Heidelberg windmill machinery care

Hey yall,

After a cold winter we have moved our Heidelberg 10x15 windmill press out of the old (inadequate shop) and into a nicer, permanent residence. However there was a period of a few weeks where it was uncared for and it started rusting. I quickly removed it and cleaned/oiled everything.

Giving it so much care I realized I hadn’t been paying adequate attention to the simple condition of the machinery itself. Which leads me to a few questions to pose for anyone familiar. Basic stuff, which I would appreciate into any insight for.

1. A lot of the original black enamel has peeled off. I removed what was falling off by hand. Would it be good to buy a black enamel and re-apply it? Likewise, would it be good to re-apply red where the oil spots are?

2. In terms of rust prevention, what is the healthiest way to treat the press, especially between periods of use? My friend wanted to rub the whole thing down with regular motor oil. Is that proper? Is it safe to use WD-40 on it? Should the WD-40 be wiped off or let to sit?

3. This one is more specific. I just noticed that a piece is missing on the back of the press. It may have been removed in moving, which means it may or may not be findable. I do not know what the piece is called; it is the end cap/nut and spring on the back end of the left arm (each arm has a spring/nut at the end). Is it crucial to have this spring in place to run the press?

4. Roller care - as an aside, I have heard that between roller use I should rub them with vaseline. Is that correct? When I am ready to use them, do I just wash the vaseline off?

Any other general advice would be great. I feel like it is a big responsibility to keep this machine in good working order for future generations, and I don’t want to do anything wrong going forward.

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Howdy,

1) Any enamel should be fine for touch ups. For the oiling points, I use Testor’s model paint from the hobby store. (Red, green, yellow.)

2) The press should be generally oily from use, except the areas where ink, paper and the trucks make contact. Bare metal on any other area can be wiped with oil or protected with paste wax.

3) I would replace the buffer spring and the post. Check with Whittenberg for parts. The spring should be there for equal tension on each arm and the post is very useful for removing the rollers.

4) Bare rollers should be fine, if kept cool and out of the sun. A rack is easy to build, if the rollers are removed for an extended period.

The press should be in a climate controlled room. Temperature and humidity can make printing hell, if not well managed. “If it moves, oil it…” is good and often-heard advice. Whittenberg has complete manuals and parts-book for the press on CD (the parts-book commonly found online is missing a page).