Challenge-Gordon LetterPress

This press has been sitting in my basement for over 5 years now. It is time to get this identified and possibly sold.

Can anyone please tell me further details about this press.
It is a Challenge-Gordon press. It has the number 153 below the ink plate. It has a seat and a small motor at the bottom between the legs.

Any details would be helpful. What would a list price be?

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Can you possibly post a photograph. The “seat” sounds very intriguing. Could it be a foot pedal instead?

Mike

I am having a hard time posting pics, can you help. I go to attach them and they don’t upload

marvq469 - see the blue link to the Help section in the gray area at the top right of every page or Uploading photos to Briar Press ads, listings and forums.

When you post your ad, go to the “add an image” box. Browse and find your image, click on add the image and do it again if you add a caption, Make sure you click the box each time. If your file size is too big, Briar press will warn you and may resize it. It should load. Jpgs are best to keep the file size small. Elizabeth may give you more info. Good luck. I am anxious to see this press because of the seat.

Mike

The small motor down below may be a later add on, what you have may be a pre -1910 foot treadle which I also have, the 153 number is probably just a casting # for that part of the press. The true press number will be hand stamped along with a slew of patent dates on the right side drive wheel, probably better described as a large Gear cam wheel. Hope this helps. Keep track of me please, I would like to find as many people as possible with these presses and catalog them for my use and for future generations. If you have trouble posting photos I can send you one of mine to compare.

Don,

My treadle-powered Challenge Gordon 8 x 12 has a serial number 3123. Can you tell me the year of manufacture?
The press is located in Connecticut.
Dave Greer

Since Challemge stopped making presses in 1910, I would expect the number stamped in the big gear to be in the 9000s.
In 1910, I would not expect it to have been built with an electric motor.

One of the presses I am blessed to have access to, takes 7 kicks per impression, and originally had a treadle.
There is still a crankshaft but the treadle is long gone and a motor has been slung onto the frame to belt drive the flywheel.

Its a cute hack. Swing the motor up on the hinge and the belt is disengaged.
Flip it down and gravity maintains the tension.
Anytime fingers are “in the works” (cleaning etc) the power plug sits on the outfeed table AND the motor is disengaged.

A lot of the old treadles were mortorized after market, but I seriously doubt that was originally motorized.

Chandler Price, continued making Gordon style platen presses at least throught the depression, possibly after WW2.
Some of the late CP WERE motorized from factory.

Its a late addition to the thread, but might help someone trolling the archives.