C&P 10x15 NS mechanical issues and general question

Chocolate
on 6 Sep 20 (08:58)

Hi all, I’m new to the site and letterpress, but have some printing experience in my past. I just acquired a treadle C&P 10x15 New Style and have a couple of mechanical issues and one general question.

First, the lock roller and the gripper cam roller both have flat spots which keep them from rolling. I’ve attached a couple of photos.

The gripper roller just slides on the flat spot up and down the gripper cam.

The lock roller slides until it gets to the open area on the small head and lock cam. When it comes back in contact with the cam, the pressure makes it turn, and rolls until it hits the flat spot, but then slides again. I can feel the press bog down slightly when it stops rolling.

Here are links to videos on YouTube to see them in “operation.”

Lock roller: https://youtu.be/nVinkKO3AnM
Gripper roller: https://youtu.be/qXnOtG43_vg

Should I replace these? If so, where can I find the parts? The gripper roller seems easy enough to remove, but how difficult is replacing the lock roller? It seems too close to the lock cam to get the stud out.

Second, are there any recommendations how high the skids should be? The press is currently mounted on 2x4s which are swimming in oil (the previous owner lovingly oiled the press). I’d like to replace and dress them up. Is it a matter of preference, or recommendations based on user height? I’m 6’ 1” (1.8m) and my wife is 5’ 6” (1.6m).

Thanks so much for any help you can provide.

Nathan
Leesburg, Virginia

GripperCamRoller.jpg

LockRoller.jpg

mgurzo
on 6 Sep 20 (19:46)

I had the same problem. A fellow briarpress member was kind enough to braze the roller and return it to normal. I’d suggest you find someone to do this.

See the post:

http://www.briarpress.org/41226

zbang
on 6 Sep 20 (23:02)

I’ve seen the same problems on some Challenges- people oil the outside of the roller and let it slide instead of oiling the bearing. (Just like people oil the ink roller trucks….)

These rollers do come off fairly easily (well, on the Challenges), so if nothing else you can file off the edges of the flats to help them move. Or give them to a friendly machinist to turn them down a bit or make new ones, it’s a simple job.

Either way, clean off the rolling surfaces so the rollers actually roll. And clean out & oil the bearings so they rotate :).

scottbaldwin
on 7 Sep 20 (00:47)

I had the same problem on my 8x12, cam followers that had been neglected, frozen and with flat spots. I filed the place where the flat spot meets the normal circular part to ease the transition, oiled it and it started rolling again, maybe try that.

Chocolate
on 9 Sep 20 (06:54)

Thanks for everyone’s help. I really appreciate it. I’ll try these suggestions.

Chocolate
on 30 Sep 20 (06:32)

Update: on the lock cam follower, the flat spot was shallow enough that I was able to file the shoulders off and make it round enough that it rolls fine. Thanks for the suggestion.

The gripper cam follower’s flat spot was much deeper, and I could tell filing it wouldn’t work. I was looking for someone to braze it but found someone who had one in good shape, so just swapped them out.

ericm
on 1 Oct 20 (18:50)

if you need to replace these in the future, give a shout. easy enough to make them from new stock. just a note, the “Really new” gate lock rollers are nylon and do the same thing.