Help with Press ID and Manuals
I just picked up three presses. I am hoping for some help ID’ing them. If anyone can provide a link to a parts list, manuals, or schematics, that would be helpful too.
Photos of the presses here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LdP3tuMXZmnaystj2B9vycT9oxs64JNL...
1. Clearly labelled a Kelsey 3x5.
2. As far as I can tell, the other is a Sigwalt 4x6 (But I don’t see any markings).
3. Proofing Press. No idea of the maker on this one. I can’t find any markings. The bed is 9” wide and it appears to be exactly 1” deep.
Thank you for your help.
-James
#3 is a “Miles Nervine” proofing press - distributed to printers by a purveyor of patent medicines, in exchange for free ads in their newspapers. Famous for the “rolling pin of doom.”
If there are no markings on the No. 2 press saying “Golding” then it’s a Sigwalt.
The No. 3 press is not a Miles Nervine press as they are clearly marked as such. The “cylinder” on Miles presses fits inside the rails. On this press the cylinder fits on the outside of the rails. It could have been made by a number of manufacturers.
These presses did not come with manuals. There is a parts list for Kelseys. The only manual that came with small presses was the sales catalog that sometimes had two or three pages explaining everything you needed to know about printing.
Agreed, #3 is most definitely NOT a Miles Nervine, neither is it a Challenge which has similar form. I have worked with both Nervine and Challenge galley presses. This varies from both of those in having flanges and no markings.