The key points in maintaining all printing equipment are to keep it well-lubricated and to keep your equipment clean. As Jack Deller notes: the cleanliness of the overall printing works and machinery is seen as a good indication of efficiency.
Ensure that your presses and other machines are well-lubricated regularly and that the right points are greased. Remember that there may be some oiling points beyond eye level or towards the bottom of the machine.
Your presses should be periodically cleaned with an oily rag. Where corrosion is found on the bed of the press it can be removed with fine carbonium paper soaked in paraffin.
In terms of moving, servicing and cleaning machines thoroughly here are some hints —
Cast iron is brittle: treat it as if it were glass and use either non-metal hammers (like rubber, plastic or wood) or one of these materials between the cast iron and the hammer
When removing parts, replace nuts and bolts in their vacant holes. Where this is not possible, keep a small tin for these
For complex machinery consider using steel punches with letters to show which parts go where; or where gears should meet each other. Record the position of the machine when you begin to take it apart
Avoid crossing threads when undoing bolts, don’t use too much force
Remember that tommy pins and keys can be stuck on dirt, so clean first before trying to force them out
In terms of equipment, a recommendation is that ‘an old suitcase’ or other bag be found to contain the following items to help with low-level printers’ engineering
Deep tray to soak parts in paraffin to clean them
Pipe cleaners to clear out oiling holes
Emery paper to remove dried ink
Paint brush to clean gears
Small tin to hold duct keys and other small parts
Assuming you find or have found a small press and a few cases of type, what more will you need? Perhaps it’s rather a matter of identifying what else came with it? Type needs to be assembled, together with non-printing spacing material, into rectangles of metal, firmly locked together.
Those spaces resembling the shanks of the type are quads and the square section ones, approximately the same size as the shank of a capital M, are called em quads or muttons, those half that width are en quads or nuts. Thinner ones are used between words, em quads and thicker fill up the ends of short lines. To separate the lines of type, which if set solid might print an over-dense page, one needs sets of leads — strips of thin metal which, like quads are less than type-high — cut to lengths slightly less than the chosen width of a column of type set with an em quad at both ends of each line. Quads and spaces are interchangeable between typefaces of the same point size; nevertheless one needs a surprising amount — the same goes for leads.
To fill out the chase (the metal frame which fits onto the bed of the press) one needs a selection of lengths of wood, plastic or metal called reglet: which is also less than type-high. Large hollow Quads, called clumps,are also useful to fill out the chase. You must, however, leave space for quoins (expanding wedges) along two adjacent edges of the chase, these will, when tightened, lock the forme of type firmly in place.
To set lines of consistent width, one needs a composing or setting stick and it should be accurately square, rigid when locked to length, and light enough to hold with several lines of type assembled in it.
This guide kindly contributed by John R Smith of the Old Forge Press. Originally appeared in the newsletter of the Oxford Guild of Printers
The heavier professional machines, designed to print formes involving bold type and blocks generally have a set of rollers dedicated to distributing and preparing or ‘milling’ the ink and another set, the forme rollers, which apply that ink to the type. The lighter treadle or powered ‘jobbing’ platens and the table-top hand platens make do with just one set of, usually only two, rollers to perform both functions. The sheer simplicity of table-top platens such as Adanas and those small treadle or powered platens with an ‘impression throw-off’ allows one to fool their basic mechanisms into behaving as though they have at least twice as many rollers which results in a better ink film and, thus better printing. By running a thinner film of well-loosened ink and rolling the forme twice or more for each impression your little press will produce far better work.
The builders of larger platen presses spent a lot of money on mechanisms to simulate what old hand-press printers using Albions, etc. called a ‘sinking pull’. This allows the forme to dwell in contact with the paper rather than jump straight on and off and again the result is a better printed sheet. This is easily achieved with a hand-press, whether Albion or Adana and well worth the little extra time involved.
Adanas, in particular, compromise inking to allow one to print on paper larger than the platen. To keep the roller tracks below the platen the metal or plastic runners at the ends of the rollers are of larger diameter than the actual roller. The surface speed of the roller over the type is thus different from that of the runner which results in the roller skidding slightly across the type which causes ‘ink slur’ rather than an even coating. If printing paper sufficiently smaller than the inner width of the chase, one can overcome this by fitting a fairly thick piece of wood rule, to act as a ‘type-high bearer’ for the rollers, at each end of the chase. This will also necessitate removing the ‘patent head-lay’ fitted to most Adanas (since its ends would crush the rule), and using traditional front or head and side-lays. These can be either quads glued to the tympan, slips of folded card attached with masking tape, or if you are lucky enough to find some, metal gauge pins, some of which are adjustable, which are pushed into suitably placed holes pricked or slit into the top sheet of the tympan.
Adana’s head-lay and frisket gripper fingers are infamous for crushing the type of the unwary — converting to card lays attached after taking a proof impression is part of the answer. The 8 x 5 has two frisket fingers which are best replaced by stretching the sort of rubber band the postman drops on your front path between the frisket arms. This will not damage the type of the absent-minded, but will still lift the printed sheet clear of the type forme.
