Curtis & Mitchell Columbian #2 rollers

Did you ever find rollers for your C&M. We have one we picked up a while back and will need to buy a new set of cores or at the min have ours recovered.

If you have the trucks you know the diameter of the rollers — it should be the same as the trucks. The length of the rubber should be the same as the diameter of the ink disc.

Bob

This is the response I got to my initial inquiry and I followed their advice. I was pleased with the result.

“If you have the cores and the trucks for the press you are in good shape.
The rollers are made off the truck size. We use Ramco Roller Products in San Dimas California for our rollers. I highly recommend them.They have a web site. You would need to call them for a price on them. I believe that you will find them to be a little less than everyone else. Adrain does a great job on the rollers and her is very good at getting them back to you quickly.
Best,
Terri
T & T Press Restoration”

I just bought a C&M Columbian No. 2 Treadle version, which I think might be called a jobber. It’s functionally pretty good, but has been repaired a few times through the years. I think the serial number is 108. That was stamped on the platen edge. Any idea the year this was made based on the serial number? I have seen a few drawings of the press. I need to fabricate the treadle pad out of wood— probably in oak, but I suspect it was originally cast iron. Any advice?

Hal Sterne’s Book, “Catalogue of Nineteenth Century Printing Presses” show one on page 239 & 240. It is called the Rotary Press. looks like a table top #2 on a very ornamental stand with a very fancy woman’s head symbol on the side, flywheel and drive gears below. Very handsome or pretty, depending on which gender your consider a press to be. I will try to scan it into Flickr this weekend. Dated 1885. Same date as the table top model.

Here is a link to a scan of the page referred to in Nineteenth Century Printing Presses.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/82041636@N00/8010984507/in/photostream

Thanks longdaypress. The image on the left looks exactly like mine in every detail. Thanks for the reference! This will help if I want to rebuild the feeder tray and treadle to look more authentic. I don’t think I’ll do a full restoration with the painted details, but someday!

I was wondering if an C&M press owners of a treadle press might have the original treadle pad. Mine has been repair and replaced with a wood block. For now, I might just replace it with another wood block with the original C&M logo carved into the wood, maybe eventually look into having one made. I’d like to get a good photograph of the original design. I found some images in some books, but these are just drawings. I have looked at a few Old English type fonts to see what might be close, but a real photo would be helpful. Does anyone have an original treadle with C&M on it?

franklincreations, Here is a photo of a C&M located in Columbia SHP CA. I hope this image will help you. Howard H

columbion2.jpg

Hi, I am wondering if anyone knows how much the Columbian No. 2 jobber is worth or how to find that information out. Also if anyone knows how much a printer from around the same time (1879) is worth or how to find that information out. The paper cutter looks like the one above. Thanks, any help is appreciated.

A printer from 1879 would be worthless, because he or she would be dead.

Very good Paul, i just sprayed a mouthful of coffee on my wife’s computer screen.

Ok excuse me, a printing press. If this is not the place to ask please just tell me and I can look elsewhere.

@Ladybug: You would have to provide more information, a press isn’t necessarily valuable because it is old. Condition, location, make, and size are all factored in to evaluate a press’ value. Even at that the price can be very subjective. It might be located too far from a prospective buyer, and that can affect the value.

Paul

Ok thanks, good to know. I will get more details and go from there. I appreciate your input.

Thanks Howard H for the photo - good to see others out there have this press.

hi, Wondering if you still have this Curtis & Mitchell platen? If so could I ask if you could take some photos of the right side (cam side)? We have one but missing the cam follower mechanism that drives off the cam.

many thanks in advance

Nick