Craftsmen Monarch with uneven roller frames
I’ve learned so much by reading everyone’s posts, and I’m hoping some kind soul might be able to offer some advice about a problem I’m having.
About a month ago I purchased a Craftsmen Monarch (9x12) that was in pretty rough shape and was missing its rollers, cores, and trucks. I ordered new rubber rollers, cores, and trucks from Cratsmen, and while I waited for them to arrive I cleaned up the press, removing the rust using the vinegar/lemon juice solution I learned about here on Briarpress. :) I finally got it into somewhat decent shape, and my new rollers arrived, so I was excited to begin printing. However when I attempted to put the rollers on, I very quickly discovered that the roller frames are very uneven.
I removed the roller arm screw so that the roller frames on both sides became loose and lowered to the lowest position. The frame on the right side of the press lowers to be completely vertical. However, the roller frame on the left side of the press is about 20 degrees higher than vertical in the resting position. This unevenness obviously makes it impossible to work the rollers because they are at such a slant (down to the right).
The problem is, I can’t figure out a way to adjust the angle of the frames. On the right side, the frame is attached to the cross bar by means of a hollow “pin”. If I remove this pin, I can adjust the frames to be even, but the hole is drilled in such a way that once the pin is tapped back in, the frames are uneven again. The left side frame is connected to the cross bar with a hex bolt AND a big thick pin that goes all the way through the rod. For the life of me, I can’t figure out how anyone ever printed with this thing unless the pin on the left side was added on at some point. Does anyone have any ideas how I could fix/adjust this?
If it would be helpful I will post some photos because my explanations probably don’t make much sense without them. Thanks in advance for any advice you may have!
if i were you i would contact craftsman, them might be able to help you. they are a good machine, i had one a couple of years ago i used it for short run scoring, it was very well made, they still carry some parts for these. good luck dick g.
Having recently refurbished a Monarch I am familiar with the description of your problem. Here is what I would do. Assuming everything else is functioning correctly … select the roller arm you wish to adjust, place it in the location you wish it were, space it away from the rails … a suitable distance to clear both the rail and the link to the platen, then drill a new hole through the shaft. Insert the roll pin and you should be good to go. Select a twist drill slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the roll pin to ensure a nice snug fit.
Thanks to both of you for your suggestions. It seems like drilling a new hole might be a good solution. Ink Spot, just out of curiousity, did your Monarch have a big pin going through the roller frame and shaft on the side with the hex bolt?
Thanks again!
i would think the press was working before, drilling would be a last resort. check it out really good before making extra holes, not to say that drilling might be the way to go. it sounds like something might not be together quite right. good luck dick g.
Send a detailed photo as I don’t know exactly what you are referring too. In the mean time I will search for my pre-dis assembly photos.
I would think that the pin on the left is added.
I don’t want to sound condescending, but are you sure it is a pin, and not just a casting mark of some kind. The only roll pins I remember removing when I disassembled my press were on the springs for the roller arm shafts. I double check my press tomorrow.
I looked on my parts sheet, and two roll pins are listed on the “roller drive axle package” It also lists two set screws for the spacers
Here is a link to my flickr stream with the diagrams and parts list from Craftsmen Machinery.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/boundstaffpress/4306098640/
Here is a view of my press disassembled.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3090/2696446331_108dc9d955_b.jpg
I checked my press this morning. One roller arm has a roll pin. The other side has two hex head set screws. They are drilled at 90 degrees. Is it possible that what you think is a “pin” is in fact a painted over set screw?
Contact me at boundstaffpress ({at}) yahoo.com if you would like me to send you pictures.
Boundstaffpress, outstanding technical references. Thank you very much for the effort it took to make this detail available.
No problem Ink Spot. I am passionate about geeky stuff like manuals for the equipment I own. Always eager to share.
Thanks for all the detail here! What a helpful bunch of folks. I had to step away from my studio for a couple of days and didn’t get a chance to grab a photo but will post one this weekend.
On the right side it is a hollow pin, just one of them, and the hole is drilled all the way through the frame and the shaft, through to the other side of the frame. When the frame is hanging vertically, the hole is dead horizontal. That looks original.
On the left side, there is the hex bolt, what looks like an oil hole, and then a big thick (~1/8”) “pin” (for lack of a better term-it looks like a really thick nail with a blunt end) running somewhat vertically through the frame, shaft, out the bottom of the frame, and sticking out about an inch. No amount of tapping it has made it budge at all. Hmmm … I wonder if this used to be a second hex bolt that was modified at some point? I’ll post up some pictures this weekend because I’m sure my descriptions are less than stellar. :)
Thanks again for all your help!
By the way, boundstaffpress, I have been admiring your beautiful Monarch refurbishment for some time now!
Thanks to everyone who responded with ideas and suggestions. Boundstaffpress, I took a closer look at the roller frame, and discovered that underneath years of gunk, there actually was a second hex bolt 90 degrees from the first, with the troublesome pin in between the two bolts. It seemed most likely that the pin had been added at some point by an end user, so we decided to see what would happen if we removed it. It was pretty well stuck in there, but after soaking the frame and shaft overnight in the vinegar lemon juice solution, enough of the gunk came off that we were able to hammer out the giant pin. Then we attached the frame to the shaft with just the 2 hex bolts, and voila! The frames were even. Given that the big pin made it impossible to install rollers, I can’t imagine why anyone would have hammered that thing in there. Very weird. Anyway, I GREATLY appreciate everyone’s help in figuring this out. Thanks!
Glad to hear you have things taken care of. Best of luck as you begin printing.