NewsPosted September 12, 2006
NEW
Point Guides and Platen Bearers. Even though I have already
mentioned the point guides that Stephen Heaver sells, please see my updated notice on them
at the top of the “Printing” page.
Stephen Heaver is offering 24-point
registration point guides (similar to those illustrated on page 186 of my book Printing on
the Iron Handpress) at $10.00 a pair, plus $2.00 shipping. He also has platen bearers at
$25.00 for a set of four, plus $4.00 shipping. These items are indispensable for fine on
iron handpresses. Stephen can be contacted at Sgheaver@aol.com.
Posted February 22, 2005
I received the following notice from Justin
Howes parents today:
"It is with great sorrow that we have to inform
you of the unexpected death on Monday 21st February 2005 of our son Justin William Howes.
Brian and Mimi Howes, 020-8670-0571, e-mail: brianhowes@ecis.org."
Justin was very involved in the history and
restoration of handpresses, as well as type founding. He was planning to leave soon for a
six-month stay at the Plantin Museum. His enthusiasm in printing will be greatly missed by
his many friends.
Posted June 25, 2004
Rollin Milroy has just published his Heavenly
Monkey Newsletter #5 – Spring 2004. It is available on his website at
http://www.heavenlymonkey.com/newsletter5.htm
As always it is full of interesting news about his press and projects. This issue includes
an interview with me about my latest projects.
Posted April 20, 2004
A note from Jesse Meyer: I found your
website while researching letterpress printing. I am interested in printing from the point
of view of a supplier (only because I have not had the opportunity to learn printing
during the course of my college education...). I make and sell vellum and parchment here
in the U.S., New York in particular. I had the opportunity a few years ago to supply a
printer putting together a limited edition book. Stephen Heaver to be exact. It was a
great experience and the results, though very difficult to achieve, were eye poppingly
gorgeous. Since then, I have been looking for the opportunity to supply others in projects
like this. I realize only a small portion of printers do letterpress, and possibly no one
does printing on vellum/parchment. The satisfaction from contributing to an object of
amazing craft and beauty though was immeasurable. I hope to find people who might be
interested in this sort of a venture and I thought your website might be a good place to
look. I have a website you can view to find out more information about me: www.pergamena.net. Jesse Meyer; 11 Factory Street, Box 307; Montgomery, NY
12549. Phone: 845.457.3834.
UPDATE A note from Bob Oldham: Information Wanted: Bob Oldham is seeking
information on all hand presses presently somewhere in North America, for the North
American Hand Press Database. If you own or use, or are selling or buying, a hand press,
please contact him with details about the press to help complete the records. As of 4/04
most of the 790 presses listed are recorded incompletely. bobtheham@igc.org. or 12276 Welling Hall Rd, Doswell
VA 23047
Posted March 29, 2004.
Pulpboard. Alex Widen, a
commercial letterpress printer in Vancouver, Canada, has supplied me with great news
regarding a source for pulpboard. Jody Seki at Fisher’s Continental Limited in
Burnaby, BC, Canada, has agreed to put together a "paper dampening kit" for
handpress printers. The kit consists of 48 pieces of bleached coaster board #2035 cut to
18 x 24 inches. (twelve full sheets); and 124 pieces of bleached coaster board #2023 cut
to 18 x 24 inches. (thirty-one full sheets with discarded cutoffs). This sheet size should
serve the needs of most printers. The cost of the kit is approximately $150 US. I had an
opportunity to use one of these kits at the University of Utah’s Red Butte Press last
year, and I can vouch that they are superb. For more information or to place an order,
contact Jody Seki at fishcon@telus.net.
UPDATE Nineteenth-Century
Printing Practices and the Iron Handpress
Oak Knoll Press and The British Library
The above title, my second work on the iron handpress is now in bookstores.
Stephen O. Saxe (my editor) and I have worked on this project for more than eight years.
Bradley Hutchinson, who set the book at Digital Letterpress, has created a very attractive
website with more information about this work, along with a few images from the text. It
can be viewed at http://www.letterpress.com/hph.htm.
Rollin Milroy has just published his Heavenly Monkey Newsletter #4 – Winter 2004.
It is available on his website at http://www.heavenlymonkey.com.
As always it is full of interesting news about his press and projects, including an
interview with Robert Bringhurst.
