Sigwalt 6x9 Platen Adjustments/Questions

Hi everyone - I am new to letterpress and recently purchased a Sigwalt 6x9 tabletop press. I am getting the press back in working condition and noticed that the platen is missing some bolts and also possibly containing bolts in the wrong places. I am hoping someone with a functioning Sigwalt (or expertise!) can take a look at the pictures below and tell me what it should look like? I have only limited experience with a C&P, so I’m not sure if Sigwalts are configured differently?

A couple of things I notice right off the bat that are different from other presses I have seen:

There are currently only 2 bolts (with a thin washer and spring) - I am planning to get 2 more for a total of 4, but I noticed that the platen actually has 6 holes that can accept bolts. Should I be using 4 or 6?

Unlike the 2 bolts in the center holes, the front left has a long screw (no washer or spring). I am assuming this is the incorrect type of screw and I should just replace this long screw with a bolt/spring/washer, correct?

Finally, can the bolts/washers/spring be found at a regular hardware store, or will I need to order them or go to a specialty store?

Thank you in advance for your help and input!

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Your Sigwalt (are you sure it’s a Sigwalt? :-) has a totally different configuration from those I’ve seen before. I would suggest taking all the bolts out and removing the platen. Look at the back of the platen. I can’t see the need for so many bolts and holes. I would guess that on the back of the platen there are two threaded holes aligned with the outermost holes in the support, which also appear to be slightly larger in diameter than the others. Those I would guess are for springs under the bolt heads on the support, with the bolts screwed into the threaded holes enough to apply a little tension on the springs. Alternatively, if the two bolts installed in the other two holes are threaded into the platen and loose in the support, they are probably for the springs.

Aligned with the four (threaded?) holes in a square on the support there might be four raised portions with flat surfaces. If so those four holes are for the adjusters. Does the square-headed bolt that is sticking out so far go all the way in to bear on the platen? If so it should be shorter. And those adjusters should also have nuts on them before they are screwed into the support; those nuts are “jam” nuts to lock the adjusters in place after the platen is correctly adjusted.

All the bolts and springs (not real strong springs) you need should be available at a good hardware store. If the bolts you have fit the threaded holes without wobble, take them as samples to match the diameter and thread.

Bob

The two outboard most holes are meant to provide platen alignment. You can install bolts in theses holes but the length of the fastener should be longer than the maximum anticipted adjusted platen. Originaly they were studs (bolts with no heads). Suggestion… install bolts then cut off the heads (heads being needed to tighten the studs). The current four open holes are, as Bob pointed out, where the platen adjustment bolts go. These are all-thread with jamb nuts located on both sides of the platen to capture the required distance from the chase bed. The two that are shown in the photo are spring loaded to maintain pressure when adjusting the platen.

Tom

If the holes in the platen support for the adjusters are threaded I would not think you’d need nuts on both sides — lock nuts on one side should be fine. If the holes are not threaded, then nuts on both sides will be needed — or tap the holes for standard threads and screw in adjuster bolts with jam nuts. (By the way, the ends of the adjuster bolts should be ground flat square to the shaft of the bolt, so they bear evenly on the platen.) I would check the distance of the platen as currently installed to the bed with the press closed — if only a little over type-high there is not room for jam nuts on the platen side of the support.

Bob

Can only quote U.K. specifications, but would put money on to say that this press, this age would have had imperial bolts/nuts not metric. New shiny bolts could be metric? perhaps force of circumstances/… Rebuild/repair here we would try to remain authentic and use original threads and spanners, unless metric was the only available option… . If we had to resort to studs we would purchase STUDDING, (threaded rod) with appropriate nuts in standard thickness and half thickness, as locking nuts.? … . If here we have to resort to tapping or re-tapping threads, we would try to stay original, especially in the case of impression screws, I.E. X number of spanner flats for adjustment, will be easier if all 4 are working to the same standard !!!… . We are very fortunate, here in our neck of the woods in having a brilliant Hardware Store that stocks virtually everything for retro repairs… . . Fully appreciated that you may not be as well blessed, Apologies, but our store is Listed, but as it would be impractical to Ship long Distance, via Mail Order, call them up and it is a racing certainty they will tell you if there is an outlet near you??… NAMRICK, Nut and Bolt store Hove Sussex U.K.

Of the five Sigwalts Ideals that I have restored, there were no springs involved in any of the bolts attaching the platen. It is quite possible I may not have seen every iteration produced I’m sure. All of them just used those bolts to straighten or hold the platen square to the bed and the large nuts in the back used to change impression overall. The four corner bolts were threaded with single lock nuts on the outside to hold once adjusted as they were threaded through the rocker. The outboard extra two were bolts with heads screwed all the way in to help hold adjustment. None of them had bolts or holes where the photo shows two installed with springs. I wonder if someone altered in an attempt to “fix” this press not understanding how the original engineering was intended to work. I have seen that many times and have done it myself. Early Pearls did not have springs on their center bolts. They had a thick rubber washer that was intended to allow some flexibility for making adjustments. I have replaced that system with a spring on two of my own presses. What I described with the Sigwalt does “seem” to be what can be seen in some pictures in the Sigwalt manual on this site, but, my eyes may be seeing what I want to see. http://www.briarpress.org/14558

JF

Those Sigwalt restorations must have been before the Golding years???

During the Golding years Dick. They are really great quality presses and I would still buy and restore one today.

I am rereading what I wrote and making a change that I blame on my poor memory for recalling what the presses I restored looked like. It was awhile ago. The two holes being used with bolts and springs are the holes that just had bolts, not the outboard holes seen. Those holes were not used, so, I don’t think this press has had any new holes drilled. I looked at my pictures and the holes with the bolts are in alignment with the corner bolts, not outboard as I originally remembered. Sigwalt calls these two screws “lock screws” and the four corner screws “set screws” He called the threaded rod in the back with the two large nuts the “impression screw”

Not sure I was clear about the location of the nuts that are the impression adjustment so here is a picture pointing them out.

JF

OOPS

image: impression screws.jpg

impression screws.jpg

Thank you everyone for your help and input! After closer inspection, all 6 of the holes are threaded. I have not yet removed the bolts in the 2 outerboard positions to see if they holes are the same size (the bolts are a little stuck).

The diagram in the Sigwalt manual does look like it has bolts in all 6 holes, with the corner bolts containing jam nuts. I think my plan will be to keep the 2 bolts with springs in their current position, and get a set of 4 bolts with jam nuts for the corner positions.

John - is it possible for you to snap and post a picture of the platen back so I can see your configuration of bolts?

Thank you everyone!

Sorry, I restore and sell presses. This one is long gone and living in Brazil. I think your direction will work fine.

JF

I found this picture of the same press that shows them a little.

JF

image: sigwalt.jpg

sigwalt.jpg

There is a Sigwalt Ideal No 3 6 x 4 on ebay that shows some decent pics of the back of the platen…
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281150143973?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3...