AN EXCELSIOR PILOT COMING TO LIFE
Here are some photos I think Briar Press readers might be interested in seeing,especially someone who never heard of “grinding steel.”Yes, we do seem to attract them all, but not to get distracted by these few, I think most people would like to see how their letterpress was made in the old days. we continue that tradition here at Excelsior Co. If you would like to see more, we will be updating our progress, and, when completed in a few days, offer a free C.D. WHEN AVAILABLE.
This may not be or several weeks.Our priority is to produce the best letterpress ever manufactured anywhere. Also, soon, we will be offering another block-buster innovation
Yes, we will post it here on Briar Press, but not before it is “in hand” So, enjoy the photos.It is my pleasure to present them:
It appears most of our photos cannot be published due to their being too large. We will have our computer technician try to correct that within the next day or so. they are too interesting to not show.
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Photo763 A Blanchard Grinder
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The press will be ready sometime in the future. In the meantime, a hogwashing is taking place on the Lido Deck. Send in your money now and click on the link below to access the streaming video (be sure to turn on your Caps Lock first):
Send your “computer technician” here to resize the images in about 3 seconds: http://www.picresize.com/
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Some images
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Well, I finally figured out how to load the photos, so enjoy. This is our shop, and as you can see, it is not exactly a state-of -the -art facility. There are however few shops left in the U.S. that can handle all kinds of one of a kind as well as difficult projects., whether large or small. We turn rollers for the newspaper industry as long as 30 feet, and more than 3 feet in diameter , some of them that weigh over 2,000 pounds. we can also turn the rollers for our Excelsior Pilot or any other manual letterpress. These photos are posted to show the more intelligent individual how the industry was
some 75-100 years ago, and what little change has been made from them to the present.i sincerely doubt they would interest the “Armchair Detective” who is still stuck washing hogs in the family bathtub.
Photos number 771, 773, 774,and 775 show an ink disc being turned. The shank is the first part to be turned, then the shank is placed in the lathe’s chuck to “true” the disc’s outside edge as well as the top surface that accepts the ink. By turning the part in this order, it insures the top, edge and shank will all be true to each other. Kind of like when the Armchair Detective tuns his hog around in the tub, insuring that the hog’s ass is lined up for proper cleaning.
Photos 761, 764, and 765 show the chase back being ground flat to insure a flush fit to the press’ back plate. The machine being used to ,perform this task in called a Blanchard Grinder. This is one of the several sizes we have here at the shop.Photos nimber770, 781, and 782 show the press with some of its parts being fitted
We will continue to post photos for the enjoyment of those persons more interested in the letterpress development than the bathtub bathing of the mysterious dirty hog.Please don’t hesitate to ask questions. I will do my best to answer them in a reasonable time period. Once the few bugs experienced in production are satisfied, production will begin at a leisurely rate of two units’/week. Thanks for the interest.
We will continue to develop products that enable our customers to have an edge over their competition.
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Awesome! I love this stuff and appreciate the posts! Keep moving forward!
I have equipment jealousy over your lathe…..
I had to clean up my platen with coarse/fine discs on a drill!
i might be mistaken here but, i believe that the old c&p’s and kluges had a very slight dome to the ink disks. did you happen to notice this when cleaning it up? if so, you may want to replicate it. it might be too late.
I have a OS from 1904 and my ink disk is 26 inches across and absolute flat. Mechanically it makes no sense to dome it, at it would mean that you have less ink and a build up of more ink.
i will look into this but i believe it had to do with the flex that a roller had in the middle…. now i grant you these are motor presses not the slower treadle or smaller ink disks…
My CP has a Motor, to large to even think about using a treadle
Is the free CD available yet? Is the “blockbuster innovation” ready for launch?