identify this Vandercook please!

I just inherited a very rusty old Vandercook. I’m pretty sure it is a 219, but it seems like there were a lot of styles of the 219 and I’m not sure which one this is. I know it is missing a lot of parts, but hopefully i can clean it up and find some replacement parts.

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I suppose you intended to attach a photo, and hit send before attaching. I do that quite a bit.

Anyway, take a look through the Vandercook Timeline at the address below and see if you can locate the model you have:

http://vandercookpress.info/vanderblog/history/timeline/

John Henry

oh gosh, yes i did! glad I checked back

image: vandercook.JPG

vandercook.JPG

Crank Arm, Cabinets, Trip Handle all seem to match. Carriage profile too. Missing enough parts to drive you crazy though. Do you have everything or is this a rescue mission you’re unsure about endeavoring towards?

it was a giveaway. I am definitely going to attempt to restore it as much as I can. I’ve been searching for an affordable vandercook for years and this is the first one I’ve found. I will have to hand ink it probably, but I am hoping to find a feed board.

I found a number inside the casing - X 3443. is that maybe a serial number?

Congrats and good luck with it- you’ll need it, though I’m sure you can do some very serviceable things with it.

Look into some type high inking rails to work with- they’ll make your life simpler when you get it cleaned, up and running, and are ready to start inking.

The serial number is five digits. You will find it on the bed bearer on the right end on the press on the operators side. Let me know and I will add it to the worldwide census: http://vandercookpress.info/vanderblog/census/

I don’t see the feed board and supports or inking assembly. How about the gripper bar?

It does have the gripper bar,but I only found one of the adjusting nuts.

I finally scrubbed off enough rust to see the serial number!

13686 now belongs to Pheasant Press.

image: serial number.jpg

serial number.jpg

Is there any chance there might be additional parts to the press in the space where it was stored?

Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY

well, the guy had two presses and about 8 years ago he sold one. That guy took all the spare parts laying around and was planning to come back for this one. He never came back though. I have been trying to get ahold of him to see if he still has the extra parts. Fingers crossed!

A curse on all press-strippers!
My own 325 suffered similar treatment, but the previous owner was able to find the missing parts of the inking system by searching the warehouse. He made a great feedtable out of wood and sheet aluminum, even made a side-guide, so it is possible to do it withoput copying the original exactly. Or, a frisket is another possibilty for feeding without table or grippers.
If you want to see complete NS 219s, in the SF Bay area they are at the SF Center for teh Book and at Mills College.

Thanks for the s/n. You’re now in the census.

NA Graphics may have adjusting nuts. http://nagraph.com/

Don Black Linecasting may have some of the inking assembly http://www.donblack.ca/

Thanks everyone for your help. I am posting about the restoration on my blog, if anyone is interested in seeing more pictures.

http://pheasantpress.blogspot.com/