Base Size

Hi Guys,

I’ve got a Heidelberg Platen 10” x 15”.

I bought a 9” x 12” Standard boxcar Base. Is it possible to get a bigger base for my heidelberg?
Will a 12” x 16” be suitable?

Regards,
Vanessa :)

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no

Hi Vanessa,

Atelier domino is right the answer is no because a 12”x16” base is 1” longer than your 10”x15” chase. You could have them cut your base down to 9”x14” to fit in the chase, but that is NOT recommended. The reason that it says 9”x12” is the max for a 10”x15” chase on the box car press website is because you really need to leave some space to put furniture inside the chase so you can lock up the base properly. Also having that large of a base in your chase could (over time) take a toll on your press and cause problems… (I know this only because I had a similar question and contacted boxcar press directly and that is pretty much what they told me!)

Hi Jerpchap,

I’m fairly new to letterpress printing and I’ve been watching youtube videos on the heidelberg and I noticed that the bases are larger than what I have (with furniture).

Are those custom made?

Regards

Are you sure you’re looking at videos of a 10x15 windmill platen? Maybe they’re of a larger Heidelberg cylinder press. I don’t know any physical way you could put a larger chase or base in a 10x15 windmill.

Can you post some links to those videos?

BoxCar can really make any size you ask. they will charge you for the next size up and cut it down to size. Honestly your best bet would be to contact them directly! And check in the youtube videos to make sure the press is the same size as yours! the ones on youtube could possibly be 13”x18” presses which would allow them to hold a larger base!

Here is a cool sight I found for the Heidelberg!
http://britishletterpress.co.uk/presses/platen-presses/heidelberg-printi...

Hope this all helps!
P.S. I’m pretty new myself and only own a Kelsey 5x8 and am currently looking to get a C&P 10x15 but like you I ask a lot of questions and I am just giving you some of the answers I have received! Where are you located I would love to possibly meet up and learn some stuff on the Heidelberg 10” x 15” as I have never even seen one in person lol

Jerpchap, i thought you were coming here, we have 2 windmills, a 12x18 Kluge, a poco proof press, 3x5 kelsey, 5x8 kelsey with foiling unit, 3 other table top presses, 5 rubber stamp presses, 2 ludlows and hundreds of fonts of ludlow mats, about 20 fonts of hand type, 4 table top foil stamping presses. You should check out Letterpress Things in Chicopee, MA he sells job presses and lots of other letterpress supplies and tools, he has things listed on his web site. As far as getting a base for a press, you can’t get a base larger than the chase, you need room to lock it in the chase. Box car recommends a certain size and i think they know what they are talking about. Jerpchap, you have my number, call me sometime and we get together and play printer. Dick G.

Hi guys

thanks for your comments. Here is a youtube link of Heidelbergs with bigger base. Please let me know what you advise…. would really appreciate it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDP3IIiHSOE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii1pmQ7ENzI

The image below is a place I went to visit and had the same letterpress as me and this is what he had in his chase.

image: fcb237a5bf_500_max.jpg

fcb237a5bf_500_max.jpg

The photo you have looks to be of a 9x12 base. Count the large grid squares.

In one of the videos, there looks to be a large (or multiple) bunting bases in the case. They could be larger than the 9x12, but certainly no larger than the chase itself. That wouldn’t be possible.

If you wanted the max base possible you could theoretically fill the interior of the chase, minus about 1/2” for a quoin to lock it up. You’d need a custom sized base for that, though.

Also realize that if you’re running guides and you fill the chase (or have the base in the lowest position), the pins will most likely hit the base at the bottom.