Restoring an C&P Pilot OS - the cleaning
I have just acquired a C&P Pilot press that is in fairly decent condition. It has all of its necessary parts including tympan and chase with the type from the last job still in place. The last time it was used was 19 years ago and has been sitting in an unheated damp blacksmith shop ever since. There is rust on the ink disc and various parts but the handle moves the rollers and the ink disc rotates. I have been reading through the threads on restoring C&P Pilots so I am using a green scrubby with WD-40 for cleaning the rust and will oil moving parts with machine oil. However, a couple of post mention waxing the ink disc after cleaning to prevent rusting. What kind of wax would I use?
And just to clarify, my background is relief and etching printmaking and the heaviest equipment I maintain is laptop and sewing machine, but I am game for getting this press functioning again.
Thank you for any advice. I have already gotten so much information from this forum.
You should not wax the ink disk if you are going to print with the press. If it is going to sit unused for a long time in a moist environment, or only for display, it is wise to wax any unpainted surfaces so they will not rust, but if you are planning to print on the press, just clean it and rub a little light oil on it to keep the rust away. Before use, use a bit of solvent to clean away the oil. The wax might leave a little residue on the disk which could be more difficult to remove and could interfere with good ink distribution.
John Henry
Wax on the platen and on the bed (where the chase goes) will serve any press well. None on disc or rails.
Thank you both for clarifying the use of wax. The press will definitely be used for printing again once it has been cleaned and oiled. I suspect I will also have to replace the rollers as well.