This guide kindly contributed by John R Smith of the Old Forge Press. Originally appeared in the newsletter of the Oxford Guild of Printers
You will need two small palette knives with springy blades around 150mm long, one with a round end, one a push-knife (with a flat end like a a high-class decorators scraper). Also a small hand-roller, say 75mm wide x 25mm diameter, a flat ink slab 300 x 300mm or larger, turps and cleaning rags-or kitchen roll. Some might prefer to work in rubber gloves.
Most printing ink comes in cans, of a size which many commercial printers use up in one job! Nevertheless, such cans generally have a close-fitting lid-don’t damage it! Inside a fresh can the ink is covered by an ‘airtight’ waxed-paper or plastic disc, carefully peel this back and skim a suitable amount from the surface, using the push-knife without digging down. A blob the size of half a golf-ball is sufficient for several hundred cards or letterheads. Smooth the airtight disc back: be careful to avoid trapping any pockets of air. The airtight disc restricts oxidation to a thin ring of ink around the wall of the can. If you’ve inherited a carelessly used can you’ll waste, not only time, but more ink than you can use, in trying to pick out bits of oxidised ink ‘skin’-hard insoluble chips-well worth avoiding.
Even in warm conditions, ink needs ‘working’ to make it usable. Don’t spread ink beyond a patch the width of your hand-roller but, with the round-end knife, pummel, lift, fold and beat it vigorously. Friction between the granules of pigment and medium will warm and loosen the ink. Test occasionally by lifting the knife until the strand of ink connecting knife to slab breaks; each time you’ll notice the strand lengthen before breaking. When you can draw up a 100 — 150mm strand, the ink is useable-consistency similar to golden syrup — how deliciously un-healthy!
Scrape most of the ink into a blob and push it out of the way to be your reserve. Roll your hand-roller back and forth over the remaining patch of ink, lifting the roller between strokes to ensure all of its circumference is evenly coated. Transfer, with the hand-roller, a coating of ink to the ink-plate or disc of your press and, before clipping in the forme, work the press-rollers to and fro until they and the disc are evenly coated. Clip in the forme and, with grippers, etc. well clear of the type, work the rollers across ink disc and type forme several times without actually fully closing platen to bed. Now press down fully and take a trial pull on the tympan (the card packing on the platen) and examine it carefully.
If the impression is even, but under-impressed and under-inked, the thickness of a sheet of paper or card will improve it. Carefully position lay-gauges and grippers to locate the paper without hitting the type and try a sheet. If still under-inked, add a little more and try another pull; don’t over-ink, build up gradually.
An un-even impression demands local pressure adjustment; weak at the hinge end of the platen requires more tympan packing, weak at the open end requires less. One corner weak, or heavy demands careful adjustment of the pressure screws behind the bed. If individual letters print too strong or too weak, check for and replace worn letters, plane it (again?) on a clean imposing surface and try again.
This guide kindly contributed by John R Smith of the Old Forge Press. Originally appeared in the newsletter of the Oxford Guild of Printers
Ink Additives
White Ink (from Flickr)
Commercial printers used a myriad of additional ingredients to make a difference to their inks. When printers were using a great mass of ink the unit price was very important, and so cheap ink was common. A survey of commercial printers showed that common additions at one time were —
French chalk
Paraffin wax
Lard
Coconut oil
Beeswax
Lubricating oil
Work was done to reduce the number of additives (known as dopes) to a realistic number. The list below should cover almost all changes needed to inks —
Heavy Varnish
will stiffen the ink and also make it dry a little quicker
Medium Varnish
will soften the ink, useful for printing on a softer paper
Reducer (‘Number 1’ from a commercial supplier)
this will slow drying but reduces picking: the action of the ink pulling the surface of the paper away from the main body of the paper
Supermatting
this additive will help ink to dry when overprinting on a surface that will not allow ink to be absorbed, like plastic or metal foil
Reducer (‘Number 2’ from a commercial supplier)
This helps ink soak in to the paper
While some printers had a tendency to add dopes to every ink, the recommendation of the experts was clear: ink maker produce inks that should work direct from the can. Seek advice from your ink manufacturer about what is best for a particular job and paper.
Historically, the imposing stone was a slab of slate, ground flat, as was the type-bed of a wooden hand-press. Latterly the stone was generally a precisely machined iron casting, similar to an engineers’ surface-plate. A piece of plate glass, an offcut from a genuine marble or granite kitchen work-surface or a truly flat tile of similar material will prove ideal.
For small presses such as Adanas, it should be at least twice the size of the chase and the bigger the better. Type slid from the composing stick should be assembled and surrounded with strips of wooden or plastic reglet or metal girder furniture as in one or other of the above diagrams. Note, in either chase, the gaps left which allow the type to be firmly locked in two planes. For a small clamshell platen the rectangle of type must always be centred in the chase, otherwise it will not print with an even impression. If the type is to be printed to one side of a largish sheet, most such small machines will allow the paper to overhang on two or three sides.