Waxing Gibbous Booksellers is a new independent bookstore in New haven, CT. Peter
Christian Pehrson, the proprietor, wrote that "one feature will be nonfiction books
printed letterpress." He is presently seeking prospectuses from printers. He can be
reached at peter.pehrson@writtenbyhand.com.
Updated October 5, 2003.
UPDATE A new book printed by Gabriel Rummonds
In April 2003, thanks to a very generous research grant from the Bridwell Library at
Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, I printed and published my first book since I
closed the Plain Wrapper Press and Ex Ophidia in 1988. Valerie Hotchkiss, the director of
the Bridwell, offered me the use of their Ashendene Albion to print this book, which is
dedicated to the memory of Decherd Turner, the first director of the Bridwell Library.
On Being a California Poet, an essay with two poems by Dana
Gioia, and a wood engraving by John Balkwill, is now out-of-print. The prospectus can be
viewed online at http://www.letterpress.com/gioia.html.
Permalin paper. Small quantities of Permalin paper – which I recommend for
covering tympans and friskets – is now available from Steve Pratt at Pratt Wagon
Works; Cove Fort; Beaver, Utah 84713. Phone/Fax: (435) 438-1024. He has it prepackaged in
four-yard rolls for $17, including shipping.
Posted March 12, 2001.
Gabriel Rummonds, Patricio Gatti, Brad Hutchinson,
and Fred Voltmer
A keepsake for the Bridwell Library’s fiftieth anniversary
Between February 1 and 8, 2001, four handpress printers joined me at Southern Methodist
University in Dallas, Texas, to print a keepsake on the Ashendene Albion in the Bridwell
Library to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of that library in the
Perkins School of Theology. Valerie Hotchkiss, the present director, and Decherd Turner,
the first director of the library, broached the idea to me early last year. Page Thomas,
the director of Methodist Studies, gathered together all the materials needed for the
project so that when Fred and Barabra Voltmer from Emeryville, Patricio Gatti from Buenos
Aires, and Brad Hutchinson from Austin arrived everything was in place. It was an
experience I’ll never forget. We commandeered Sally Key’s conservation
laboratory – with her permission – and began at once to recover the tympan and
frisket and to dampen the Magnani paper. Fred and Patricio fine-tuned the press so that we
were able to begin printing on the fifth day. We were printing two up, and started with
the back side of the sheet which listed the production credits. The text for this was
imposed twice, using an imposition that would enable us to print work-and-twist when we
printed the front side.
Gabriel Rummonds checking the image of
the work-and-twist imposition
On the sixth day we printed the front side. In one half of the form, the
text, which was set by Michael & Winifred Bixler and printed in black, was imposed. In
the other half, Anita Karl’s calligraphy, which was printed in deep purple, and John
Balkwill’s relief engraving, which was printed in a lighter purple, were imposed.
Patricio Gatti using an ink ball to ink the calligraphy
Unfortunately, the platemaker botched the line-engraving for the calligraphy – the
block was warped and could not be inked with a roller. Patricio decided that he would ink
the block with printers’ inking balls. In the meantime, Fred inked the
relief-engraving outside the form, and once it was inserted in the form, an impression was
made. Then the paper was twisted on the points, and after re-inking, a second impression
was pulled. Even though we were working fourteen-hour days, we did not get all of the
sheets printed on the sixth day and had to finish them up on the seventh day. Brad joined
us to impose the form for the printing the gold leaf two up. On the eight day – the
day of the luncheon at which the benefactors of the library were to receive their copies
of the keepsake – we began to print the gold leaf. I wanted to save the excess gold,
but the process was too slow; so with an industrial vacuum, the excess gold was sucked
into the vacuum’s bag. Barbara and I also used an industrial hot-air blower to dry
the sheets so we could cut and trim them. Some of them were then placed in purple cloth
folders made by Sandy Tilcock. After the gala presentation, where the library received a
million-dollar check from the benefactors, we went back to the pressroom to finish
printing the rest of the sheets. The last sheet was cut and trimmed around seven. Then we
all went off to a great place to eat and DRINK with Amber Sturgess who had been keeping us
well-fed all week. If I hadn’t have had that great crew to help me, I would still be
in Dallas brushing off the excess gold leaf.
Insert from Matrix
An excerpt from my memoir Fantasies & Hard Knocks in Matrix
The Matrix (number 20) contains an article titled "The Making of the
Borges Book in Verona" in which I describe the trials and tribulations surrounding
the most famous of Plain Wrapper Press books, Seven Saxon Poems by Jorge Luis
Borges. The book took over seven years to produce and nearly killed me in the process. The
article is illustrated with two views of the book in color and a black-and-white photo of
me at work on the project. Plans are under way to publish the complete and unexpurgated
version of the memoir in 2002.
