Does Impression Get Deeper with Speed??

Probably not, it’s more likely to get less deep. The slower the press is running the longer the “dwell” time on impression, giving more time for the image to sink into the paper. But I doubt if the difference would be very noticeable. It’s not like getting hit by a car — the faster it’s going the more damage you get. ;-)

Bob

If he is just manually turning the flywheel as you are feeding the paper, you will not get enough force behind it. I suppose you could say it is speed related but really, that is just a bad way to run a press. A treadle or a motor will give you proper ‘speed’ and should be used. I’ve used both and each will give you your desired impression. I know if I run my motor too slowly, the flywheel just wont turn over enough to complete the process so in that sense you do need enough speed for your flywheel to complete rotations.

If you and your husband are uneasy about the motor… I highly suggest you start with a treadle. There are still dangers involved but at least if your foot comes off, the press will start to slow down where as you might not be able to reach for the motor. If you have never used one of these presses before (especially motorized) I would suggest seeking an experienced person to teach you. I have read too many stories about accidents and missing fingers.

Thank you, that is what I was thinking. I have been getting some impression and don’t want to push the press, but I definitely think I should be getting a little more. The motor I have now doesn’t have variable speed control, so I am going to look into another motor or some sort of gauge to control speed.

I’ve noticed on a heidelberg windmill as the speed changes it does affect the impression. It appears to get heavier and some one once told me it has to do with the inertia of the platen swinging. Hope that makes sense. When speeding up I’ve acrually had to back off the impression to keep it looking the same. Ron