Quoins are essentially expanding wedges; those illustrated are tightened with a square-end key and are the easiest to use. They come in different sizes and narrow-margin quoins take up less space in the assembled forme. If using an Adana with locking-screws built into the chase, ensure that the screws bear on steel strips rather than on the softer, easily damaged furniture.
Take care also to slide the assembled forme close enough to the edge of your stone to keep your screwdriver properly aligned to avoid damaging the threads in the chase. With the quoins tightened evenly, lift one edge of the chase about a centimetre clear of the stone (put a spare quoin or length of reglet under it) and test the forme for tightness by gently patting the type with your fingers. After remedying any loose lines with hair-spaces, etc. try again. When satisfied it is tight, loosen the quoins until the type is almost loose and plane the forme by placing a planer, (a small, flat piece of MDF or birch plywood will do) on the type and pressing down hard or gently tapping it down with a leather mallet. Tighten the quoins evenly and, after checking again for loose type, mount the forme on the press and you are almost ready to print.
This guide kindly contributed by John R Smith of the Old Forge Press. Originally appeared in the newsletter of the Oxford Guild of Printers
Most letterpress machines, from Adanas to Wharfedales embody the technology of the first Industrial Revolution. They use a ‘total loss’ lubrication system, the thicker the oil the longer it stays where needed — they should stand on a drip-tray to catch waste oil. They need regular lubrication at every point where two parts rotate or slide across or through each other. Even a humble Adana has around thirty such points, the thirstiest of which have special oil-holes. Elsewhere, such as the ink-disc spindle, roller arms and bearings need just a carefully applied drop every thousand impressions or so. Little and often is best rather than risk an excess splashing or dripping onto the rollers or paper to spoil your work.
Sewing machine or cycle oils such as 3 in1 are far too thin to adequately cushion the bearing surfaces, especially those loosened by years or decades of wear. Buy a good pump-action oil-feeder can from a tool shop and use, preferably a ‘straight’ SAE30 grade oil or the budget-price 20/50 or thicker engine oil sold by Halfords and some supermarkets. We don’t need the high performance additives in premium grade oils.
As a modern, ‘house-friendly’ alternative, those concerned about the messiness of conventional oil might try the synthetic lubricants, some of them Teflon-based, which are sold in tubes or aerosols for lubricating cycle chains and bearings. These are relatively dry to avoid attracting road dust and the white grease variety smeared onto accessible parts and forced into the oil-holes is a long-lasting, clean lubricant — quite splash-proof! Do, however, ensure such grease is forced well into any oil-holes.
Remember that, although many of us bought our presses cheaply enough, letterpress equipment is no longer in production. Even the last Adanas, assembled to order from remaining parts, each cost more than the price of a popular computer. Machines allowed to run dry will tear apart their working surfaces or even seize solid and,if you have to rely on professional help, such ‘arthritic’ cases can only be rectified by craftsmen whose charges reflect their skills.
The Arab is a mix of cast-iron frame; steel rods and brass. Machines were feted for their reliability and sturdiness. They have to be kept well-oiled and clean. When buying, look out for –
cracks in the frame (difficult to repair)
judder on opening the platen (could be a symptom of significant wear in the bearings)
any looseness of the platen: test by trying to pull the platen apart from the forme when closed up
The machine body was painted in ‘Royal Blue’ but debate continues about the exact shade, and whether different shades were used. The brass roller arms were the only part of the machine to be painted ‘Pillar Box Red’. While the machine alone is great, also look out for –
manuals or erection instructions
additional chases — the Arab came with full-size and ‘butterfly’ chases; or even this slanted chase
roller stocks and bearers (perhaps for a third roller)
spare parts
Dismantling an Arab
This is a reversal of the erection instructions and is based on experience. Remember to keep parts together as far as possible (eg replace nuts on bolt ends as soon as they are removed) and keep things in whole, complete elements — like the braking mechanism — remove this as one unit.
Inking mechanism
Feed boards
Tympan — by removing the blanket rod and wire
Forme Inking Equipment
Inking roller bar, inking rollers and runners
Roller brasses — careful of the springs
Swinger bars which hold the
Inking disk and bearer
Ink disk pick lever
Safety Guard
Arab Wheel should be loosened
Spring and Plunger to hold the Chase on the back platen
Connecting Rods
Back Platen
Lower the back platen
Remove the bolts from the foot of the back platen legs
Flywheel — remove with nut (may have left-hand thread)
Treadle and connecting rod
Frisket mechanism
Strap Guide Rod
Blanket and Frisket shafts
Frisket springs
Die Plate and Bushes — this is the thing which holds the rock-horse against the platen
Remove springs from the Platen Hooks
Front platen — by removing the rod, and collecting the platen hooks
Remove the Arab wheel all together
Impression adjuster
Eccentic shaft (connected originally to the impression adjuster)
Rock horse
Crank shaft — originally connected to the flywheel
Clutch and trip link
Remove the bolts on the stays
Take one side from the other
Re-Erecting the Arab
You can start work on getting the machine back together by following the original instructions that came with each machine.
Documentation
The original documents that came with each Arab have been converted to PDF files by Steve Fisher and Ben Weiner. The Arab Parts List should be used with the Erection Instructions
