[EKStationers] Printing presses

Tue May 30 21:21:57 CDT 2006

On May 30, 2006, at 1:37 PM, Scotty Marshall wrote:

> I love that someone actually knows what I am talking about....only  
> in the SCA..

Or on one of the letterpress lists...

8)

You might also enjoy the discussion lists at Briar Press <http:// 
www.briarpress.org>

> At an rate,
>
> Many thanks for the links and info. I've used a "Rat tail" press in  
> the pass including the hand inking, and as such can relate to what  
> you are saying. I am not sure that the inking process is anywhere  
> as tedious as type setting, mais chaqun son gout.

Personally, I prefer type-setting to distributing. And we get to use  
rollers these days!

> That there is a class at Pennsic this year and that finances are  
> seeming as though they will prevent my participation. As for the  
> Platen press, I actually have a small 3 1/2 x 5 hand lever powered,  
> and was inches from picking up a gargantuan 18x24 model from a news  
> paper, which had the option of steam/ belt hook up, or foot treadle  
> operation.

If your idea of a good time is treadling an 18x24, you probably also  
enjoy long-distance bicycling...

> Finding rollers for the old girl was the deal killer, but now I  
> find there is a guy in Scarborough (near Toronto) who refurbishes  
> rolls, and were I determined again, polytech might have a product  
> for recasting the rolls. The other trouble was finding a good  
> printing ink for non-hydrated presses. I started trying to make my  
> own version, but had crappy luck.
>
> Ohh, there's a good question, any clues on period printing ink?  
> Chemical analisys from period tomes? Am I geeking out again?

Basically carbon black and linseed oil. Remember that printing with  
moveable lead type began in Western Europe, at a time when painters  
were using oil-based colors (and water-based ink does not stick to  
lead type). Simpler to borrow technology than to invent it.

Regards,

M. Iheronimus

> Time to go downstairs and watch football, eat meat, and prove how  
> normal I'm not.....
>
>
> Varenko/Scotty
>
>
>> From: Iheronimus Brückner <iheronimus at comcast.net>
>> Reply-To: East Kingdom Stationers Guild  
>> <ekstationers at lists.gallowglass.org>
>> To: East Kingdom Stationers Guild  
>> <ekstationers at lists.gallowglass.org>
>> Subject: Re: [EKStationers] Printing presses Date: Mon, 29 May  
>> 2006 14:00:17 -0400
>>
>> Greetings,
>>
>> On May 29, 2006, at 12:19 PM, Scotty Marshall wrote:
>>
>>> Just a querie, Has anyone here actually built a printing press,
>>
>> I once modified an iron "standing press" to serve as a printing  
>> press.
>> Getting an even impression was not easy, since my pressure was  
>> somewhat
>> limited by an iffy brass bearing atop the press. Was able to print  
>> a  few scrolls
>> with it before deciding it was of more use to me as a standing  
>> press...
>>
>> A good web site for printing on the hand press:
>>
>> <http://www.letterspace.com/handpress/index.html>
>>
>>> cast moveable type, or know offhanded the good source documents  
>>> for  these activities?
>>
>> Reproduction hand molds for casting lead type <http://  
>> www.rsnrecreations.com/>
>> are being made by Stan Nelson, former curator of Printing at the   
>> Smithsonian.
>>
>> If all goes well, Lord Padraig Muadhan (Aethelmearc) expects to  
>> be  teaching hand
>> casting at Pennsic this year, as well as some classes on period  
>> type  and printing.
>> Seek him out.
>>
>>> I remember when I helped out at the mackenzie heritage printery   
>>> that they had a reproduction Gutenburg press, And as a stop gap  
>>> I  have about 20 different types of various descriptions and  
>>> sizes in  my collection. I assume that some of the early printed  
>>> volume  reprints available from publishers like Taschen would be  
>>> a good  source for examples of period Font. With that though, I  
>>> don't know  if the type cross sections and keying meathods used  
>>> in a turn of  the century Platen presses would be at all similar  
>>> to the period  approach. Of course it's also possible that I am  
>>> overthinking.
>>
>> Maybe, but it beats under-thinking.
>>
>> 8)
>>
>> Platen presses are typically powered presses with automatic  
>> inking  for making
>> multiple copies. A hand press requires hand inking, which is not  
>> as  easy as it
>> sounds.
>>
>> Best wishes,
>>
>> M. Iheronimus
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Varenko/Scotty
>>>
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