Replacing Roller Hook

put a new one on the press, that would be the best method.

V L Ther would appear to be 2 options!!!>>>Acquire (if possible, but unlikely) new Roller Hook, appropriate spring, at least one, spring retaining collar, (washer) and one split pin, to tension the spring on the hook (arm).>>>As you imply table top!!!>>>the amount of fitting prowess and strength, required would seem to be minimal,!!!>>>If however replacement part(s) are unavailable, construct your own,>>>with just a teeny bit of Macho help, if need be, .>>>Most roller hooks on small/table top machines are constructed from a piece of stock size material,>>>literally a piece of rod, formed/bent COLD, with one tiny hole for the split pin!!!>>>follows:- Acquire from local D.I.Y.or Hardware store, shortest length of correct size rod,>>> BEFORE cutting to eventual length,>>>(and with only normal bench vice) form the “U” bend by gripping the rod in the vice, and progressively shaping the”U” around a dummy piece of rod, the same size as your roller shaft.>>>Cut to proper overall length, (junior hacksaw) drill one small hole, in the shaft for split pin, copying your existing pattern. (ordinary hand held electric drill with possibly 1/16 bit)>>>Hobbyists style Pillar Drill an advantage but not necessity>>>From your D.I.Y. or Hardware shop acquire, one spring (compression style) longer and cut down if all else fails,>>>or a multi pack and utilise 2 or 3 multiples with appropriate washers between, it does not have to be one single spring, ideally YES!!!>>> Good Luck, Mick.

V L Ther would appear to be 2 options!!!>>>Acquire (if possible, but unlikely) new Roller Hook, appropriate spring, at least one, spring retaining collar, (washer) and one split pin, to tension the spring on the hook (arm).>>>As you imply table top!!!>>>the amount of fitting prowess and strength, required would seem to be minimal,!!!>>>If however replacement part(s) are unavailable, construct your own,>>>with just a teeny bit of Macho help, if need be, .>>>Most roller hooks on small/table top machines are constructed from a piece of stock size material,>>>literally a piece of rod, formed/bent COLD, with one tiny hole for the split pin!!!>>>follows:- Acquire from local D.I.Y.or Hardware store, shortest length of correct size rod,>>> BEFORE cutting to eventual length,>>>(and with only normal bench vice) form the “U” bend by gripping the rod in the vice, and progressively shaping the”U” around a dummy piece of rod, the same size as your roller shaft.>>>Cut to proper overall length, (junior hacksaw) drill one small hole, in the shaft for split pin, copying your existing pattern. (ordinary hand held electric drill with possibly 1/16 bit)>>>Hobbyists style Pillar Drill an advantage but not necessity>>>From your D.I.Y. or Hardware shop acquire, one spring (compression style) longer and cut down if all else fails,>>>or a multi pack and utilise 2 or 3 multiples with appropriate washers between, it does not have to be one single spring, ideally YES!!!>>> Good Luck, Mick.

to all

There is a difficulty in finding how/where to start a new topic.

Circa 1967 I met a man who ran a one-man-and-his-wife printshop. Actually started with a foot-treadled platen in a corridor at the back of a barber. Soon moved to larger premises a few yards away. [Hint, try to do likewise, if moving, to transfer premises so close that a neighbour could go to the door and point to the business sign at the later location.]

One day I called to gossip, he was saying a few soundless words because he had just completed a run on the press and found the NCR (No Carbon Required) paper had had its copying side misidentified, and he would need another batch of paper and re-run the job. I refrained from offering comment. It is possible he was introducing the idea of NCR to businessmen of the town.

Anyone any ideas to pass on to others about NCR paper?

He introduced several novel ideas to his repertoire, including custom-made rubber stamps with a delivery time of a maximum of one week (he did them on Saturdays so that he could open the shop for customers who could not make it to the premises, for other kinds of printing, on weekdays.)

The older method of making rubber stamps was to press a building board onto metal type, then cast the stamp in the recess that had been pressed into the piece of building board — very wearing on the metal type. Much gentler on the metal type is a process using various kinds of epoxy, which involves pouring a liquid onto the metal type, waiting for the chemical reaction to harden the mould, then casting the final product in that mould. The wooden “handle” for the stamp was bought in several different sizes, sometimes needed to be sawn to final size.

Some customers were willing to pay a premium for a quicker service.

Once upon a time, I saw in a stereotyping service (duplicating, or alternatively casting from already-supplied matrices) a bit of doggeral which described how a job was urgent, so as it was passed on from stage to stage, the time for the customer to pick it up was advanced, and it ends with the claim that, they did not quite know how it happened, but they got the job out before the order came in. The manager of the newspaper where I worked recited it one night at the Chapel dinner.

Some customers unreasonable, tried to tell us how we worked, so that we should be able to accept a job much past the deadline; and another who tried to insist on phonetic selling, such as foan and b4. The most difficult I heard of insisted on high-class proofs on art paper, refused to accept the work was good enough after he had taken the proofs home, and refused to go ahead with the contract; later it was found he had a brother who ran a small (offset) printshop, and you can guess the rest. Another similar story which I refuse to tell because I am supposed not to know the story. Several others, one involving a number of thousands of dollars worth of work.

All of which leads to asking, if the printer does not know the customer, does he sometimes lose heavily on a job because of the lack of bona fide? Is it sometimes necessary to exact a guarantee from the customer? In private life, I have lost sometimes because a “friend” did not keep faith.

Alan.

It would help if you could post a photo or, at least, name the type of press you are attempting to work on. Roller hooks vary considerably from one press/size to another. I recently replicated a missing roller hook for a Nonpariel No. 22 without too much trouble. To do the same for a Pilot I would be in way over my head to make one of those.

Jim

@ Dick - You’re a smarty pants! Ha ha ha. You know what I meant. ;)

@ Mick - That’s really, really helpful. I wasn’t sure how to bend the rod. Knowing I don’t necessary have to heat it, gives me hope!

To All:
It’s for a Sigwalt No. 3. (Sorry I didn’t mention that before, it was quite late when I posted!) I guess my thought process is that I am not sure how hard one is to make or what the best method for making one would be. I know they are a “simple” looking piece, however, I don’t know the logistics of making one—yet alone—finding a spring. Wasn’t sure what the pin is for in the rod itself?

I just wanted to see if anyone could offer any insight.

Thanks!

V L, my efforts were only generalizatiions, without privvy to Make and Model of your M/C.>>> the pin through the rod is to restrict the working length of the spring, to pressure the hook,on return!!>>>As you implied *table top and roller hooks* logic says that my system would hold good.>>>Finding spring(s) should not be an insurmountable problem, from reasonable hardware store.>>>It may just be worthwhile looking up on the W.W.W. Namrick a.k.a. Nut and Bolt store here in Glorious Downtown Brighton U.K. read there specifications and lists,>>>and then challenge one of your good ole boys (equivalent type shop) to do better, BET they Can,>>>just to shut the whingeing Pom up,>>>Good Luck, Mick

I used a 9 lb/in spring as a replacement on my kelsey 3x5 and it worked well.

But you can get something that feels close and use nuts or washers or spacers to pre-tension the spring until it works well on your press.