New Vacuum Pump for V36??

After thoroughly cleaning the vacuum pump, lines and so forth on my V36, I think it’s time to consider a booster on the vacuum.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfraterdeus/sets/72157624680519609/

I want to be able to pull 100# 13.5x19” cover sheets through the press, and it’s nowhere close to being able to pick up anything like this at the moment.

Any thoughts on likely arrangements for a helper pump?
Pointers to a particular model or type of pump?
Anybody done this before??

Many thanks!!

Peter
slowprint.com

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pfraterdues, Why don’t you rebuild them or have a machine shop do it,new rings might be all it needs.
My v-36 will pick up 12pt cover. I also use telescoping
suckers and low pile height.best james

HI James

Telescoping suckers, hmm.
Haven’t seen these, but I think I heard of them here before.

Anybody have extra telescoping suckers??

I regularly use Crane 300gsm Lettra which is about 21pt.
Can I expect success with this sheet?

Thanks!!

Bigfoot is one brand. I think somebody out there used to make a feeder shoe holder that would hold them on the Miehle. Warning, they are not cheap—but are the best for dealing with difficult stock.

Thanks, I’ve found that NA Graphics carries these.
Will order some today!

P

Peter,
I recently ran 20,000 sheets of 11.5x16.5 15pt herbarium mounting paper through my V-36. At first I had a difficult time feeding the stock. Different set-ups would either pick up two sheets and drop them early or not pick up anything at all.
The solution was to roll the stock to introduce a slight down curl to the lead edge and set the pile height low. I used #3b suckers at the ends and the rubber foot in the center.I adjusted the air blast to float 3-4 sheets and was able to use the largest drive pulley with 1-2 miss feeds per load.

Sumner

(As noted in my other posting…)

The BigFoot does the job! Excellent!!

Now I’ve got a problem with the pickup fingers. The whole pickup bar seems to be slightly off parallel so that the fingers at the right side of the press are just enough too far back that the tabs on the pickup don’t always push the sheet clear of the last gripper, and it catches and rips the whole corner off the sheet as it pulls clear!!

I don’t see any obvious way to adjust the parallel of the pickup bar…

Any thoughts?

OK. I got it figured out.
Simple, really.
I just loosened the big nuts at the bottom of the arm on the right side of the press, and it moved forward exactly the right amount to account for the discrepancy.

Feeding beautifully now!
Can’t wait to get some woodtype in there and print some posters!

Thanks to all for your invaluable pointers and help!

Letterpress folks are a true guild of honest and honorable people. If only more of the world would lean this way ;-)

Cheers

Peter