Sweet bunch of work, amigo. You've pretty much duplicated the operation of a Gordon Old Series platen press. Pretty damn cool, though it's way more work 'n I'd have gone to, being as how there are presses rusting away in the middle of cow meadows. . . . I dragged a 10x15 C&P (1923 vintage) out of a field and lucky found 99% of the parts. Had to get a few shafts & bits machined but other'n that, it's worked fine for over 35 years. The guy I got it from said I'd never get it going. He's gone and the press just finished the first of a three color run of 2000 impressions. I figure there are at least 100k impressions on it already. Two things I want to suggest -- as I have done many times before teaching letterpress tech to young folks in a manner similar to the gruff old geezer that my Dad was teaching me: > 1. Get a copy of the Polk Brother's book "Practice of Printing." The 1960s era edition is probably the best, though there are earlier editions. Another book by the Polk brother's is Elementary Platen Press Work." Another definitely necessary need. You should memorize entire sections of those two books at the very least. > 2. Not knowing where you're located makes this'n tough but here 'tis: Get to know some of the old geezers who run letterpress. Get to know the gang at the Amalgamated Printers' Association. Get to Nashville and intro yourself to the gang at Hatch Showprint, the second oldest poster/letterpress shop east of the Mississippi. Or get over to Muncie, Indiana and meet up with Rob and Kim Miller at Tribune Showprint (tribune-showprint.com), the oldest letterpress/poster shop east of the Mississippi. The trick is to get some gruff old codger like me to give you pointers and get you fully invested in doing it the right way the first time. Also, if you're near Muncie, Indiana, you should get to know the gang at Ball State University's Book Arts Collaborative program. I've worked with those folks many & much, back before COVID. > 2.a. Get to know Andrew Churchman of buyletterpress.com and John Barrett of Letterpressthings.com for type, press parts, tympan paper and all that. Andrew is the son of the late Dave Churchman, who was one of the folks featured in Erin Beckloff's movie "Pressing On: the Letterpress Movie." Dave was a hoarder and the hoard is still full, believe me. Also Sky Shipley of Skyline Type Foundry, among other maniacs who are still casting type, some of it with matrices ain't seen hot metal in 100 years. Again, beautiful work. I admire your determination and creative solutions to the mechanical exigencies. Stay safe & stay healthy, Ryan!
Thanks for the suggestions! Yea, I definitely could have restored an old press, but the way I see it, I now know how this thing works from top to bottom, and I've learned a ton throughout the process! There's actually a pretty big letterpress community where I'm based (upstate New York) and at least pre-COVID 19 I was chatting with some of the folks at boxcar press and the APHA. I need to reach back out to them, especially now that I'm getting near the end of the project!
@@RyanGausMakes Definitely. The gang of geezers and younger folks -- more of 'em every year -- with the Amalgamated Printers' Assoc is also a good bunch to get to know. (apa-letterpress.com/) . . . I learned plenty pulling this old beater out the weeds decades ago. (Had a tree growing up the middle of it, which made extraction interesting.) I have an older (1876) Gordon for which my friend in Italy said he could make me a new bull gear. Deff know that would be more money than I spent on the press ;-) . . . Now to find my videos of that press & others to post. . . . Stay well & sane!
