Recovering a Nolan Cylinder
Normally the Nolans I deal with only require a clean-up, a lube, & a tuning. The cylinder on the one I took in last week from a local college Art Dept however, requires recovering. I’ve never done that so I’m checking here before I get too far along. It was last recovered with an offset blanket leaving hump where the ends meet.
— The originals were covered with rubber, yes, but what kind?
— Is there a single sleeve rubber tube option to avoid a seam?
— Know of anyone who’s had success with this?
Thanks!
I would take the cylinder off and get it recovered by a rubber roller recovering company, like any other printing roller. (I would try Ramco Roller - they do little jobs for small printers and probably have done this type of thing before). As I recall, those rollers are pretty hard, like maybe 90 durometer (Shore A). Roller companies can vary the durometer (hardness) of rollers to suit the customers’ needs. As far as what kind of rubber to use, if you tell them it is an impression roller from a proof press, the roller company should know what kind of rubber to use. Also tell them you want it to withstand whatever solvent you are going to wash the roller with, in case you get ink on it.
I don’t think recovering it with any kind of sheet material is going to be completely satisfactory. You need something held rigidly to the cylinder base, and the roller company will vulcanize the rubber to the base, which is what you need.
To vulcanize the rubber onto the base, the roller company will have to heat it up to around 307 degrees F to cure the rubber, so if there are any bearings in the ends of the base, the heat could adversely affect them…..worst case scenario you might have to take the bearings out beforehand or get new ones afterwards……that is something to talk to the roller company about beforehand, to see what their experience has been.
Interesting suggestion. Thanks, Geoffrey
It’s a hard thin rubber but maybe
it’s not outside an ink roller company’s capabilty.
I’ve been using Advance out in California.
I’ll give them a call tomorrow.
Has anyone here recovered their own?
Just had Ramco do my Nolan cylinder and they did a great job.