Category: Letterpress for beginners
Later topic: How long can I leave ink on the press?
Earlier topic: Cutting paper/Paper cutter

What are those pin things called?

Hello all.

While learning to operate the C&P platen press at a local museum, I’ve noticed that we are rather short on those little pins that poke through the tympan sheet and hold the paper that you are printing on in place.

I’d like to find some more of these pins, but I don’t even know what they’re called. Does anyone know what they’re called and where it is possible to find more? If they are hard to come by, is there a workaround using currently-available materials that could be used?

Thanks.

—Drew Black.

Log in to reply   7 replies so far

There are several different names for what you describe, in U.K. we seem to call them Lay Pins which would seem to be self explanatory, her we can still get ready made for our Adanas, most others are made ingeniously by hand, Your “Girl With A kluge” seems to have posted the most helpful/informative info in this respect (in a genteel manner as well) cross your fingers, that She picks it up, because you will hopefully get the bent paper clips,!! through to your aftermarket “on the ball” suppliers. I would normally wish you Good Luck, but to quote my favourite One Liner from the film THE ABYSS when the ex husband wishes the ex wife “Good Luck Lyns” the beautiful retort comes back, from the mere female “LUCK IS NOT AN OPTION” Hope COCO sees this little gem and works it in!!!

http://order.nagraph.com/gauge-lay-pins.html

  • dickg
  • on 13 Apr 13 (16:10)

in a pinch you can glue a 12 point 2-em quad to the tympan with a piece of chipboard on top for a tongue.

I thought Alan Runfeldt also was selling several kinds of gauge pins. And I suspect Letterpress Things has them as well.

Bob

Try American Printing Equipment and Supply Company

www.americanprintingequipment.com

“[email protected]”

tel: 718-729-5779 fax: 718-729-8509

Ask for a current catalog.

Thanks all. I’ll forward the links to the head of the museum. :)

We used to bend straight dressmaker’s pins to an ‘L.’ shape and push them through the tympan. Once you got knack it worked really well. I could make one, photograph it and email it if it’s not clear what I mean.