Ink Plate Needed
I was curious if anybody had a C&P 8x12 (OS) Ink plate laying around that they’d be willing sell?
The ink plate on the press I just purchased is in bad shape - It has pitting on the plate from old ink rollers that were left sitting on its surface. More importantly though, the grooves on the bottom that allow it to turn with each impression are warn down so much, the plate doesn’t turn properly.
Thanks!
If you find a disk at a reasonable price, that is good.
If not, do not give up on the old one yet. Like old people, with a bit of medical help, it may run again.
It may be that the teeth are worn, but it is more likely that the pawl or dog that engages the teeth is the worn problem. If the pawl is not broken and only worn, it is pretty easy to repair. Many old presses are found with a repaired pawl. Get a piece of copper about the thickness of a slug. One uses copper rather than steel as steel on the cast iron teeth will wear them. The copper piece will be attached to the pawl to bring it back to the proper length. Think crown on a tooth, but only up one side of the pawl. About a 1/8” hole in the copper piece and then elongate it to 1/4”. Fit it to the pawl and drill the pawl 1/8”. Bolt up. Adjust by moving the copper in the elongated hole. If you think the teeth on the disk are really worn, you may want to dress them up with a file. Maybe not needed.
Dress up the disk with emery paper on a sanding block. You are not looking to reduce the surface to the depth of the pits. Just to dress it up a bit and remove some of the minor pits and nicks. Then fill the remaining pits with an epoxy. Red Hand and J Weld are a couple of names available. You trowel the material over the disk with a very true piece of plastic or wood. Something like a popsicle stick will work. A bit more emery cloth work after it is dry and you should be printing.
Thanks a lot for the tips inky! Those are very helpful.
Both the pawl and teeth on the plate are very warn. I’ve temporarily attached a small piece of sand paper to the end of the pawl to help it grip the warn teeth on the plate - it seem to be holding up for the time being.
I will probably take your advice and start working on the plate with a file and the emery paper / J Weld solution. I don’t have much too loose!