C&P 8x12 with broken shaft

i just acquired a C&P 8x12 in very good condition, solid platen, good rollers, but had an accident while moving it. it tipped over and the shaft broke in half. also the locking or throw-off lever broke in several pieces. otherwise the press is surprisingly in good shape once uprighted. what will it take to fix the shaft? and lever?
a very sad day indeed, but i want to fix it.

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I think you must mean a part other than a shaft. It would be impossible for any of the shafts on the press to actually break through the press falling over, though they could be bent. Since it seems to have fallen on its left side, do you perhaps mean the roller operating arm? This is a short, flat arm connecting the left roller arm to the cam wheel on the left front of the press. While the main arms are forgings, that arm is cast iron and could break from the fall.

The throw off lever can either be welded or a substitute made from a flat steel bar. I also wouldn’t be surprised if someone had an original for sale. Assuming that you mean the roller operating arm, this can be welded also and again, someone may have a replacement.

Rich

Front Room Press
Milford, NJ
http://frontroompress.com
http://frontroompress.blogspot.com

I think this is the lever you need:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1885-Cast-Iron-Printing-Press-Lever-35-5_W0QQitemZ25...

Take a measurement to confirm. If it is the wrong one the same seller has another that is longer.

Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY

Yes, the main shaft can break, at least on treadle equipped C&Ps. The shaft on those is spun cast steel and will break. If lucky and the break is next to the flywheel, you may be able to turn it end for end (if press had extra shaft from steam/motor pulley). Otherwise, have a machine shop make a new one from plain steel rod, machined to suit and run press off a motor through such arrangements as are conventient.

thanks, it did fall on the left, and the big roller wheel is fine. it’s the steel 1+” dia. steel rod that connects the wheel to the internal cranks. there is another on the opposite side. and i have a motor. the lever arm seems fixable too. thanks guys.