cleaning rollers/storage
Sorry….I had this posted under a different title. I am a “hobby” printer who has a C&P 8x12 and C&P 10x15. My projects might be a few days apart up to as much as a couple of weeks.
I remove the rollers to clean them. I store them on a brace so that no rubber touches anything.
Questions:
Can the rollers be adequately cleaned while still on the press?…some process I am not aware of?
Can the rollers be stored attached to the press in a particular position so as not to cause damage?
Or….should I just stay with the process of removing the rollers for cleaning and store them as mentioned.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
JP
I would say that most printers clean the rollers while still on the press by rotating the press so the lowest roller is just under the ink disk. You can then easily wipe the roller with a rag dampened with the roller cleaner of choice, and can rotate the roller while that is done. Then allow the rollers to run down so the next roller is free of the disk and work on it, etc.
The rollers may be safely stored in a position in the area of the press where the chase normally sits during printing. This keeps them from touching anything, and is the position where the springs which hold the saddles in are at their point of least resistance.
Of course the rollers can be removed for deep cleaning, or if using the press for diecutting or perforating, but otherwise most printers leave the rollers on the press. If you happen to use compressible trucks (Morgan or such) you may wish to relieve the pressure on the trucks so they don’t develop a flat spot. This can be accomplished with a block of wood between the back of the saddle and the roller arms. I would think with either steel or delrin trucks, this will not occur.
I should add that some folks who house their presses in an unheated space find that it helps them get a jump start by keeping the rollers and ink in the house so they are up to operating temperature before trying to ink up. If this is your concern, by all means keep the rollers separate from the press.
I have always left my rollers on the press except for the special operations listed above.
John Henry
John…..
I knew there had to be a better war of approaching the process of cleaning and storing the rollers. Thanks for the advice; I will put it to good use.
Jim Philips
There is no one-only right way. Whatever works is OK.
I normally remove the rollers. I have a wooden box frame with no bottom. There are U shaped slots on either side. After cleaning in a manner similar to that John described, I remove the rollers and place them with the ends of the cores in the slots. This gives me a better position to finish cleaning them thoroughly. Care is to be taken to clean the ends of the rollers with a good scrub. Ink migrates from the roller surface to the ends and if allowed to accumulate it will dry and swell the roller.
In the wooden frame allows you to clean the trucks more thoroughly also.