Queries
and tips
Posted March 17, 2001.
Attaching rounce straps. Both Bob Oldham and Fred
Voltmer have pointed out to me that Fig. 3.5 on page 34 is incorrectly drawn. I
have made a rough sketch, shown below, to show the correct position of the three nailed
straps on the barrel and the direction they should go in order to be properly attached to
the strap clamps. Note that in all cases the straps will project from the top of the
barrel as they move toward the strap clamps.
Posted September 10, 2000.
Renaissance Wax. Gerald Lange
recommends using Renaissance Wax as a metal polisher and rust inhibitor as an alternative
for Lemon Pledge. It is available from Bookmakers (Riverdale, MD).
Posted July 1, 2000.
Dampening paper. I have recently had inquires about dampening
paper by spraying it. Allen mentions this in his book and several printmaker/printers use
this method; however, spraying paper before printing on it is NOT the same as dampening
it. Handmade paper, especially surfaced-sized paper, must be softened before it is ready
to print on. See Chapter 24 in my book for the correct way to dampen paper. When paper is
dampened properly, you will need less ink and the types will last longer. Several
handpress printers are trying to help me locate a supplier for pulp board, the ideal
material for dampening paper. When paper is dampened between pulp boards, the surface of
the paper remains pristine. But even more important, the paper is uniformly dampened
throughout the pile. No matter how you dampen paper, the paper must sit over night so it
can expand. If you print on it immediate after it comes out of the standing press, your
registration will be off when you are ready to print the backup.
Posted April 24, 2000, and revised July 1, 2000.
Mylar. Michael McGarvey at the First Hand Press
wrote that he has found another source for 5 and 10 mil Mylar. Prices for 20" x
50" sheets: $2.60 per sheet for 5 mil; $4.60 per sheet for 10 mil. There is a $100
minimum order. Cope Plastics, Inc.; 8728 North Pioneer Road; Peoria, IL 61615. Phone:
1-800-322-2826. E-mail: cope@copepeoria.com.
Digital type and photopolymer plates. More and more
handpress printers are turning to these as an alternative to hot-metal type. Here are two
websites and a book that offer useful information about the process:
http://www.photopolymerplates.com
Information on photopolymer plates and platemakers. This is Gene Becker's site which also
has links to four other sites on the subject. Gene can be reached at 73-48 183rd Street,
Flushing, NY 11366. Phone: (718) 454-0654. E-mail: genebecker@worldnet.att.net.
http://www.polyfibron.com
Website of manufacturer of photopolymer plates.
Posted February 10, 2000.
Warning. It has come to my attention that a couple
of handpress enthusiasts have purchased handpresses that were designed for proofing
photoengravings, and therefore, they cannot be used for printing letterpress without being
modified. Before purchasing a handpress, measure, in millimeters, the space between the
platen and the bed with the bar in its resting position. The daylight, the opening, should
be at least 36-40 mm. Then, measure the space between the platen and the bed with the bar
against the near cheek. The space should be at least 26-30 mm; in other words, the full
arc of the bar will lower the platen about 10 mm. If the press was cast in pieces with a
steel rod running through hollow cheeks, there is a relatively simple solution for raising
the platen. A washer, made of any hard material - metal, plastic, or wood - can be placed
between the bottom of the cheek and the top of the winter. The thickness of the washer
will be determined by the amount of space that needs to be added to the daylight. Needless
to say, both washers must be the same thickness.
Another thing to watch for is the bar itself. If the bar handle extends over the bed in
its resting position, you will not be able to raise the tympan/frisket assembly since the
bar handle will block the movement of the latter. For the above reasons, handpresses
designed for proofing seldom came with tympan/frisket assemblies.
Warning. Never, NEVER move a handpress, even across the room, without
completely dissembling it. That means removing the toggle mechanism, the platen, the bed,
and the rails. Handpresses are made of cast iron, and the smallest jolt could cause
irreparable damage to the press as well as the movers.
