M here, mats there, mat cabinets over across the state, ludlow sticks over in Portland, pi…[Read more]

Mary, it’s been a while since you posted this query.  It’s been almost a year, I am curious how you are doing.  Did you ever make the transition?-garyhttp://www.paperwrenpress.comhttp://www.gjohanson.blogspot.com

I almost always name my presses!  They are too important not to.  We name ships, aircraft, and if you go back to the early 1800s, in the days of the thwart-mounted 8-gauge bird guns of the Chesapeake, even the guns!  Even Swords received names! Oddly enough, my original 8×12 NS C&P that does yeoman duty is nameless. I never felt moved to name it…[Read more]

Well, it looks a little late for dealing with the actual quote needed, but i might comment anyway concerning pricing. One point is that no matter what, market value rules. That being said, the market value of letterpress printed products are substantially higher than most other processes. As a former calligrapher, i might advise against the…[Read more]

I think Crane Lettra is quite popular for this.  Check with Legion Papers.  

From a “traditional” letterpress point of view, so much depends on what you want to focus on.  Will you be setting traditional metal type, for instance?  If so, a platen press and that poco proofer would be ideal.  Will you be making posters or broadsides?  Cylinder presses, a Challenge Proofer, a Vandercook, wood type, etc., would be ideal.  We…[Read more]

Well, here I am adding commentary a year later, but after reading these posts, I wonder where you folks are with edge coating now, a year later?  Have any of y’all gotten the technique down to where you are comfortable with it?  Another thought: probably would be good to do the edge coating first, then print the face of the cards.  That way you wo…[Read more]

I just posted some photos on my blog, with you and also some of the gals from Letpress in mind. I’ve been around the block a few times with Letterpress, and something that I try to do is get folks to explore the other virtues of Letterpress, so it will not be totally defined by deep deboss.  That’s only one dynamic.  I find that the detail c…[Read more]

Davina, at this point it’s been really hard for me to beat good ol’ 110 and 220 Lettra.  But don’t limit yourself just to the soft, open sized papers.  During my last workshop, I had my student run a copper add cut of an 1890 Old Series C&P ATF catalog cut as part of her prop card design.  We used the usual 110lb Lettra, which was. . . ni…[Read more]

Davina, in case you are accompanying the actual move, be sure to blog the whole thing if you can, and as is practicable.  It would be a great resource, plus very interesting viewing especially for us ‘topsiders’, to see some Australian scenery. Hang on.  The adventure begins!!:)-gary