Is this Heidelberg Windmill still salvageable?

Hi everyone! I’m a designer and illustrator hoping to translate my works with letterpress. I’m an absolute beginner, and my only access to any kind of knowledge is Youtube and studios from abroad. I’m based in the Philippines, and there’s no letterpress studio here that’s willing to share the process or give some advice :(

However, I’ve chanced upon a seller who’s selling a Heidelberg Windmill. My dad was able to visit the machine, and the pics below are what he sent.

The seller is not a printer; she only bought the machine to sell it again. I’m hoping someone here can give me some advice if the machine is still good! Thanks!

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Will it print, and will it register? Without those two requirements, you don’t know what you have. It seems overpriced. You can still buy good, running presses here in the states for what your seller is asking. I would look for a better machine, and also look for a retiree that is familiar with windmills, to show you how to print with it. If you still want this press, I would do some cleaning, (and oiling), set up a test run, and see if it performs, before you buy it.

Rust bucket, Unknown if it will feed, let alone register. Also, since you have very little experience, you cannot possibly foresee just what you are getting into! I’d say, “I pass,” and see about something a lot less challenging, maybe a small hand-fed press. Automatics have always been intended for a press-person with sufficient background to understand their complexity. Also, for press runs of sufficient size to warrant an automatic.
Anyway, my shop took on one (not NEARLY that badly rusted) five, six years ago, that we KNEW was a good press. We put a lot of time into removing the surface rust and cleaning it up; then we put her up for sale. That ole’ gal made a trip to Iceland!
Frank.

It looks like the important stuff is really rusty. I agree with the above in that the windmill, albeit a great press, might difficult, even dangerous to start out on. find a smaller handfed that is either treadle powered or can run real slow.

Walk away. There are many more in way better running shape.

The press is set up for diecutting and envelope. Sometimes presses used for diecutting have not had the best care in their working life. Often the employees running the press have not had sufficient training, and both the bed and the platen surfaces can have severe damage. This is another reason for looking in person and having someone with you familiar with the press and how it should look and run.
John Henry
Cedar Creek Press