Sigwalt Ideal No. 5 Missing Half of Print

Hello everyone,

I have a problem with my new Sigwalt Ideal No. 5. The Platen is in perfect alignment, roller height is correct, and make ready adjustments don’t offer improvement or significant change. The chase and base are locked up on a rigid flat countertop for a perfectly flat plane. I use the paper trapping method of registration, and I have made sure that all things and thicknesses are equal.

Whenever I try to print (currently just blind impression for better evaluation of the quality of impression) I only get about 45% of the image closest to the base of the press.

I have an idea that it might be best to take the press out of perfect alignment (via platen bolts, not the single back end bolts) and jury-rig it so that it can account for consistent lack of vertical pressure. This is not plan A, but I’ve wasted more valuable paper than I care to mention, and this is the only solution I can come up with. Another Sigwalt owner had the same problem, linked here http://www.briarpress.org/31374, but I would love to hear further ideas!

I have included 2 images for reference. Image 1 shows a standard print with even packing. Image 2 shows the same packing but with an extra thickness added to the missing top portion, which loses impression in the center. When I even it out to address the center, depending on the size of the additional piece, it either blows out the entire image, or loses impression on the lower end. Using tissue paper such as in Boxcar Press makeready tips, makes no difference as results lead me to believe it isn’t thick enough to effect a change.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions,

Jake

image: Image 1 - even packing.jpg

Image 1 - even packing.jpg

image: Image 2 - uneven packing.jpg

Image 2 - uneven packing.jpg

Log in to reply   2 replies so far

Most hinged-platen presses require just a certain amount of packing. If that amount is exceeded, the impression starts to get heavy at the lower side of the platen. It “bears off” and doesn’t allow the impression to be made by the top of the image.

It would appear that you might have either:

1. Too great a surface area in the image for this press

2. Too much packing which is doing what is described above.

John Henry

E. N. D. Sir as you imply the Machine is new to you, and you appear to be steaming in at the deep end!!! just one or two (outside the) box suggestions, did you receive or enquire about any recent past history??
I.E. is the fulcrum bar that the platen swings on suspect/cracked, worn, is the platen 100%, Good, is the base/main frame O.K.? hair line crack(s) from previous misdemeanours? are all 4 adjuster bolts solid in their threaded bores?
All silly suggestions maybe!! but on your stated description of findings/experiments, just possible clues, once eliminated move on to Hi Tech solutions.
Is it possible with a second or third pair eyes, to observe what, if anything, when coming on to impression, slowly, anything untoward takes place, flexing or slight out of line movement between bed and platen at one side as your results, imply.??
Or even with another pair of hands, slowly come up on to impression but stop just short, say 2-3 degrees before impression proper, with reglet and thin spacing ascertain gaps at 4 corners between bed and platen and then same test on impression proper???
Long winded test perhaps, but may show in slow motion, that which is not observable on the run!! May give learned friends more clues to solve your problem… . Good Luck.