This is my little Craftsmen Letterpress. Several years ago it was given to me by the local dump. That's right! The dump called me up and said they had a press and some type if I was interested. While I was in grad school the press just sat in my studio collecting dust. For the past month and a half I've been cleaning it up and getting it ready for printing. I started by dusting and spraying everything with WD40. It was really pretty gross. The rollers had been rotting and chewed up by mice so I ordered new ones from the manufacturer. While those were being made I painted the old Hamilton base a cool french gray and the paper tray a muted yellow. (Don't worry, the wood was shot, I didn't destroy any pristine piece of history.)
Once I got my rollers I realized the trucks I had (the wheels that keep the rollers on the track) were the wrong size, so I had to order more of those. Thank goodness Craftsmen is still in business!
Next was ordering a base from Boxcar Press. I decided I wanted to use photopolymer plates instead of just lead type or magnesium. This allows me to do all of my design work by hand or with the computer. The possibilities are endless. In addition to the base, I got some ink, a roller gauge, and some plates. My first plates are for my friend's Save the Date cards and a thank you card I designed.
My plates came today and I was so excited to take a proof. Before that could happen though, I had to build up the rails with some tape. The press is really old and the rails that the trucks ride on had been worn down. After SEVERAL layers of tape I checked my roller gauge and was good to go.
I took a really quick proof just for fun. I'll have to make a makeready (an adjustment so everything prints perfectly) but not today. Proofs of the Save the Dates will be coming later in the week!
