ID unknown proof press
Hi! I have the chance to buy this press. I haven’t seen this type of proof press before, and there is no name on it… Does anyone know what it is?
The rollers need to be replaced, where could I look for this?
Thanks for any help!
/Ola
Another image…
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And the last one…
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It’s an old style Danish proof press, 1BS or 2BS, probably manufactured by J.G.A. Eickhoff, Copenhagen.
Gott grüß die Kunst
Jens
Ola, mail me Off Line and I will contact you back, with details/address of a very good company in U.K. who will/can make or recover (your own stocks/spindles) for virtually any machine from an Adana 5 x 3 Upwards!!!
They are currently making/recovering 3 sets, (3 x 2) for me to my specifications, in rubber to a specific Shure hardness, + they are investigating, on my behalf, recovering One *very hard compound,* roller/cylinder for a proof press.!!
Call Off line.! if I may help. I am on first name terms with their well informed very helpful, technical salesman.
Good Luck. Mick.
As Jens already said, it’s an Eickhoff, from Kopenhagen (Denmark) on the so called swan’s foot. See picture of an Eickhoff press taken in 1983.
eickhoff.jpg
By the way, roller dimensions can be supplied.
Well, the press which correctly is a 1BSG (G for gear) or 2BSG (depending of the size) is probably made by Eickhoff. It’s a version 2 of the Swan neck presses – because of the improved inking system, and it’s probably manufactured around WWII.
When I say probably made by Eickhoff, it’s because a lot of these early presses are anonymous without any manufacture identification for sale by trading companies. Regarding to a memorandum written in 1962 by the last CEO at Eickhoff, Poul Aage Eickhoff, Eickhoff started to manufacture the Swan neck proof presses 1BS and 2BS in 1929. But, in a add in “De Grafiske Fag” dated 1924 a company named Brdr. Simonsgaard Maskinfabrik, Copenhagen, are manufacturing and selling identical presses already – which match the model identification BS perfectly. My undocumented theory is that Eickhoff acquired/took over the production of the presses from Brdr. Simonsgaard in 1929 and relative quickly improved the press to match the modern needs for strong and precisely proof presses on the Danish and European market. The Swan neck presses later known as “Rapid” became together with the small stop cylinder press 00C one of the most popular presses made by Eickhoff after WWI, as they can be found in the most of the world from the Nordic countries to South America. J.G.A. Eickhoff was founded in 1848 and closed down the production in 1966.
Here a link to the 1924 add https://www.flickr.com/photos/bogtrykkeren/14166636286/ and here a photo of a Brdr. Simonsgaard proof press at Grafiska Museet in Helsingborg https://www.flickr.com/photos/bogtrykkeren/3960094240/in/set-72157622467...
Gott grüß die Kunst
Jens
Thank you everyone for the quick help! The inking system is identical with the one in this add http://www.flickr.com/photos/bogtrykkeren/10542932696/, and the size is 42x62 cm so it’s the smaller version.
It’s been standing unused in a basement for 25 years and is in pretty good shape, but needs a little bit of service… Definitely new rubber rollers, and I’m not sure yet if there is any missing parts…
Is it worth a purchase for 5000 SEK (≈550 EUR)? Ideally I would prefer a bigger size and the Vandercook/FAG style of proof press, but it’s very rare to find one at all so I might go with this one for now! What do you think?
It’s a good press. As other presses it has its strong and weak sides. I have printed on FAG and Korrex in the past and have Vandercook 4 at the Academy – but to be honest, I prefer my old Eickhoff 2BS. The inking unit is a bit weak – as on several proof presses, but with a good hand roller you can do very fine work on it. Two of the best things with the Eickhoff are that it has a very good brush fixing the paper stock to the cylinder providing a very good register – and that you don’t have to walk all the time when printing. As an extra benefit he gear on this press will give you a very easy printing- even with large forms.
Regarding the price. Well, the prices are going up even here in Europe – and I don’t think that you will be able to find an Vandercook or FAG for that price.
Gott grüß die Kunst
Jens
I agree on what Jens said about walking all the time. The bed moves and not the cylinder, after a day’s printing on a Vandercook, my feet are more tired then my arm. Forward, backward, kilometers per day. AKB Longs recover rollers: Energieweg 50, 2382 NN Zoeterwoude-Rijndijk, The Netherlands. 00 31 71 5765200
[email protected]
www.akblongs.nl
If you intent to work with photopolymer, it might be an idea to ask for a ‘harder’ rubber.
In my search for information I stumbled on this forum and recognised the press immediately. I just became owner of a 1BS ‘swanneck’ Eyckhoff proof press. The only thing I still have to do is to find out how it works. Does a user manual exist ? any help is welcome. Thanks
Although this is a very old discussion, I would like to inform owners of Eickhoff presses that I’ve scanned blueprints and sales brochures that I have acquired. I have uploaded them to the website of Drukwerk in de Marge:
https://drukwerkindemarge.org/techniek/documentatie/
Scroll down to Eickhoff.