Boxcar base or alternate?
Hello all, first up - great resource here, I’ve learnt a lot already.
I have recently picked up a little Adana 5 3 to print business cards etc and am wondering about Boxcar options. I think I’m wanting to take the photopolymer route with my designs (tighter/finer impressions?) but $150 for a piece of aluminum measuring only a couple inches seems a little steep. Is there anything about the Boxcar base that I couldn’t just get machined up locally - I’m in the UK by the way.
It also says on their website that the max size recommended is 1.5 x 3.5 for a 5x3 chase, why not make it a snug fit?
Thanks in advance…
Chris…. that topic has been discussed at length here, with a considerable amount of disagreement.
My personal view is that a Boxcar Base is not really necessary for small presses. In my shop, we’ve made a number of HDO plywood bases that work extremely well, despite what the folks who want to sell bases will tell you.
The truth of the matter is that as long as the printing surface of your type is type-high, and it stays in the right location, it doesn’t really matter if the base is wood, plastic or metal. All three can be used to produce the same quality work.
Others disagree of course, and cite the precise machining and all that. For larger presses they might be right, but for your 3x5, it’s a waste of money.
Well said Winking Cat Press! For decades blocks and galvanos were mounted on wood and with a bit of paper or card underneath them printed perfectly well.
Yes that is pretty much what I thought. Thanks for the feedback.