C&P 12x18 Craftsman
I am attempting to rescue this historic press from utter destruction. I would like to restore it after I have resurrect it from the only basement in Savannah, Georgia (that I know of). From the photos below you can see that it is missing some of the feeder and delivery system. Any suggestions on the weight, disassembly, moving, and/or who or where I might contact for parts. I have moved a few New Styles in my day, but this thing is a monster!
Craftsman01.jpg
Craftsman02.jpg
The press itself is 2500 lbs. +…. The feeder? Not sure, but you’ve got one heck of a job ahead of you. I suppose I would disassemble the feeder enough to get it off, remove the ink disc & fountain, and what ever else that’s necessary for clearance etc.
I’m not a rigger so I’m not going to offer any suggestions concerning moving it but I thought I’d reply anyway.
Replacement parts for the feeder should be able to be found by someone here or on LetPress. I could also recommend the usual suspects, Dave Churchman in Indianapolis, or Don Black near Toronto. Others may have parts….you’ll have to ask around. There is a gal in MI who has a Kluge feeder that came off her C&P 10x15 for sale, but I don’t suppose that would be much help:
http://lansing.craigslist.org/for/2463775314.html
Nice press, and it’s going to have to come out of that basement someday, so you might as well be the one to do it!
Dave
Not all basements are created equal, so it would help to know what sort of access you have to the press. Is this a walkout basement? Are there stairs that lead directly to the outside? If so, what are the stairs like (how many are there, build materials, width of passage, etc.) Also what sort of doors do you need to pass through? That measurement will help in terms of knowing just how much of the press needs to be disassembled.
Brad.
There is a lift with a 1000 lb winch. The owner of the building said that riggers had brought their own 3000 lb winch and hung it from two railroad ties across the lift shaft when the press was moved in decades ago. The stairwell is a no go. It’s too wonky and narrow. There used to be a concrete stairwell to street level, but it has been bricked over many times and is owned by the city. It looks like the lift is the only option because there are doors that open up to the alley behind the building. That’s how they got it in so it will have to work for me. I could pay riggers but I don’t have that sort of cash.
I don’t really need another press. I have traveled some distances to retrieve several beasts. This one was under my nose the whole time and I had no idea. But I can’t let a press in my hometown get smashed and scrapped. Please someone tell me I am doing the right thing and that I will regret it if I don’t try to save her!
I will post photos of the situation asap. Thanks!
Think positively; you can do this. The lift shaft is your friend. You don’t need riggers— you need the tow truck guy with the kind of rig that can pull buses out of ditches. He’ll be able to pull it out and set it on the [borrowed] [rented] 2-axle flat trailer you find. He’ll be happy to do it on a scheduled basis, like a Saturday morning. He’ll spend around 30 minutes total on the site and you’ll pay him a few hundred. The key is that he thinks of himself as a tow truck guy; your job is an adventure. Offer some pictures of the move for his web site.
All you have to do is get it on a pallet or skis and pallet jack or pipe-roll it to the shaft. Depending on the destination, you need either the same group or a large skid loader with forks, like the guys who deliver block or brick pavers— they have a beefy overland forklift. Or maybe he sets it on the rollback and then lifts it off at your end.