help to identify a letterpress machine

hi there!

any info about this machine?
Was modified to work with motor I don’t know if it is possible to revert to manual.
I don’t saw the machine personally, but is a little far from my location, I would like to have some information before I could go.
If I can help!
thank you so much

regards,

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Maq_manual.JPG

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Foto-0048.jpg

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DSC04949.JPG

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It looks like a European copy of a larger Golding Pearl. One was made in England by Cropper, Charlton & Co. and called the Cropperette, or later the Peerless., I believe. Where is this press located?

Bob

The press is in portugal.
don’t looks like a copy of a golding pearl, the weel have the straight rays not in “S” Like golding pearl.

I found a real copy in portugal too, on the last month, the name is “RAPIDA” and it’s equal of a old style no.1 but is to small for me.

this press comes with 3 rollers and the golding pearl have only two right?

I don’t know, maybe is a copy od another press like many other in europe.

I can’t find a similar press on the internet?
anybody knows?

thank you

The only picture of a Cropperette I found looks almost identical to an Oldstyle Pearl but a comment about the Cropper Co.’s Peerless makes me think it may be what you are seeing there. Its mechanism is based on the Cropperette but, being a later press, it may well have had straight spokes on the flywheel. Also, the Cropperette has a hand wheel on the ink fountain that looks exactly like the one on the press in Portugal. There must be folks with Cropper Peerless presses — I expected one to have responded by now, but I believe that is what you are looking at. Do you know the chase size? The Peerless was available in 8″ x 5″, 7″ x 11″, 10″ x 15″. The photo below is probably a 7x11, and I am guessing that the Portugal press is an even later 10x15. If you can find or rig up a treadle it looks like it could be treadle-operated.

Bob

image: Cropper Peerless.jpg

Cropper Peerless.jpg

yes, you’ve right. the mechanism is very similar.

the chase is 7x11. like pearl no.3 like your image.
thank you!
do you think it’s easy to remake a treadle?
do you know anybody who try this? or other internet post about it?
thank you

what I can’t see in your photos at the side of the press is a hole/bushing to affix a treadle to convert it back to a treadlepress….is it a cranked shaft??

I believe the disc in the upper part of the red circle on this copy of your press photo has the drive gear (behind the disc) and the treadle link would pass through the slot in the lower part of the red circle (the gray bar is an upload artifact not in the original photo) and connect to the stud on the disc, with a screw to hold it in place. I don’t see how the treadle would be attached, but a treadle similar to the first photo could be made and adapted to the press (this one is on a 12x18 C&P).

Bob

image: CandP Treadle.JPG

CandP Treadle.JPG

A crankshaft isn’t the only way to get a treadle action. There are other small platens that use a treadle linked to a gear or wheel to get rotary movement from treadling. If I recall correctly, one is a type of Golding, the other a Columbian.

thank you!

I’ll buy this machine, I think that I can built a treadle with the help of my father, he works very well with steel, I’m the woodman… It’s a great price so… I think it’s a nice investment.
I hope that the rollers are in good condition!
Thank you guys for your help, I will post some pictures when I already have the machine at home.

Regards from portugal,
João

I had a press years ago that had a treadle made of wood, it worked quite well.

great, look forward to seeing those. Maybe there are more presses around in Portugal—regularly in Uk ebay presses come up, eg a nice Peerless sold £500 recently but transport costs…….

in portugal it’s not easy to find one… I’m looking for manual platen jobber abou 5 months.
Some prints shops have for a museum and don’t sell it, some are forgotten in the mess but don’t sell it…
but is still a few.

Vandercook, or other proof presses?
forget it, nobody knows what it is.

On the ebay, yes! I saw a proof press like vandercook sp15 but other brand sold for 270 euro! Near Berlin… Ebay.de
but the shipping……

I really wanted to find one, but I think I’ll forget about it and start to looking in spain.

With regard to the home made treadle above picture , get rid of all the 90degree corners as if you kick one of them and you dont have toe boots that will hurt ,round them or 45deg them ,even the bits that are beneath will give you reason to swear if you catch them wrong with your foot.

João, you will probably find that if the press has been sitting very long as shown in the photos, the rollers will have very bad flat spots on them from having been sitting on the ink disc so long. If they are rubber they MAY recover, but you should probably expect to have to get them renewed with new rubber. If you can handle an international shipment cost I suggest Ramco Roller in California USA (see their Yellow Pages listing on Briar Press) as making very good rollers at what seems to be the lowest price and fastest turn around.

Bob

thank you Bob!
We’ll see!
But maybe I can find a roller maker in portugal, because de shipping from USA is expensive, but I will ask the price!

If the rollers conditions are poor, how will I know the exact diameter of the rollers ?
thank you

The rollers should be the same diameter as the roller trucks or as the Brits call them, the runners, the wheels on the ends of the rollers. It looks in the photos like they are metal, so not adjustable. Check carefully to be sure they are all the same size. You could send one with the old rollers to ensure the roller maker has the precise diameter to match.

Bob

hi again!
the machine is already in the new space!
it’s amazing!

but I still do not know the brand, I looked around all the machine and no brand or any other sign…
but I think it’s English, because the screws are threaded English, beginning of sec XX,
I will take more pictures of the machine, because I’ll need help to rebuild the treadle…
If you can see the shaft where the pedal would be attached usually stays at the back of the machine, no? and there is in front.
any feedback is welcome!

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hi there!

the machine is now working with new home-made treadle!
works great!

https://vimeo.com/42003962

The pictures shows the improved rails.

I’m waiting for the new rollers and is ready to print!

thank you for your help!

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