What do I need for lockup?

A standard cabinet of furniture comes in 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 and 60 pica lengths; each in 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 pica widths. A single cabinet will have 5 of each size, a double, 10. You can make do with less, but I find myself using much of my double cabinet with my 8x12 and multiple chases.

Less than 2 pica widths are called reglets. The have their own cabinets; arranged much like a lead & slug rack.

The following, just a basic resume of usage in U.K ranging from Production House to Table top installation.
Furniture = general term for all/any spacing material that does just that, spaces out the type/image matter, from 1 point lead up to JUMBO furniture, inc. aluminium, paxolin, resalite, plastic etc etc.!!!
Reglet = general term for hardwood spacing material from 6 point, through 12 point 18 point 24 point.
Anomolies = several???>>way back, shops that produced Posters, (Big Posters) on Wharfedales, (U.K.) Meihles, (U.S.) used hardwood spacing, in denominations from 3 em, 6 em, 9 em, supplied in lengths/bundles up to 108 ems long, more,!! although hardwood, generally, cut to length on the obligatory precision power saw (Printers, Calibrated in ems Pica) and stored for use in, deep drawers under the imposing stone, with the mallet and forme planer,?? but called furniture and Not Reglet??? . .
Even after the demise of L/press and in recent memory, in the absence of strip producing Machines, Elrod, Super caster, Giant Caster, etc spacing was/is still being produced in plastic, i.e. 6 point and 12 point, no general term as yet, apparently!!! . .
In production house, stored in calibrated racks, precision cut, normally in even ems.
The foregoing mostly applicable to Production houses with masses of space and unlimited budgets, but as the modern L/press revival seems to be centered around, single machine installations, without too much space, or finance, single calibrated rack, to accomodate, spacing to the limit, (in length) of the maximum chase width, would appear to be logical.???
In answer to the original question, with space and budget in mind, possibly,?? storage/calibrated racking, to the limit of requirements, and quoins, with the same criteria in mind, (unless several chases are available) as C & P 10 x 15 is specified, the most powerful lock up could only involve, at best 6 on the long edge and 4 on the short edge, more would seem to be a waste, of resources.
But just possibly, a combinitation/assortment of quoins in the denominations of SINGLE,S DOUBLE,S & TRIPLE,S with perhaps, 3 up to 6 Narrow margin, quoins for tight lock up.???
>>>All pointers or possibilities<< AND Apologies if Rubbish. Good Luck.

Arie - Thank you, very helpful!

Mick - Not rubbish at all. In fact, this is the level of detail I need. Much appreciated! When you refer to “most powerful lock up” - do you mean the the largest suggested for 10x15?

I do have five chases… I would like to have enough furniture/lock up pieces for at LEAST two chases while I’m learning… and eventually enough for all five.

W.W. Thank you, Sorry you had to pick the wheat from the chaff my *most powerful lock up* expression was my humble effort in trying to explain, what you would be aiming at, in the worst scenario for a full out forme, that involved say lots of type, plus large, base plate, with maybe steel girder furniture etc, to get it from your imposition surface, (printers stone) it would/will need to be good lock up, (i.e. powerful, sorry wrong terminolgy) to transfer to the machine, from the horizontal to the near vertical!!! … If you were only dealing with a line of poster Type or a small Block Plate or similar, maybe half the number of quoins would suffice.
Space or Lack of, and Finances or lack of, may be the governing factor(s) if not, attempt to source furniture in as long lengths as possible, and as wide as possible, i.e. 6 x 30 ems 6 x 40 ems and then on up to *Jumbo* furniture 30 ems x 40 ems per piece, the reason for this being, IF you have to lock a tiny job, Small block, Small plate etc into your full size chase, and you have to use a mish/mash of small pieces of furniture, it will be so SPRINGY!!! so that when you do your, *does it LIFT* test, it will pop out onto your lock up surface = back to the drawing board!!
Providing *and only providing* you have access to a precision Bench saw, (preferably Printers Precision saw) redundant cutting die base material, After pulling out the Steel, cutting, creasing perfing, rules, makes ideal furniture, Cut accurately, (it stands a lot of lock up pressure in normal use!!!) as does , ALSO, 10 or 12 compound layer, MULTI-PLY, virtually all of our supplies from SWEDEN, in this format, end up at exactly the same height as standard quoins, >>>Possibly, ALL, temporary, Getting Started measures , Just until you have made your FIRST 100,000 DOLLARS, with retro Letterpress Printing.<<<
Good Luck Mick

wvasweetness, rule numero uno, never plane a locked form.
God Mick, you gottaalotta time on yer hans. 2nd you need everything go look at productive shop and see their internal support. Best james

Look on Ebay or Craigslist- they have furniture every once in awhile- sometimes really cheap. Note: you can’t have (too much) furniture…