Guillotine Paper Cutter Adjusting

I have a C&P Serial# 3071 26” manual cutter.

Does anyone have an idea how to adjust the backguage screw and nut to reduce backlash?

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If “backlash” means the back guide moves after you have set it, that is normal for the nut and screw. To eliminate it, start long and bring the guide towards you for the final adjustment.

Yes, It is common practice to always bring the back gauge of a cutter forward as a final move before locking it down for the cut. There is always some clearance between the screw thread and the “Nut” which is attached to the back gauge. By bringing the back gauge forward to the mark, you will have the support of the screw as you push against the back gauge, eliminating any slippage which could change your setting. This is even true of large programmable cutters, the last move is always forward to the final position to eliminate this problem.

John Henry
Cedar Creek Press

Just in passing in the mid 1950s, in the City of London in the UK, the agent representative company for Greig Guillotines
of Edinburgh was Fred Walls Ltd Theyaalso sorted out any make of guillotine with a problem. On that generation of cutters, the back gauge drive nut was always a problem, usually due to wear. Our own machine was 70 years old!
Walls had an employee who was’ a person of restricted growth’, who could and did walk around under the guillotine bed, sorting out the problem. He had wonderful anecdotes about working in pantomime etc etc. a real character.

Thanks! It’s cutting really well now, very square.