Rollers NOT inking my type or plate

You may need new rollers or to at least make sure that your truck diameter matches your roller diameter. Trucks larger than rollers will not allow ink to be transferred to the type or plate.

Brad.

Angela, did your press come with solid trucks or expandable ones? The expandable ones would look like a thick rubber “tire” squeezed between two metal plates. The plates can be tightened against one another to squeeze the rubber more or less, changing the outer diameter. These were common in the days before rubber rollers became the norm as composition rollers expand and contract much more than rubber does.

If your press came with expandable trucks, it may be you need to loosen them or replace them. If the trucks are solid, they may be the wrong diameter (as Brad suggests).

Also, I take it there is no tape on your press’s rails, correct?

Finally, when you say your chase doesn’t sit completely flat, what, precisely, do you mean? Do you mean on the composing surface when you’re locking up? Do you mean when it’s in the press ready to print? When resting on a table with nothing locked up? Or something else?

A few pictures of your setup may help us get a better idea of what’s going on, as well.
—
Michael Hurley
Titivilus Press
Memphis, TN

Do you have a completely flat imposing surface like a granite counter top or your glass topped dining table? You must start with flat. With nothing in the chase, press diagonally opposite corners. Is the chase wonky? That is not good and will lead to poor results. If your chase is true, lock up your form and test again for wonky. A warped piece of furniture or tightening too tight can knock things out of true. That takes care of the chase and lock up.
If your form is not inking at all, the answer is obvious. The rollers are not touching the form. Find out why.
You have to be a little smarter than the press. Not a lot, but some. The press needs you to help it do the job it was designed to do. It is not plug-and-play.

I would get a good vernier gauge and check that your block is type high ( .918” ). If not get it so, by packing until it is. Next you will need to check the rollers and it would be wise, if not essential to get a type high gauge (paddle pop stick ) and check for a less than 1 pica stripe on it. I think your rollers and runners may not be correct. If you do the above at least then you know that you need to check runners and rollers. Does the press work with normal type, for instance?