Chase is stuck to the bed
I’ve just purchased a Baltimorean no. 1, probably many, many years since it has been used.. After some WD-40 the lever pulls smoothly, but I’m unable to remove the chase. It’s really stuck, with absolutely no movement or ‘wiggle’ to it. I think that it’s probably dried ink and am looking for a safe way to dislodge it without damaging the press. So far I’ve sprayed it with WD-40 but it doesn’t seem to have made a difference. Suggestions would be welcome.
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you can try some of this:
http://www.blastercorporation.com/PB_Blaster.html
it helped me in a case where WD-40 did not.
I picked up a couple of presses that were left outside for years, nothing moved, I used penetrating oil, liquid wrench and wd40, took a long time but everything moves now.
looks like it is not a original chase could be made to tight or paint sticking it on.
Is it difficult to remove the bed (complete with rails and chase) on this press? The tabletop Kelseys have a removable bed so that it can be placed flat on the table and used as an imposing surface. Might it be that this press has been used similarly and that removal of the chase isn’t necessary?
DGM
@ The Arm NYC - I wish, it’s on there so tight that it seems impossible to remove, but I have the original box the press came in with directions on how to remove the chase from the bed. At the top of the bed there’s a screw (missing in picture) that you turn to lock and unlock the chase into place
It looks more like you are missing the chase.
What I can see is a bearer chase into which the chase is locked with the screws.
You can set your type in the bearer chase.
@platenprinter - The part that is stuck on is part #221 on page 5. I’m aware that the link is for the Baltimore press and not Baltimorean, but they’re basically the same.
http://letterpresscommons.com/files/2012/10/Baltimore-press.pdf
The directions on the box (not pictured) are pretty clear that it is the chase and that it can be removed. The directions say that the screws at the bottom are there to tighten the furniture, and again the screw on the top to lock in/unlock the chase from the bed.
It will come off looks like a lot of paint on it. It is cast iron, brakes easy.
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You could try, with a sharp knife, scoring the paint at the joint between the chase and the bed, all the way around, inside and out, with the knife blade parallel to the bed surface. Then try to gently work the thin knife blade into the joint at several places — I suspect you can pop it off readily after scoring it unless there is a lot of dried paint in between the pieces.
Bob
I think AdLibPress has a good suggestion… a thin, sharp blade of some type to try to cut through the dried gunk.
Or possibly some solvent that would break down the paint in the crease?
Good luck! What a pretty little press.