platen pressure

I have a 6x10 platen press and I am wondering if anyone has any tips on setting the platen pressure correctly?

Also I have been using Yupo paper for packing… 1-2 sheets under one larger sheet used as the top sheet (instead of typman?)… does this seem right? I am trying to figure this all out…

Sure appreciate your help!

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Go to Excelsior Press web site, he has lots of good info. There is a man in CT, John Falstrom that has made a tool for setting your platen, his contact info is in the yellow pages on this site. Good Luck Dick G.

Amazon.com has reprints of Polk’s Elementary Platen Press Work for around $16 which covers most aspects of platen press operation, including packing, etc… Would strongly recommend buying a copy if you own a platen press.

You could put a large piece of type in each corner of the chase and work up the impression until each of them are printing approximately equal. I use “O”s from a 72 point font…Don’t know if this answers your question but this is (one way) how to get the impression even, and the platen parallel to the bed. Yes, a tool could help, but others have done it this way also. Just use caution and work the impression up slowly.
Typically a heavy hard card stock or “redboard” is used as the base of your packing, along with a couple of other thinner sheets on top of that under the tympan. Not too thick, not too thin.

thanks so much for the help!