Craftsmen Machinery Co. 9x12 Letterpress
Hello! I recently purchased my first letterpress! (a 9x12 Craftsmen Machinery Co.) Now that I have come down from the high of actually getting it, I need to get real. I have NO idea how to take this thing apart or put it back together. It needs a good scrub down and replacement rollers. I got the press with no rollers attached and when I get new ones, I have don’t know how to put them back on. I’m trying to look for the manual but having some trouble. Can anyone help?
p.s. I checked on boxcar for a downloadable manual, but it doesn’t seem to be working at the moment.
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Check out these links
http://www.briarpress.org/1496
http://www.craftsmenmachinery.com/
Craftsmen Machinery Co. is in business and Sherman Marks is the person there I have had many conversations about my press (a Craftsmen Superior) they have some parts and they might have a manual. I would call and ask for Sherman and see if he can help you. I have purchased a few replacement parts for my press from him.
Did you get roller cores and/or trucks (wheels) with the press? You’ll need at least the trucks to order new rollers, since the rollers should be the same diameter, but 1/16” overall larger in diameter, than the trucks. The roller cores, the rods the rollers are cast on, need to fit the bearing journals in the saddle hooks. If you don’t have either trucks or cores you’ll need to take some careful measurements of the press parts or get the proper specs from Craftsman.
Thanks so much for the help!
AdLibPress: The previous is owner is supplying the original rollers even though he says they are in poor shape. I figured if I can clean the cores and I’ll have the rollers recovered?
No reason to take it apart. Clean it up as best you can. Lubrication is the important thing. Dick
If you get the rollers and trucks from the present owner, you can send the old rollers to Tarheel Roller (listed in Briar Press yellow pages) and tell them the diameter of the trucks, and they will cast new rollers on your cores, which ensures that the trucks will fit the cores and the cores will fit the press. You can get either composition rollers, less expensive but a little fussier to work with, or soft rubber rollers. For that press a pair of rollers will probably cost between $150 and $200 in rubber, probably half that for composition (I’m guessing at the prices).
Installing rollers is pretty easy: Put the trucks on the cores first. If someone can hold the handle so the roller arms are horizontal, you can pull the hooks out one at a time and slip the lower roller into its hooks, then tilt the hook back and slip the upper roller into place. In the horizontal position it requires the least tension on the roller arms to pull the hooks out.
Your press is called the Monarch. It shares many parts with the Superior (6x10). The Superior was a C&P Pilot knock-off, and both presses are very acceptable in terms of quality.
You may want to Chuck Schwartz at Graphic Equipment. http://www.gaec.biz/contact_us.htm
Graphic Equipment is the retail outlet for Craftsmen Machinery. He can get you rollers and trucks. I’m not sure about whether they have paper manuals anymore.
Oh, by the way, I am very jealous!
Hahah, thanks for the helpful info :)