Some lines of text run slightly uphill

By “uphill” do you mean toward the top of the sheet, or do you mean printing harder? Big difference as to the cause. Check the feet of the type to be sure they’re clean and that your stone is clean. Make sure your chase is sitting evenly and flat on the stone when you lock up. Check your furniture to be sure there isn’t some glop on a piece that is skewing things. Also, if “uphill” means harder, make sure the adjustment of your platen hasn’t changed — are the lock nuts snug? There are a lot of possible reasons, but clarity as to the nature of the problem is important too.

Bob

Thanks. No, not harder. I mean the some of the lines are uneven - though they are consistently higher on the right side looking at the type. Of course, the 18pt type is smaller and finer than the 24pt type and I’m new at spacing out lines. So, I figure I could have a hair too much or too little spacing on those lines, even though I’m able to tighten so that nothing comes loose.

The inking is even. It’s just that the lines are not. The feet seem to be clean and the lockup appears to be flat when holding up the chase and looking down at the back of the type. Hope that helps clarify a little.

Try this: if there is spacing on the “high” end of the lines, like quads or some such, try unlocking the form and turning the spacing on that end upside-down. While you have the spacing out, check the condition of it. Many quads, especially ens and ems, in my cases have a divot in one end where a comp of years ago used a punch or bodkin to tighten up a loose line, instead of inserting a thin space. That quad will bugger a lockup something awful. There can also be a ding on the corner of a quad from it having been dropped on a hard surface and that will have the same effect.

Bob

Thanks. I’ll try that tomorrow and let you know what I find out. I’m taking a class at the Craft Guild and the teacher suggested something similar. I’ll examine especially the ems and ens and see if flipping them makes a difference. As frustrating as this is, it’s helpful to walk through the thought process of eliminating various possibilities. I appreciate the help.

Ramblings from afar, might or might not help.??
Re hand-setting and locking up, from a long long time ago, it was and presumably still is, the setting stick would be set NOT to dead measure but with 1/2 Pt per ten ems to allow for squeeze, (handsetting and especially on the Monotype) to take into account the compression and exclusion of the inevitable minute air gaps.

E.G. if for example the *Gate* on the Monotype was set to DEAD measure, running 50 ems (pica) on 6 point type, the squeeze would be in excess of 10-15 points, (But it would not happen) because fixed accurate line spacing from the Elrod Or the Supercaster would take the pressure from the Quoins with the obvious result.!!

The same syndrome applies equally as much to hand setting when used with fixed accurate line spacing.
Corroborating A.L.P.s *Bodkin* observation, above.

One of the authors most treasured L/Press items from a long time ago, is a Quoin Key in the form of a minature Torque Wrench, and it is not a question of how much pressure for a good lock up, more how LITTLE pressure to achieve a good lock up, probably in the order of 5-6.Ft. Lbs.

Could this be an opening for one of your Stateside, Graphic Suppliers to produce/re produce Torque wrench style Quoin keys, The type matter would still need to be set/spaced properly.

Monotype (5 - 14 Pt.) does have a slight advantage in that there is a tiny hairline serration at the rear, opposite the nick, that acts as holding down device, but not infallable if the setting is dud.
OR
Another primitive test would be, when locking up, (from a Table Top to a big Platen) and assuming a quoin key with around 3” T, cross bars in use and reasonably hand set type matter, just with thumb and finger pressure on the key, should achieve adequate lock up, easily achieve the *Lift* test,??? Well documented previously on B.P.

Thanks, all. I found the problem. This is a newbie type problem. After trying many things, I finally realized there were two ens that were wider (deeper) than the others. I picked up some spaces this past weekend from a guy with lots of trays of type and spaces. Looks like I accidentally picked up two ens that look to be 20pt, not 18. That was just enough to allow the slugs between the lines to push slightly down - or up.

I can tell you I’ll be checking each of the spaces with the pica pole after this before setting them in. It’s probably good this happened because it forced me to try to work backwards to eliminate several possibilities. Live and learn.

Now, back to inking the press.

Thanks again.