Sigwalt Ideal 5 restoration

Hello all,
I just wanted to share the pictures of this Sigwalt 5 being taken apart, refurbished and then put back together. We let it soak for three days in WD-40 to help with the dismantling. It came apart fairly quickly. We bead blasted (glass beads) everything and wire brushed the nuts and bolts free of rust. There is about 4 coats of paint on it. The nuts and bolts, platen, bed, disk top, and a few other pieces are blued. We let the paint dry and put some grease on the shafts and reassembled 1 week later. Such a peach!
I’ve posted pictures here http://www.flickr.com/photos/8752626@N05/sets/72157607187256020/detail/
Cheers,
Connie

Also shared on Letpress

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Great work—and the pix are very helpful and inspirational for us other SI5 owners who are trying to rejuvenate an oldie but goodie. Thanks for putting them up!

The Sigwalt #5 is my all-time favorite tabletop press…. and you’ve done a fine job on that particular one.

Congrats on a job well-done!

Thanks! This was a great project. There aren’t very many sources of pictures of them on the internet so I’m glad to add these to the mix.

I have a Sigwalt Ideal #5 and I’m so impressed with your THOROUGH restoration. I wonder if your Sigwalt has the same problem mine does. There are several pivot points where the pin works its way loose. One is to the right and one is at the back. I have to tap them back in place periodically. Why in the world is there no device to keep them in place. I was told to take the pin out and roughen it up and that helps some but I keep wondering if something is missing and maybe there was originally a way to keep the pins in place?
Lynn

Lynn: I have the same problem with my Sigwalt! When I first purchased it and moved it, my boyfriend and I couldn’t figure out why there was such limited movement! Does anyone know any resolutions for this issue?!

Lynn,
On the pins you are talking about mine had/has what looks like a chisel mark towards one end which act as a little wedge when you replace the pin. You might have to re-chisel this mark to widen it to get the wedge effect that keeps it in place. Using a center punch would work also. You are basically expanding the metal in a spot to make the pin a little bigger in that spot.
Then when the pin is tapped back in it should get harder to tap in when you get to the divot made by the chisel or punch. Then it won’t rotate but the piece pivoting around it will.
Hope this helps,
Connie

Aha! That sounds promising. So do I just tap away at the end of the pin with a chisel or center punch? I would so love to not have to worry about the darn pins suddenly working out.
Lynn

Hi Lynn,
Not on the end but near the end on the side of the pin.
The idea is to make a just enough of ridge to give the pin an area that when tapped into place creates a press fit.
I’ve attached a little diagram that I hope helps.
Don’t make it too big though or you might not be able to get the pin in enough to do it’s job.

Connie

image: punchmark.jpg

punchmark.jpg

anyone have a sigwalt ideal i could purchase? Thanks!