Help with rollers for my Alligator !
Hi from Australia
Recently I bought a “Morfitt’s Empress” Letterpress circa 1890. It came with three rollers all the same diameter but all with different roller lengths, shaft lengths and slightly different roller shaft diameters. It also came with a varity of different trucks and washers for “bulking” the the trucks up.
Having said that……
I would like to purchase a set of 3 brand new matching rollers and new trucks for her and I am wondering if there is a press with the same rollers “off the shelf” or if I have to get them custom made ?
I have provided a drawing but I am not sure if it will be readable?
Apparently the Empress is a copy of a…
Minerva Cropper and/or
American Franklin/Gordon and/or
Franklin Jobber….
The internal chase size is 12.75” (W) X 8.85” (H) so I am not sure if she is an 13 X 9 or a 12 X 8 !
The external chase width is exactly 14.5” so I am guesing that is also the maximum roller length.
There is then clearance of 0.92” for a truck either side of the roller. Next the saddles measure exactly 0.78” wide and then (based on the best roller I have here) the roller shaft extends past the saddle by 0.66”.
The diameter of the roller shaft is 0.43”
The diameter of the roller is 1.5”
I trained as an Etcher, Stone Lithographer and Screenprinter and I have been practicing for 25 years now. However I am a total newbie to Letterpress.
Could somebody please give me some advice ?
All the best from Oz
Franck
Empress-Rollers.jpg
For a moment there, I thought you were talking about this Alligator press.
My heart skipped a bit.
5818644062_e4cb960f60_z.jpg
That is a seriously beautiful press oprion !
I might repost this in the general discussion as I really need to get some rollers ASAP
Here is a picture of my press….
empress.jpg