New list: Press manuals: parts, care, and instruction

Thank you Elizabeth!

…. anyone have any idea where to find a C&P MANUAL— not just a part list or oil diagrams. I’ve been looking for weeks, and i’m about to go crazy here thinking they NO LONGER EXIST. Just purchased a C&P 8x12 new series.

any leads would be helpful (like if you have one and can photocopy it for me?!) haha

ps: thank you very much for the link.. extreamly helpful, Elizabeth!

I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a manual for the 8x12 C&P presses (other than the oil chart and parts list), but they probably did exist. I do have a copy of the manual issued for the Pilot Press.

John H

Hi John— thanks for the help. Looks I’ll be looking for the rest of my life. ;)

I too am new to a C&P 8x12 (old series) and also looking for any literature to do with the press. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what the exact roller diameter is supposed to be? I have several shafts with gooey messes on them! The press came with a wooden roller mould (not sure how accurate it is after all these years), and somewhere I have a pdf that describes how to make gelatine rollers so that is a future challenge.
Ron

most companies that cast rollers would know the size, the 8x12 is a common size. good luck.

I’m looking for a manual for a Vertical Miehle V-36
Thank you Elizabeth

I am looking for a manual or even some reference on a 8x10 challenge tredle press I have in exceptional condition. Someone restored it to be a display piece and everything woorks. The problem is I cant find anything on the net as to its origin. Even Challenge is of no help.
Doug

Ok so I got at the press. The back strap says Gordon Challenge. There appeasrs to be no serial number but the size is stamped on the frame as 8x12
The chase is only 8x10
Manuaks and chases would be helpful as well as rollers it only has two and requires 3
How do these presses print? Everthing is in good order.
What is it worth?
Doug

size.jpg

side.jpg

nameplate.jpg

front.jpg

the press should print well with only two rollers, the third roller is not necessary to print with, sometimes it does help, i have a 10x15 and seldom use the third roller, but i only print small forms on it. hard to put a price on these presses, the prices seem to be all over the place. why would it have 8x12 on it if its not ? good luck dick g.

Doug,
I have the same press, but you luckily have the name plates still intact. Your chase may be the wrong size from another press, as mine is 8x12.
You can print simple text and line art fine with 2 rollers, but ink coverage is much better with 3 when printing larger illustrations with solid areas.
I think Challenge Gordon presses are a bit hard to find. I posted an inquiry to find out what mine was a few years back, and nobody was able to identify it.

Oh, I do have a bit of documentation on the press. patent applications for certain parts and such, since I made a big effort to identify mine a while back. Drop me a line and maybe we can trade some information.

C&P Manuals -

As far as I know, C&P never published a “manual” for operation of its hand-fed presses. Manuals were published to cover the intricacies of the automatic feed systems, but the general assuption during most of Chandler & Price’s production years was that the pressman who would operate a hand-fed platen press would be trained in school, through the union or by apprenticing to an older printer.

Even the C&P Pilot literature is not really a manual of operation, but again, more of a sales too, and a setup & maintenance reference.

There are many good books on platen presswork, but these were published as high-school or trade school text books. Most of them do indeed focus on the C&P Platen, but they were not published by C&P.

Aside from Kelsey’s little “Printer’s Guide” which is indeed a manual for a table-top platen press, and Adana’s Guide to Operation - both published for hobbyists and their table-top presses, I do not believe that you will find an operator’s manual published by the manufacturer for any commercial-sized hand-fed platen presses.

Heidelberg did publish a comprehensive manual of platen press printing technique as it relates to makeready and operation of the relatively complex Heidelberg Windmill line of automatic feed platen presses. Heidelberg also published periodic pamphets on special letterpress subjects such as die-cutting and embossing and foil stamping.

But as far as Chandler & Price - that popular parts list may indeed be the extent of their technical literature for the hand-fed presses.

Thank you for the thread. I purchased what turns out to be a Baltimorean (somewhere in the 10 to 13 range, based on the photos I’ve seen). It hasn’t been shipped yet, but between buying and receiving the press, I’ve learned enough to know that I have a fair amount of work before it is useful. Has anyone seen a manual, especially with an exploded diagram? If not, is there a more common or better documented brand that I can reference?

Obviously, I am one of the new and clueless folk. Any suggestions you have would be appreciated.

I am working on a challenge Gordon. It has a lot of missing parts . So what I need help with is finding a parts list or an operators manual. I believe it is a late 1880,s or late 1890,s. Any kind of info will help. Also need to get ahold of parts and rollers. Anything at this point will help.