Sunday, December 2, 2007

Press questions

Ok, let's just say hypothetically I was looking for a C&P floor press. Let's just say hypothetically I found one, and needed to ask the hypothetical owner some hypothetical questions about the condition of the press to see if it's hypothetically the right one for me... Just hypothetically.

What questions would you recommend I ask? What are some things I'd need to watch out for?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Lou, here is a few to get you started :)

• Has the press been kept indoors?
• Is it missing any parts?
• Does everything move freely? Is there any movement when the press is closed and the platen is pulled hard?
• Does it have any breaks/welds/loose fitting parts?
•Has the press been well oiled over the years?

Good Luck!

Meliors Simms said...

I would add to Alischa's questions: What has the press been used for recently(just cutting and embossing? or ink as well?) and how recently has it been regularly used?
What shape are the rollers in?
Has been electrified and if so is the treadle still on?
Would this hypothetical press be one that you could hypothetically inspect before committing to, or is it a long-distance hypothesis?
I just bought a C&P platen and am in the process of cleaning it up. I had a retired printer friend give it an 'AA' check for me. He said that I would have to have one of the roller brackets machined as its broken and the rollers redipped, neither of which seem like too big a deal (compared to incorporating a ton of dirty cast iron into my transient life). And anyway another printer friend seems to think the rollers might be fine for my needs.

Nils said...

Agreed. All of the above . . .
and can I see it run?

My questions about a press always start with finding someone who has the brawn, a set of tools for working on very large things & a truck large enough to haul it off.

Everything else after that is knowing a machinist, a welder & more people with strong backs.

Common sense around heavy equipment is another overarching requirement.

Nils
The Tagalong Press