Help ID a C&P OS 8x12 Piece
I’m almost finished restoring a C&P Old Style 8x12 using the New Style diagrams and other info found here and on other sites. But now I’ve hit a piece that I can’t find on any diagram and though it’s not really in the way right now, I’m pretty sure I don’t have it in the right spot.
In the attached photos you’ll see that there are two copperish pieces bolted to the top holes on the rocker box, above the oil holes. The fact that they are covering the oil holes leads me to believe they aren’t in the correct spot.
Does anyone know where they go, and more importantly perhaps, what they are for?
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I suppose you’ve already got this, but here goes…
http://www.boxcarpress.com/community/manuals/cp-newseries-parts-list.pdf
Parts appear to be brackets that fit under platen on each side to hold the gripper bar.
They are number 65 and 66 in the New Series parts book but they are a coimpletely different configuratioin.
Good luck and have fun!!
Thanks, but unfortunately they aren’t the right and left platen bars. I have those pieces, too. These are something different that isn’t shown on the diagram.
Personally, I think someone was using these as a type of washer because their bolts were too long. I don’t see these anywhere.
My guess would be that these are some type of brackets for an aftermarket safety guard. The fact that these are bronze (?) makes me think they’re not original equipment for the press; I think C&P would have used cast iron. (I believe more than one company made guards that could be installed to keep errant hands and fingers away from the closing platen. Sort of an upside-down canvas “windowshade” affair that rose up between the feedboard and platen as the press closed for impression.)
I have the canvas “windowshade” finger guard, too. And now that I think about it, the piece that connects it to the platen is a copper/bronze color, as well. I thought the canvas thing was just connected to the platen (that’s how it was connected when I got the press, though I’ve since taken it apart to clean it), but I have seen videos of other presses where there is a canvas guard that stretches out when the press closes. If the guards have multiple configurations, then there’s a good possibility those are the connection pieces. If so, do I have these pieces in the right place? Or should they be bolted to the lower bolts of the rocker boxes instead of covering the oil hole? Is there any info out there about the different safety guards?
This discussion just got more interesting. I thought about the hooks and the hand protector several times. When you mentioned copper and canvas together, it makes me wonder if a company that made fixtures and canvas for sail boats may have also been in the safety business. The part looks an awful lot like a tie-down for sail boats. My two cents.
I’m not sure what they are, but you don’t want them plugging the most important oil holes on your press.
They’re not actually plugging the holes, just over them so it’s a little more difficult to get the oil spout in there. But, as I said, I figure that’s the wrong spot. Unless someone has more info about the canvas hand guards, I’ll just play around with it until I find a configuration that seems to work.
In case anyone is interested, after some trial and error, it looks like they are indeed connection pieces for the hand guard and, as annoying as it will be to get oil in there, they are in the correct spots. I’ll send updated photos if I remember when I get home from work later this evening.