Does my C&P 10x15 new style sound right to you?

It sounds like it has a little bit of a “growl” probably coming from the pinion gear turning the large bull gear. You could try a little oil or also making sure the gears are free of debris, but this isn’t an uncommon sound nor does it necessarily indicate a problem. It could also be that the press is slightly off level so make sure to use a spirit level on the main shaft to test this. Overall though I don’t hear anything that I’d be particularly concerned about.

Maybe post a video with it running “at speed” as there are lseveral clunks and thumps when any treadle press is running at slow speeds or just getting started.

Brad.

It is difficult to tell from the video, but it looks like the louder “smack” sound may be coming from the long portion of the treadle striking the piece of wood that stretches across the two skids when it reaches the extent of its downward cycle. If that is the case, I would remove that wood, unless it is absolutely necessary to secure and/or steady the press. Other than that, I don’t hear anything too outlandish. Industrial age iron machines tend to bang, clang and clink, but I agree with dichary above. Oil all of the places that have holes/ports and keep them oiled. Also, where larger parts come in contact with each other (gears especially), I use grease instead of oil. Happy printing!

Jim (The Norlu Press)

thanks so much for the input :)
Im feeling a little bit more confident about this 1 ton work of art…

I’ll do a full oil / grease + re-look at the treadle mechanism, and do another video.

G’day Sprocket;

If you want to keep the skids under it, just turn them around so they run back to front instead of side to side —- that will still give you the height from the floor that you may need on the downstroke……(nice press)…..cheers…..db

David Brewer is spot-on. I didn’t look at the video closely enough, and now I see that the skids only run side to side. I assumed that these were in addition to skids running from back to front. I think you will definitely want the press on skids, and carefully rotating the existing skids so that they are 90 degrees from their current position is a great idea. Keep it on the skids and enjoy your press. It is nearly identical to the press I learned on (minus the treadle.)

It sounds ok to me.

The thrrrrup is the pinion gear, normal.
The tap tap tap clank, is the ink disk advance. Normal.
The other clacks and clunks will be the rocker reaching its stops, the rocker lock engaging, then releasing, and the gripper action when the press closes. All normal.
If you have an impression counter, it will click.

The treadle should never make sound when operated by foot… a hand lifting and pressing the treadle will likely lift the hook and make sound.

If the flywheel is loose or bent it can wobble and make a rumble. If it runs true, it should be silent.

I’d watch each reciprocating part and get familiar with the sounds they make, then you may be able to discriminate them from any other sounds the press may make.

Here’s my 8x12 under treadle power, vid has edits but the sound is mostly constant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KksjSAc5SMQ

Here’s MJVickey’s press under power, ignore the motor sound and listen to all the clankity clanks… (printing quite fast):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRAs3IDgciU

Have a nice day.
AM

not having much experience of these things only having a small treadle, I’m going to say check out the rod that connects from foot treadle to the cranked bearing might be worn, ie ovalled not round on a round (or not) bearing.