Adana HS3 Rollers and Runners

I’ve new to the world of letterpress printing and recently acquired an Adana HS3 and am loving the restoration process already. It’s in reasonably good condition to start with, but didn’t come with any rollers.

My question relates to the fit of the rollers with the runners. I had a set of runners included in the sale, which are pictured below. I purchased a new set of rollers from Caslon (also pictured), and assumed that they would fit the old runners.

When the rollers arrived, they just wouldn’t fit. I tried some WD-40 to see if I could ease them in, but didn’t want to push too hard and damage anything. I also made sure to loosen the locking screws on the old runners, so that’s not the issue, but i don’t want to force them in and break them.

I just figured that maybe Caslon is producing rollers with a different tube diameter than the old ones, so i went ahead and purchased a new set of runners from them. They arrived today, but look identical to my old ones!!

My question is, how tight should the fit of these runners be, and does anyone know if the dimensions of the new rollers/runners are different from those that Adana produced in the past?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

image: runners.jpg

runners.jpg

image: rollers.jpg

rollers.jpg

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The runners don’t look like Adana runners. It might be wiser to get 4 runners from Caslon as well and use those.

Hi Thomas,

Thanks very much for the reply. The runners in the picture came with the Adana. I have since purchased a set from Caslon, one of which you can see in the picture below.

The problem is, these are also REALLY tight to put on. I don’t know if I was expecting them to just slip on easily, but as I say, i don’t want to just mash them on and risk damaging them if there is some other issue here.

Should the runners be a really tight fit?

Also, i’m almost embarrassed to ask, but i’m assuming that they are supposed to go on this way, as per the attached image?

image: runners-1.jpg

runners-1.jpg

Spindles and runners are new, how about making a small tube of a piece of fine sandpaper and moving that once or twice through the hole of the runners? I attach an image of the page from the manual. You were right these are Adana runners. If you want to, I could send you a PDF of the Adana manual that came with HS1 and HS2.

image: Screen Shot 2014-11-12 at 19.06.31.png

Screen Shot 2014-11-12 at 19.06.31.png

Every Adana that has ever been made carries Imperial (English) size Nuts,Bolts, Shafts, etc, likewise with the rollers, every stock/spindle on the business end, for the hooks and the runners, in original form are an imperial size.

In the case of the H.S.3 the working part of the steel stock is exactly 5/16” = .3125 (point three one two five)
Is it possible to check this out, even a cursitory look at the shots this far show, newly recast/reground rubber but the steel stocks do not give the appearance of newly machined steel.?
I have on sight recast rollers for 5 x 3, H.S.2, 8 x 5, supplied by Caslon, set for H.S.3. supplied By Glenthorne Printers, (black rubber) but in every case the Steel Stocks are recycled recovered.
The micrometer says that,!
There is as much as .003” wear, even side to side on the same stock.

5/16” expressed in metric form, to 4 places of decimals, looks just about synonymous with, Thomas,s excellent tip above, i.e. relieve a minute amount.

By implication have the NEW runners been manufactured to a metric size, (8 m/m.) the difference as above, being minute, may possibly be the answer.?

Alternatively check the NEW runners with a 5/16” high speed twist drill bit, (new) the tail end should be a close fit in the new wheels.

these are the same runners as mine for an HS3, and as they have the little screws they lock onto the roller shaft.

Thanks for the responses! Just out of curiosity, what is the different between leaving the runners ‘unlocked’ vs ‘locked’ With the screws?

I managed to get the nylon runners on. Just a bit more pressure and they slid in place. I think I was being a bit precious with this thing so far. It has survived for 70 years so far, so I should probably not be so concerned!

The press is still in a few pieces because I’m soaking some parts in lemon juice and vinegar to get rid of the rust, but I’ll put everything back together and put the new rollers on and see how it runs soon.

The old metal runners are one of the parts that are going to be cleaned up, and I’m assuming it was just a bit of surface rust that was causing the friction in the first place. Thanks for the tips Thomas and Mick. I’ll have a go at restoring these runners and attempt to put them back on and let you know how I get on.

I got a few pieces of wooden type in the mail today and am absolutely ITCHING to get this baby printing, so the restoration process cannot end soon enough (although I have to admit, I am loving every bit of it!)

Hello Ben, go to the website of Drukwerk in de Marge, click the tab ‘techniek’, then ‘handleidingen’ and you can find the Adana manuals that I have uploaded there. It might be useful when restoring your press. Good luck!

Both the H/S 2 and the T/P48 had similar metal runners at the time that the H/S 3 was produced. They slide onto the end of the rollers and were screwed in place..
Better to use the new runners with the new rollers as they will have been made to give the correct height.

Thomas, that’s fantastic, thankyou. That manual will definitely come in handy!

And platen, thanks for the confirmation. Yes, i have decided to go with the nylon runners for exactly the reason you’ve said. They were made to work together perfectly, so might as well use them that way!

The press has been re-assembled this morning after a nice clean, and apart from a few tweaks needed here and there looks to be in fantastic shape.

I’m going to do my first test print this afternoon. There was still a chase locked up from the previous owner, so that will be the first thing to go on there, so looking forward to seeing the results.

Thanks again for all the comments on this post, it’s been very helpful.