Replacement parts for handpresses. I have had several queries concerning
the replacement of broken or missing parts for handpresses. With the wide spread of
machine printing in the nineteenth century, many handpresses that were designed for
letterpress were converted to proof presses. These presses are frequently missing the
tympan/frisket assembly. Now there is top-notch professional help available. Steve Pratt
has restored several handpresses in the States and Canada, using detailed mechanical
drawings of the parts. I have seen the tympan/frisket assembly and hinge bar and heel iron
that he made for Michael Barnes’s Albion. His work is meticulous and accurate. He can
be reached at Pratt Wagon Works, Cove Fort, Beaver, UT 84713. Phone/fax: (435) 438-1024.
Posted June 4, 1999.
Linson paper. I have had several queries about not
being able to find "linson" paper. I would be surprised if you had been able to
find it in the US because Linson is the trademark a British book cloth manufacturer. In my
book on page 233, I recommend that a similar paper is made in the US by Permalin Products.
It is called Permalin Colors (Type I, uncoated, resin-impregnated northern kraft). It
comes in a number of colors and finishes. I suggest using a light color such as Sand or
Smoke since you will want to be able to see a clear contrast between the tympan paper and
the printing paper. When ordering this paper, it is also important that you specify
"antique finish" since the paper must have a smooth surface. I recently spoke
with the Permalin's west coast representative, Don Smith, who told me that both the east
and west coast offices have received numerous requests for "linson" paper;
unfortunately, the customer service people were not familiar with this paper, therefore,
they were not able to recommend a comparable paper from their stock. Permalin sells
Permalin Colors by the yard. The paper comes in three widths. The narrowest, which is 40
inches wide, sells for 44 cents per yard. The company has a $100 minimum order which would
come to about 227 yards. If you want more information, call Don at (650) 961-9393, or fax
him at (650) 961-0353.
Registration point guides. Stephen Heaver, at sgheaver@aol.com, has 24-point registration point
guides (similar to the ones illustrated on page 186 of my book. He is asking $10 a pair,
post paid to continental U.S.).
Errata
The following notes have come from a number of readers. The
information is arranged in numerical sequence by page.
page 25, Fig. 2.8. The platen-end strap clamp (on the left) should
be half the size shown in the illustration.
page 34 (5th line from the bottom), "first" should read
"First"
page 39, the heel iron in Fig. 3.12 needs to be flipped from left to
right so that the projection shown beneath the bolt can be screwed to the tympan frame.
page 65, (5th line from the bottom), the second sentence should read
"If the chase is not already locked in place, now is the time to do it (see Chapter
12).
page 77 (last line). Wesley B. Tanner reminded me that some Monotype
nicks are rounded, depending on the type of caster that was used.
page 97, (3rd line of text from the bottom), "parallel
to line CB" should read "parallel to line CW."
page 101, (2nd line in the "Remember" section),
"first" should read "First."
page 106, (Figs. 11.1, 11.2, and 11.3) arrows showing the grain of
the paper will be added to these figures in the next edition. The grain is running
horizontal to the base in Figs. 11.1 and 11.3, and vertically in Fig. 11.2.
page 110, (2nd line from the bottom), "loose" should read
"lose."
page 130, ("7"), the last line is missing some words. The
end of the sentence should read ". . . prefer to lock the chase in both
directions."
page 134 (caption), "Offiicina" should read
"Officina"
page 155, Fig. 14.17. The metal furniture that should be in place on
the near side of the form is missing.
page 156 (7th and 8th lines), "(see Photos 34 . .
.)" should read "(see Photos 17, 34, and 36 on pp. 166,
344, and 358 respectively)"
page 166, (caption), "Anvil Press" should read
"Stamperia del Santuccio."
page 176, (caption), "Anvil Press" should read
"Stamperia del Santuccio" and "1956" should read "1958."
page 233 (1st line), "10.15 mm" should read "0.15
mm."
page 274, section 4, Keane Graphics makes a "Monsun Drier"
(10 T 7265) which appears to have the properties of Hostmann-Steinberg’s
"Monsoon Drier."page 280, (5th line in "3"), "advanced"
should read "advance."
page 286, (5th line in "4"), "first" should read
"First."
page 301, (2nd line in "22"), "set it aside it"
should read "set it aside."
page 327, (2nd line in 2nd paragraph), "I am included"
should read "I have included."
page 333, (1st line of last paragraph), "first" should
read "First."
page 333, (4th line from the bottom), "also used" should
read "also be used."
page 356, (2nd line in "2"), "on p. 00" should
read "on p. 255."
page 377, after "American Printing Equipment & Supply
Co." entry, add Argee Corp., P.O. Box 710222, Santee, CA 92072. Papermaking
supplies (vats).
