C&P Old Style or Possibly Gordon?

Hi everyone! I am a complete newbie trying to find a press to restore and learn on. I found this old press on craigslist and am trying to decide if it’s a good buy. The current owner knows nothing about it. The description says Chandler & Price but it looks like it could also be a Gordon? Can someone help identify for sure?

Great price but its missing some things and I’m not sure if the parts are available to complete it. Looks like its missing the ink disc and bracket, the feed tables, rollers, etc. I can’t tell if it has a chase in or not. The piece I’m most concerned about is the ink disc and bracket. Does anyone know if this takes a solid or double disc and where I might find one?

Attached are the only photos I have of it. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

image: Press1.jpg

Press1.jpg

image: Press2.jpg

Press2.jpg

image: Press3.jpg

Press3.jpg

image: Press4.jpg

Press4.jpg

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If the current owner knows nothing about it but says it is a Chandler & Price, then how did he (she) know that?
I’m guessing it probably says Chandler & Price on it (usually on the casting which is bolted across the backs of the two castings which hold the roller hooks.

The good news: I’m surprised at how clean and not rusted it appears.

The bad news: it needs an ink disk, the bracket which holds the ink disk, and the mechanism which rotates the ink disc. It needs the feed and delivery tables and the gear guard, but I suppose those could be made of wood if you are handy, and can make the gear guard strong and well enough, because safety is paramount. It probably needs a chase, but this can be made of plywood, at least for the time being.It also needs gripper bars, but these are not too hard to make or have made. And there may be other things.

I would say that probably someone was in the process of
restoring it and didn’t get it completely back together. It is also possible that the ink disk is absent because someone was just going to use it for die cutting and not printing.

If it IS a C&P, there are a lot of them around and people part them out from time to time, so you could get parts that way. Or, you might find an inexpensive, incomplete or broken press with the parts you need. Or, dealers like Letterpress Things in Massachusetts or Churchman in Indianapolis (I think) would probably have the parts.

Although the press looks pretty decent, it is unknown how worn it is. If it is an old series C&P, it was made in 1911 at the latest, so it is at least 109 years old.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Geoffrey, thank you! I was asking about the identity because along with the photos posted there was a screen shot of a google search for “vintage printing press” and a Chandler & Price was the first hit. Not sure but they may have assumed it was that brand since it looks similar.

For all of the reasons you listed, I actually decided against this particular press. I just didn’t feel confident with my current knowledge and resources that I would be able to find the parts and piece it back together. But the good news is that I did find a press and am going to pick it up on Tuesday! Very exciting stuff and this one, thankfully, is whole.

Anyways, thanks again for your help and for sharing your knowledge!

You’re welcome Kylie, and have fun with your new and complete press.