* Missing part on C&P 8x12 shaft

Yes but not really anything you’ll miss much. A drive pulley was there to make it easier to motorize the press. Sometimes, there were two with a clutch mechanism between them if the press was being used with a line shaft.

Most of these have been cut off at some point. If there is no drive pulley, the shaft is just at the right height to catch a shin as you walk by, I’d be tempted to either put on a drive pulley or cut it off short.

Arie: Thanks. Any idea where I could get a drive pulley? As an aside, the former owner sold me a motor and belt as well. I think the put them around the flywheel…is that a good / workable arrangment?

Presses of this vintage were powered by a line shaft that would have run either in the ceiling or under the floor. There would have originally been two flat belt pulleys next to each other on the right side of the presses’ drive shaft, one fixed to the shaft and the other loose on the shaft. A pulley as wide as both pulleys together would have been in line with those pulleys on the main line shaft. A leather belt slightly under the width of one of the pulleys on the press shaft would have connected the main line pulley with the press pulleys. The main line shaft in a shop generally ran continuously all or most of the day and likely had other machines connected to it.

There would have been a shift lever mounted to the top of the throw off lever bracket (if you look you will see the hole there for the connecting bolt). The back end of the shift lever, which moved from side to side, was connected to a pivoting coupling to which was attached a round shaft that went through holes in either side casting of the press. If you look you will see these holes. This shaft came out the right side to the rear of the tight and loose pulleys. At the end of the shft was attached an iron two-tined fork, the tines of which were on either side of the belt.

When the press was stopped the belt would have been around the loose pulley just turning with the main line shaft. When you wanted to start the press you would move the shift lever so that the fork slid the belt over from the loose pulley to the tight pulley thereby turning the presses’ drive shaft and starting the press. To stop the press the shift lever was moved the other way and the belt slid back to the loose pulley.

So technically, you’re missing the shifter mechanism and the tight and loose pulleys as most presses are missing them today. However, since most presses are run today with a dedicated electric motor all you need is a single pulley of the correct diameter (at least 24”) to mount on the right side of the drive shaft, either flat or V belt. Or, you can use the flywheel and belt the motor directy to it in which case you don’t need anything further on the press. This is perhaps what the seller means when he says it is complete.

Rich

Front Room Press
Milford, NJ
http://frontroompress.com
http://frontroompress.blogspot.com

I completely agree, I would just cut off the excess axel to save your shins. You can put a v belt on the large flywheel. (If there was a motor mount on the right side of the press that you were completely intent on using, you could try to find a smaller flywheel to attach to this axel and run the belt one it. It would be more of a hassle to find and do this though than to do as previously noted) so I say, again, cut off the excess and put the belt on the main flywheel.

The horton clutches are a pain/waste of time in my mind, the only reason you wouldnt want the belt on the main flywheel is if there was a braking device that would hinder a belt on this side (which I have seen).

I would leave the shaft alone. If you ever want to trade or sell that press it will be less desirable if it has limited options for hooking up the motor.

Rich

Printers, I thank you! You have put my mind at ease.