page 378, "R.K. Burt" entry, add telephone number (0171)
407-6474.
page 378, "Colophon Book Arts Supply Co., Inc." entry,
delete Don Guyot and add Nancy Morains, the present owner.
page 378, "Davey Co." entry, this company has a new name
and address. "Rock-Tenn Co., P.O. Box 4098, Norcross, GA 30091. The telephone number
is (770) 448-2193.
page 378, "Falkiner Fine Papers" entry, add Gabrielle
Falkiner, the telephone number (0171) 831-1151, and Conservation supplies.
page 378, "Golgonooza Letter Foundry" entry, add
"Julia Ferrari."
page 379, "Keane Graphics" entry, add telephone number
(01233) 502-065 and Inks – modifiers.
page 379, "Legion Paper Corp." entry, new address. 11
Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Telephone, (800) 275-3380.
page 379, new address for "T.N. Lawrence & Sons Ltd. 208
Portland Road, Hove BN3 5QT, ENGLAND. Telephone, (01273) 260-260.
page 379, "Monotype Hot Metal" entry, delete "Type
– Monotype" and add "Type – Monotype matrices and components."
page 379, "Mouldtype" entry, should read "Mould Type
Foundry." Telephone, (1772) 456-093. Printing supplies.
page 379, "New York Central Art Supply" entry, the address
should read "62 Third Avenue."
page 380, "Tower Engraving" entry, add telephone number
(0171) 247-7501.
page 381, "Conservation supplies" entry, add
Falkiner Fine Papers.
page 381, "Ink – modifiers" entry, add Keane
Graphics.
page 382, "Papermaking supplies" entry, add Argee
Corp.
page 383, "Type – Monotype" entry, delete
"Monotype Hot Metal."
page 384, after "Type – Monotype" entry, add "Type
– Monotype matrices and components" with "Monotype Hot Metal"
listed under this heading.
page 384, "Guild of Book Workers" entry, add the following
publications: Supply Directory and Study Opportunities Directory.
page 392, (4th line in 2nd entry), "Phila8delphia" should
read "Philadelphia."
page 432, ("broken form"), "short of blank
pages" should read "short or blank pages."
page 437, ("drawer fingers"), "tympan hand band"
should read "tympan head band."
page 441, ("frisket fingers"), "titling" should
read "tilting."
page 445, ("impression slurs"), "frisket" should
read "tympan."
Handpresses
for sale
If you have a handpress for sale, I would be happy to list it
here. Please include: the name of the manufacturer; year of manufacture, if known; platen
size; and price. Be sure to include your name, as well as where you can be reached. I am
sorry that I will not be able to list anything other than handpresses, nor will I be able
to list "wants" for handpresses.
Ullmer & Watts (London) Albion Press with
16 x 24 inch platen in Dorset, England. £2,000. For more information, contact Diana Hall,
diana@st-giles.freeserve.co.uk.
Paul Shniedewend & Co. (complete)
"Printers Proof Press" Washington-style hand press, #2, with 17"x22"
platen and 21"x25-1/2" bed. This press is in very good condition and has what
appears to be the original tympan, and though the toggle was not installed when the photo
was taken, it is with the press. The press has been crated (for a buyer who was,
unfortunately, not serious) and is ready for shipping. It is in Coshocton, Ohio at the
museum that has been its home until it was replaced by an earlier Ohio-made hand press.
The former price of $2500 has been reduced to $2000 in hopes of moving it to a new home
quickly. For more information contact Patti Malenke, Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum, 300 N.
Whitewoman Street, Coshocton, OH 43812, 740-622-8710, jhmuseum@gurulink.com or Bob Oldham, bobtheham@igc.org.
Serious inquiries only, please.
Reliance handpress located on Long
Island, NY. Platen, 22 x 25 inches. Excellent condition, complete with tympan/frisket
assembly. Press is assembled, but owner will dismantle for shipment. Price: $5,000. For
more information, contact Greg Timko at gtg@nxgt.com.
Phone: 631) 821-1905. Cell: (516) 639-5873.
Mr. Weiland recently sent me the following e-mail.
