Heidelberg Windmill vs Miehle V-50

I’m not sure how registration works on a Miehle, but can you do anything on a Miehle that you would likely do on a Heidelberg?

Anything significantly different about the quality of the printing?

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v50 will register as good as windmills on gauges, i think because its a cylinder and more ink rollers the v50 prints better than the windmill. its love or hate the verticle, for some reason i just can’t seem to get along with the verticle. you can throw the feeder out of the way and walk into the middle of the press to load your chase, which is a good thing if you print from lead, plus i think you can run a 14x20 sheet. i guess i’m just used to platen presses, i’ve not run many cylibders.

Observations and memories NOT facts I worked for a considerable time with a machine minder/printer who lived and breathed Vertical Meihle,s and Thompson Platens, (there was Nothing Else)!!!And although he loved the Thompson, He always Maintained that the V.M. was superior to the Thompson and the Heidelbergs, (Both Sizes) for cutting creasing, and Printing, because of the action of the platen versus the cylinder, with respect to the inking power and the cylindrical effect, only applying small contact around the cylinder at any given moment, as opposed to platen at 100% contact per impression. Plus way back then, because of forward planning (which now seems to be a long forgotten art) the jobs were planned and imposed with adequate clearance, from the grippers to enhance 4 colour register (which he did on an almost daily basis *see footnote) and very relevant point, careful planning for imposition, obviating all the seemingly, current problems, of cutting and creasing rules, being too close to the 90 degree crank, where the jacket leaves the cylinder,. As it seems that nowadays virtually everything is planned and cut to waste, He would have said “why spoil the ship for a haporth of tar?”>>>>>>>**Footnote, He was the Best but on virtually every thing he did, if it was possible to put THE biggest drive pulley up, onto the SLAVE pulley on the motor he did, and frequently lost the clips that hold the rollers in, or worse popped the forme, with nasty consequences, I frequently tried to help with repairs. There must be many posts “you have been warned/advised on B.P. already” surely.>>>>>>>>>> X,XXX I. P. H. on XYZ stock, were, when, the machine was new, and presumably the forme,s were imposed and locked up, by dedicated stone hands!!! Including the use of accurate furniture, locked up in BOTH directions, some of the apparent lock ups, seen on this sight, are to say the least frrrrightening. on beautiful old machines, that possibly, cant be repaired or replaced just for of a Few Dollars More. NOT FACTS memory and supposition!!!!!! Good Luck

As the fossil mentions above printing on a cylindrical press gives you some better quality work results but like dick g hints at there is something not quite comfortable around a machine where the cylinder is rolling up and down as it does !
I used to do die cutting on a v50 careful layout and planning is the key word and keep your expectations to the basic level to avoid getting bloody minded because diecutting on a vert is a test of skill second to the test of your patience . it wont ever win in the versality stakes as a platen does but its a good press for perfing in the travel direction and speed is way up on a platens effort .
I have to agree there are some rather crude lock ups in some images that are found on the web ,however it sometimes is a lesser evil to lock up one way only when space in the chase is not available and i am one of the guilty party for this dodgy practice!

Meihle V50 or better yet a V50X, are great presses. I lov’em, run ‘em everyday. But I must say I do my deicutting on Klugies and Heidelberg Windmills or Cylinder presses. The Meihle will run a 14x20 sheet with no trouble, and it will do it all day long with little effort. They will lay down a great ink coverage. The V50 and older presses have 2.00” diameter rollers, the V50X has two different diameter form rollers, one is 2.00” and the other is 1.75”, which will enhance the ink coverage. The ink train has 5 rubber rollers of 2.00” diameter (the V50X has four 2.00” and one 1.75” rubber rollers). All models have 2 steel oscillating rider rollers. The ink train is about the best you will find. It will perf and score beautifully (cross the cylinder, but not so well around the cylinder).Cowan Press Products years ago made a perforation / score wheel holder that clamps on the press for scoring and perforating around the cylinder, they work great…. these units are not too hard to find. You letterpress folks are missing out by not checking into The Meihle Verticle, they are great presses and will do more work in a day than you can imagine. The foot print on your shop floor is about the same as a Heidelberg windmill. …. but I do believe a platen press or large diameter cylinder (suce as a Heidelberg) is the better press for die cutting. Good luck, Carl