Vicobold model 2

Got a real bargain this morning. A Vicobold model 2 for 99p. Am actually amazed and really excited about the clean up project. Might have to tax your brains for tips, but right now I thought I would just share my joy at winning this beautiful machine.

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Model C, even.

Congrats, deals like that don’t come around often. Was it a tricky location with stairs or something like that?

No, it was just listed badly - no detail in the title, it just said “printing machine” so anyone looking for a specific platen would have missed it. Also it was set to finish at 7:22am this morning.

There is apparently some damage - it needs some TLC and a bit that was welded on has fallen off. I need to have a proper look at it to assess this, but even still….

Need to invest in some Hammorite or something too to see if the rust will come off.

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Amberley Museum has one or Autovic if you wanted to check that one over to compare….congrats

Where is the seller located ? The machine and that wall look like a machine i know and if it is , it is in better condition than that picture would imply .
Its not the same machine !
I should also convey the well done and lucky beggar !!!
Then ask you do you know what they old girls weigh ?

Good luck with that 1½Ton Vicobold good luck with moving that it will cost a lot more than 0.99p. I’ve got a Victoria which is bigger. need any advice on moving dont hesitate to ask. It looks a good press, that will clean up in no time, I would imagine the bottom platen clamps have broken off easy to repair

Some info at
http://britishletterpress.co.uk/presses/platen-presses/vicobold-machines...

It has a broken roller arm so it it is going to cost a bit to get into a printing state and probably why nobody else bid for it.

Thanks all,

Peter - all I know is that it is somewhere local to Canterbury (waiting the seller to get back to me to confirm exactly where). Apparently the machine was used by his Stepfather in the 60s, but that’s all I know so far. I’d be intrigued and interested if you did know more.

It does look pretty heavy, my partner knows someone with a forklift, so that might be the way forward. Its hard to know from the angle of the photo what the exact dimensions are, though the BL site says:
Machine Space occupied = 49” x 47” and Weight = 425kg.

Our other thoughts involve trucks with hydraulic lifts.
(I’ve bought a large typecase from Shrewsbury so we’re going to have to hire one anyway). Any other tips would be very welcome, Elrodfk, thankyou.

After that, it will be a labour of love. First step is to clean it all up, give it a loving wipe down, then we can assess the damage of the broken roller arm.

Other images from the listing:

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Hi.
These are not too bad to shift. 425kgs is about on the money. I craned one into a first floor last year for a client. You need to lift from underneath as there are few places to lift from above you can aysymmetrically sling the press using the frame and the main flywheel shaft. Or use a move who knows what they are doing.
If its in Canterbury talk to Mike Kirby at Linecasting machinery, he knows whats what.
Jez.

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Thanks Jez, Any idea how many people it would take to lift manually, roughly? The stone bench took five men (and me, flapping around ineffectually).

I wouldn’t even try it — you’re going to have trouble fitting five people around the press and then you’re asking each to life 200lbs! I think your best bet for a self move is rent a hydraulic auto shop floor crane on wheels, use it to lift the press off the floor and set it on a couple of 4-wheel castered movers’ dollys. Roll it out to the truck and if the truck is low enough lift it onto the truck with the crane. I wouldn’t try a rental truck with a lift gate — those things can fail under than kind of weight and dump you and the press on the ground with disastrous results. You can always rent a U-Haul low bed utility trailer to carry the press.

Bob

Bob,
We don’t have U-Haul in UK unfortunately! You’re right about the lift. I got the last one up on blocks with a toe jack and then onto a pallet. Or a gantry or engine hoist like you suggest.
Bob is also right about the tail-lift/tail gate thing. The luton vans you can hire in UK have very narrow tail lifts. I had a bespoke one made for my van which would fit on a euro pallet lengthways and the pallet truck/jack.
Kentp. Don’t mess about with these things. They’re top heavy, make sure your team know what they’re in for. Good luck

K.P .Obviously you are getting a lot of congratualatory comments and advice with your bargain basement purchase! but this should be tempered with just a little in depth constructive comments as well. As it appears to be in a garden shed type building, fork lift right to the press may not be an option, therefore long reach crane lorry may be only alternative, and against estimates of weight even at just short of 1/2 imperial ton, long reach, lorry mounted crane, at 5 tons capacity can only reasonably/safely manage 1/2 ton at full extent with the body jacks down, lifting out AND in? and these devices dont come cheap. Is the motor working, single phase or three phase? If you are unlucky, a suitable motor of at least one and a half horse power, or bigger, plus control gear, will not be cheap. NO CHASE(s) mentioned or on sight, apart from one steel roller NO ink train or forme rollers whatsoever pictured. In this respect when I needed a set of rollers, with no pattern I fired off several E mails to roller suppliers/remanufacturers and within hours I received a reply from one of the big suppliers stating that even though I was only a self stated bottom end of the market customer, I would and did get brilliant service, I.E. they quoted me “A” price for remanufacturing from scratch, from their own extensive archive/records re dimensions, and/or “B” recovering my own stocks and trucks, which is what they did, in beautifully ground rubber. As an owner/operator H. & S. may not initially be an issue, but belt guard and platen throw of device, (as a new keen “go to it, get it done”) should be a consideration, there is quite a lot of Crushing power available. What secrets are hidden by the “baler twine” at/near the clutch mechanism? Sorry to make with the negative vibes but little in depth investigation will show that you have a bigger mountain to climb than at first apparent. Dont get too complacent with your own self expressed, just a little T.L.C. and we will be up and running! It will be a bit bigger than that. Hang in there and good luck.

I would suggest you walk away from this press and get a negative comment on eBay.
Go for a lighter press with treadle and fly wheel and comes apart into 3 sections and goes in an estate car.

I own a Kobold, which is the german version of your press, althought my is a treadle and inkdisck version.
I transported mine with a VW Golf combi van, was kind of an adventure.
But it worked well so I can hopefully give you some advice.

If possible, put the press apart, it is rather easy and will save you to haul the whole thing around.
There are many parts on the press which can be rather easily unscrewed, as it looks you will need some rust solvent but then you will be able to remove several hundred pounds of weight fom the main body which is the heaviest part.
Removing the flywheel will also help to balance the press better when lifted up.
On the flywheel is a securing bolt, after you unscrew it you have to drive a wedge between the weel and the axle.
The axle is conical and the flywheel should easily slide off, just make it slow and gentle and use plenty of grease.
The parallel platen can be also easily removed, just hammer the axle which holds it to the main body out (sorry for my bad english, I hope you understand what I mean)
After removing as many parts as posssible you should be left with the body which weights around 250-300 kg.
We moved mine with a sturdy sack truck (dolly).

Feel free to ask if you have more questions and good luck!

Went to see this tonight. Its actually not in too bad a shape.

It does need some welding repairs but the motor and everything else look intact. I’ll be able to take a closer look next week when it’s back at mine.

I guess for me this is about the process and the learning curve, rather than quick results. If it takes two years and doesn’t work at the end of it, I will at least know a lot more than I do now.

Please excuse my youthful exuberance… I know this will be a mission, and I’m not looking for quick or easy gain. I just think it’s worth a shot. Will keep you posted.

Thanks for all the experience and advice.
Vicki
Its on a pallet, and we have acquired a pallet truck, plus the shed opens straight onto the car park, so it all looks hopeful from there too.

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