When I first became interested in printing, now may years ago, I always looked forward
to visiting the very old small company that made zinc letterpress printing plates. You
entered the building and walked up wooden stairways flanked by a enormous window with a
fine view of the downtown skyline to the second floor. The first floor was occupied by a
busy printing company and the sound of the letter presses turning out work was music to my
ears. Up to the second floor, and through the crinkle glass door, two elderly men greeted
you. The odor of powerful acids was floating through the air, and the rooms rather dark,
and very dusty. All the machinery was extremely old...and black. One of the two men
particularly was always fascinating to me. He was a tall, thin intense man with deep set
eyes and dark resonant voice. I had been warned in advance that he was one of the high
officials in the Masonic Order... to my young mind a very mysterious (maybe even
dangerous) organization indeed. In fact I was always more than a little frightened of him.
In the center of the engraving plant was their wonderful old "Reliance Improved"
or something like that iron hand press. It was always great fun when you returned for your
cuts, to have the men pull a proof for you on the press and handing the sheet to you
asking "Is that all right"? Of course the work was! But the acid stained hands
of the engraver were most disconcerting. It gave their hands a claw like appearance. The
big ancient crock jug of "Dragons Blood" on the shelf did not help things
either. Over the years the photo engravers retired and the press was moved many times and
places. I would run across it from time to time at the various engravers shops over the
years, as companies changed and businesses were bought out by others, and in time I was
able to purchase the press. I now find that it might be wise for me to consider selling my
press to someone who would continue to use the press for fine printing. It is 17" x
22" good condition and I can deliver it within a couple hundred miles of my home. If
interested please contact me. Best regards, Henry Weiland Milwaukee, Wisconsin. E-mail: hweiland@EXECPC.COM.
An 1868 R. Hoe &
Co. No. 5 Washington handpress in Windsor, VT. The press is in very good
condition with a new tympan/frisket assembly and book chase created by Pratt Pressworks.
For more information, contact Philip Jarvis, Saint Gervase Press, at (802) 674-6630 or saintgervasepress@yahoo.com.
A circa 1860 Hopkinson Albion handpress in
Zakynthos, Greece. (See photos.) No price or dimensions were sent to me. For more
information, contact Dennis Pettas at aavouri@acn.gr.
SOLD
Albion Press in Bristol, UK. A
fabulous 1861 Hopkinson & Cope press, number 3976. John Stops printed hundreds of
linocuts on this press. Price: around £3,500 to £4,000 with the buyer paying transport
costs. For more information, contact Sue Stops at 0117-9277157 or suestops@aol.com.
An Albion handpress near Canterbury, Kent, UK. The
platen measures 36 x 26 inches. It has a new belt and is in good working order. This press
once belonged to Lucy Mable Attwell, ex Royal Academy. Best offer near £3,000 accepted
for quick sale. For more information, contact Warren 01227-277559 or warren.jo@btopenworld.com.
A pre-1900 Ostrander & Seymour Washington handpress in
Seattle, Washington. Extra heavy, six feet high, three feet wide, five feet long, 1,700
pounds. Price: $5,000. For more information, contact Phoebe at (206) 284-1675 or phoebe@seanet.com.
Albion handpress, 23 x 34 floor model, $6,500. In
Healdsburg, CA. For more information, contact Ted Salkin at (707) 431-1944 or printersnational@hotmail.com.
An 1865 Albion handpress, made by J. Richardson of
Fleet Lane, London, in Covelo, CA (Mendocino County). Impress area 11 x 16 inches.
Complete with original frisket and cast-iron base and legs. The press is in perfect
condition. Loading dock and some strong helpers. Price: $5,500. For more information,
contact Carolyn Robertson at the Yolla Bolly Press at (707) 983-6130 or books@yollabollypress.com.
Washington-style Reliance Press. Lowell
Jones, of Chico, CA, has a Washington-style Reliance Press with a 15 x 20 inch platen for
sale. There is no tympan or frisket. The price is negotiable. Phone: (530) 345-4884.
E-mail: LLODJO@cs.com.
Albion Press. Tim Honnor, at the Piccolo Press in
Scotland, has an 1847 Albion Press for sale. The platen measures 18 x 13 inches. The press
has its original tympan and frisket. Price: $6000. Honnor can be reached at print@piccolopress.co.uk.
Albion foolscap folio handpresses. The first
of these presses, made by Steve Pratt, was completed on April 20, 2001. This press is an
exact replica of the D & J Greig, Edinburgh, press that Lewis and Dorothy Allen
donated to the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. A
foolscap folio press – with a platen measuring 10 x 15 inches – is the perfect
size for printing enthusiasts who want to print on a handpress, yet not be intimidated by
the weight and presence of the large floor models. Inquiries can only be sent to Steve by
surface mail since he does not have e-mail. His address is Pratt Wagon & Press Works,
HC-74 Box 6410, Cove Fort, UT 84713. Phone: (435) 438-1024. The June 2001 issue of
"The Printer" carries an article with more details about these press.
