Bottom Roller/Truck Not Turning - please help!

So I finally got my new rollers & trucks for my Golding Pearl #3 Old Style today from Tarheel Rollers.

When I put them on the press the top roller/truck rolls perfectly up the rails and the ink disc and back down again but the bottom roller/truck does not turn at all.

When I switch them the same thing happens - whichever one I put on the bottom does not roll.

This leads me to believe there is another problem - maybe with the saddles?

What would cause the bottom roller/truck not to turn but the top to turn perfectly fine?

Thanks, Brandi

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I don’t have a picture in my head of what the saddles on your press look like, but have you checked the spring tension? That’s a place to start…

Check to make sure the saddles are clean to bare metal and add a drop of oil. Also check to make sure they are not bent closed slightly are are pinching the core. Finally, check to make sure the saddles/hooks are not pressing against the sides of the trucks.

Rich

Front Room Press
Milford, NJ
http://frontroompress.com
http://frontroompress.blogspot.com

Rich, it looks like one was pinching the core. My husband stretched it out just a tad and it seems to be rolling now! Going down to try to print - wish me luck - I am almost afraid.

Let us know how it comes out. Post a pic! You want to make a good impression, right?

Ho, ho, I crack myself up.

Rich

Front Room Press
Milford, NJ
http://frontroompress.com
http://frontroompress.blogspot.com

Well, I got it working yesterday and now it is not working again. It will roll free for a while and then it just starts gliding/no rolling which makes for super smudgy ink on the plate.

I thought I had it figured out. Any thoughts on why it would work and then not work? Do I need to loosen the problem saddle up just a little more?

I did take all the tape from the rails and it seemed to roll really well on the metal but that does not work because my press needs to have that tape for the rollers to be type high. I use the 3M tape that was recommended on boxcar’s website.

Does anyone have a press that actually works on a full-time basis? I know packing/make ready but this is different.

Anyway, back on track - any thoughts on why the saddle would roll part of the time and not the other?

If the shaft fits well in the saddles, the trucks might be slipping on the tape you lined the rails with. Maybe just lightly scuff up the tape surface with some fine sandpaper to give a little “tooth” to it. Also make certain the roller trucks are clean and no oil on them. If they appear really shiny and slick, you might be able to rub them with some pumice or dry Comet cleanser to take the shine off and provide a bit of “tooth” on that side of the equation.

It seems odd that they would roll OK metal to metal, but slide on the tape surface.

To test out if the tape is your problem, you could lightly spray the offending roller trucks with spray adhesive (protect the shaft and saddles from the spray) and see if they turn well after that.