The Davidson College Letterpress Lab

148 Wall Center | Davidson College

Restoration begins: March 22, 2019.

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Finally. Almost 9 months after the move, it’s time to address the Vandercook #4 in the room. Remove rust from the bed. Free up the cylinder. Replace the rollers. Rewire, and replace the motor. In a later post, I’ll detail the arrival and assembly of the lab as a whole–from the 72 assorted cases I brought with me to the 450+ assembled over the past six months.

Below, a few quick images of the #4, from its original resting place in central New York to its new home in 148 Wall.

Here’s the press as it was when I found it; hidden under rolls of insulation, behind an old refrigerator, and used to support a few dozen typecases.
Yup. That’s a #4.
Back behind the fridge…
Here it is after removal and almost a thousand miles on a truck. We literally passed its former home on the way south, so while we had the truck, we pulled it out of the barn and brought it along. In this image, I’ve finally unwrapped the press and removed various unsavory items (mice had lived in the press for a while…).

Some surface rust, but no apparent pitting. Ink dried on the metal rollers. A lucky surprise in one of the cabinet drawers–a split fountain, along with some great job-printing material from previous operators (to be detailed in later posts). Text printed on the tympan indicates a last job sometime in the mid-80s.
First pass with some de-greaser, to be followed by a rust remover.
No comment…
From right to left: Gripper bar assembly in remarkable shape, given where the press has been for about 30 years; ink roller hardware (grimy, but nothing a wire brush and some Simple Green can’t address); ink rollers (to be replaced).

A good first stab. Looking forward to getting this press back into shape.

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