Handpress
replicas for sale
Steve Pratt, see above, also makes working replicas of
iron handpresses. I am including below two examples of his work.
Peter Smith Acorn Press replica, 1999
Ramage Philadelphia Press replica
Replacement
parts for handpresses
John A. Hern, Jr. specializes in making replacement
parts for all makes of handpresses from either a sample or a broken part. If these are not
available, he can work from accurate shop drawings. He can be reached at Hern Ironworks;
1900 Millview; Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814. E-mail: hern@nidlink.com.
Website: http://www.hernironworks.com.
Steve Pratt, Pratt Wagon Works; Cove Fort; Beaver,
UT 84713. Phone/fax: (435) 438-1024.
Sources
for buying and selling handpresses
This section will list the best sources for buying and selling
handpresses. By far the most effective of these are two periodicals with classified
sections. The subscription rates are also very reasonable. They are:
The Printer. E-mail: theprinter4918@hotmail.com.
The Book Arts Classified. E-mail: pagetwo@bookarts.com.
Handpress movers
Greg Timko, of GTGraphic Service and Supply.,
specializes in moving and assembling cast-iron handpresses. Phone: (631) 821-1905. Fax:
(631) 821-1908. E-mail: gtg@nxgt.com. Website: http://www.gthotmetal.com.
Ed Regan. Vincent Golden has sent me the name of a
handpress mover, Ed Regan, who helped him reassemble a Reliance handpress at the Illinois
Institute of Technology. Regan can be reached at 2499 North 900 West, Rensselaer, IN
47978. Phone: (219) 866-5500. Fax: (219) 866-5501.
S & S Transport. Press and
machinery movers in the UK. S & S Transport, 205 River Gate, Orange Zone, Bournemouth
Internal Airport, Dorset BH23 6NE. Phone: 01202-591313. This company comes highly
recommended by Justin Howes.
Ken Wilson in the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area,
moves and assembles cast-iron handpressess. He can be reached at K. Wilson & Company,
Inc.; 189 Beacon Street; South San Francisco, CA 94080-6921. Phone: (650) 952-3003. Fax:
(650) 952-2577. E-mail: kenwilson@kwilsonco.com.
Website: http://www.kwilsonco.com.
New suppliers
A complete list of suppliers will be found on pages 377 through
380 in my book, Printing on the Iron Handpress.
John G. Henry, of the Cedar Oak
Press, in Mason City, IA, sent the following notice to The Printer regarding a mill
in Spain that makes handmade paper.
Eskulan Handmade Paper is made in Villabona,
a small town in the Guipúzcoa province in the north of Spain. This area has a long
tradition in papermaking. Most of the main Spanish paper mills are located here. We follow
the traditional European craftsman method of papermaking, starting from flax and white
cotton, and using a Hollander beater. All papers have a neutral ph. Address: Eskulan;
Apdo. Correos 31; Villabona, (Guipúzcoa), Spain. Website:
www.artenet-cb.es/eskulan/ingles.html. For more information, eskulan@hotmail.com.
Dolphin Papers; 1125 Brookside Avenue G-900;
Indianapolis, IN 46202. Telephone: (800) 346-2770. Paper – art and printing.
Hubbard Type Foundry; Unit 21;
Cornish Way; Lyngate Industrial Estate; North Walsham, Norfolk NR28 0AW; UK. Phone/FAX:
+44 (0) 1692 405479. Monotype. This company has Monotype mats up to 72-point English,
foreign languages, many exotic typefaces, and Anglo-American and Didot type sizes. Brian
Hubbard produces both fonts and set type. He also has a vast assortment of Monotype
machine spare parts for sale. A type specimen book is available upon request.
Stephen Kinsella, Inc. P.O. Box 32420, Olivette, MO
63132. Telephone: (800) 445-8865. Paper – art and printing.
Ken Parrish, 105 Main Street, Galena, MD 21635.
Telephone: (301) 648-5448. Presses – printing.
Rennaissance Graphic Arts, Inc.; 69 Steamwhistle
Drive; Ivyland, PA 18974. Telephone: (888) 833-3398. Printmaking supplies.
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