Floor model platen impression speed

Just responding to a note made me wonder how many impressions per hour do you tend to work at on a floor model platen.

How about listing its size and if it is treadle or motor?

I’m NOT interesting in anything automatic feed like a Heidelberg Windmill.

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At Lead Graffiti we typically use a C & P 10 x 15 using a motor (not variable speed) and it is currently set to just under 900 impressions per hour.

We also have an 8 x 12 Golding using a treadle (press is very smooth) which we use very sporadically, but I generally go for about 750 or so.

a fellow letterpress printer was in my shop a couple of years ago checking out my new to me 10x15 c&p, he asked if he could see it run so i turned it on, he couldn’t believe how fast it ran, we figured about 2500 impressions an hour. He said i can’t believe you can feed it at 2500 an hour, i told him i can’t i only can do about 1100 an hour i just can’t figure out how to slow the darn thing down. Depending on what you are feeding i run my press between 600 and 11 or 1200 an hour, i’ve seen some old timers that could print a lot faster then i can.

Was that 2500 impression per hour with a form on impression? With feeding? The larger the form, the more impressional resistance, and the press is slowed at every impression. The fastest forms are the lightest, and if the sheet is an easy feed, a very good feeder might possibly do 2500 for a little while. But the press speed can’t exceed what the feeder can do on a consistant basis, because every missed sheet and impression throw-off reduces the net yield. IPH is not more important than actual, consistant yield.