Miller Holdtite

I found this incongruous part on a c.1909 Vandercook Rocker that I was setting up for the Museum of Printing History in Houston, Texas. This item on the bed merely served as a wedge to hold the cylinder in place. I removed it so the press could be used and I only ask out of curiosity. I can’t deduce its purpose, which must be part of some other piece of pressroom equipment perhaps from a later time. Miller was (is?) a press manufacturer with which I have no frame of reference.

More about the Rocker at http://vandercookpress.info/vanderblog

image: holdtite4.jpg

holdtite4.jpg

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I would guess it is off a Miller composing room saw.

See the 1927 Miller catalog, p. 11 (p. 15 of the PDF) at:
http://www.marcdatabase.com/~lemur/temp/miller-saw-trimmers-1927-10pct-o...

as well as various illustrations in the catalog which show the “Miller ‘Holdrite’ Workholding Vise” in use.

Note: The PDF linked above is in a temporary location now because of space issues (it’s pretty big; 54 Meg). If you’re reading this posting years from now and it has moved, try the page here for a link to where-ever I’ve moved it:

http://www.circuitousroot.com/artifice/letters/press/temp-pdfs.html

The vise should be quite handy when you end up acquiring a Miller saw, as I understand many of these had their vise discarded.

Regards,
David M. MacMillan

Thanks. I’ll pass this on the curator. I can’t speak for the museum, but it may be something they’d sell or trade.

Hi Paul,

I cannot believe I am seeing this post today. I just came in from my shop after spending the entire day working on cleaning up a new acquisition. You guessed it, a Miller printers bench saw with the same Hold tite clamp! I have
been Googling for information coming up empty. Now I am pointed to a catalog with my exact saw and table and a wealth of information. You gotta love this site. Here is a picture of the before. You can see your same clamp on my saw.

image: 100_3279resize.jpg

100_3279resize.jpg

An all important piece of the saw, particularly if one undercuts initials for beginning chapter pages and such. You haven’t lived until, you are holding the little lead piece and the saw suddenly snatches it into orbit. Hopefully missing everybody in the comp room.

Also handy kerf cutting wood blocks when they warp and need to be reshaped. Good find.

The credit for the manual really must go to Greg Fischer (aka “The Linofish”), who is active on the LETPRESS and Intertypeworld groups. He’s the one who lent me the original of this catalog so that I could scan it.

Just for the fun of it, here’s a 1911 ad for the Miller saw:

http://www.circuitousroot.com/artifice/letters/press/tools/saw/miller/in...

Regards,
David M. MacMillan