fixing a broken table-top Craftsman 9x12

I have a table-top Craftsman 9x12 that is currently broken.

I’m working with a fabrication company to hopefully restore it. There are 2 broken parts: 1). the Ink Disc Bearing Frame (the support underneath the ink disc, which is broken into 3 pieces and 2). the Bed (i think that is what this area is called) - the portion of the press where the chase gets inserted into. This part is broken at one corner, the bottom corner, so not the corner where the trucks come off the rails to go onto the ink disc.

In order for the fabrication company to determine 1). if it is fixable and 2). how to go about fixing it, they need to know what type of cast iron these presses are.

Does anyone know??

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Craftsman is still in business, they don’t make these presses any more but still have some parts they sell, might be worth checking them out, they are in Massachusetts.

I don’t know what kind of cast iron Craftsman used for their presses but probably the most basic type, which can be brazed successfully by pre-heating the part. If all the pieces are there a good welder can forge-braze it and it will be fine.

If Craftsman would have the part, it would be more satisfactory to get a replacement from them, but the cost may be more than it would cost to braze the broken one.

Bob

I repaired my Craftsmen bed broken in the same way as yours. I drilled two holes into the casting, then tapped the holes and inserted two small bolts. I then sculpted epoxy steel around the bolts in a shape to match the opposite side.

You can see a picture here.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/boundstaffpress/2909213925/in/set-72157624...

For your ink disk support, it may be to your advantage simply to have one fabricated from steel as this will be more readily available.

Your press is called the Craftsmen Monarch. Craftsmen is spelled with an “e” so as not to be confused with the C&P Craftsman with an “a”