Makeready on the Windmill
I find the physical form of the windmill makes makeready a difficult task.
It seems that accessing the platen on a hand-fed platen or kluge (with the feeder moved) is so easy. The feed table, sucker bar and grippers of the windmill make it so awkward. Additionally, removing only one tympan clamp (on other presses) seems to keep everything in place better.
Can anyone provide visual examples of how they (or anyone) does makeready on the windmill? How do you keep your spot sheet in place or align things when the gauges are down (and the platen is open)?
It would be VERY helpful if you could point me to a video.
Thank you in advance.
I will often make a print directly onto the tympan, then use that as a guide to placing makeready. As far as under the tympan, I have a set few pieces of packing, then do makeready on top of the tympan so I don’t have to keep pulling the clamps.
You can also release the gauges and manually move them up to see where your sheet will sit. Just don’t forget to re-lock them or your first sheet will go flying (I’ve done this a few times).
jonsel, do you not experience many problems with not burying your spot sheet? I tend to get pretty harsh lines when I leave it on top.
I did see in a boxcar video that they leave the drawsheet attached by the bottom tympan bar and appear to leave the clamp (on the gripper side) for last or don’t use it at all. That seems to make some sense. Maybe?
you can use a carbon paper under the top sheet and the next sheet clamped as well or just taped on the tympan as you prefer …this will transfer your image and allow you to do the makeready under the top sheet
I’ll usually cover any makeready with another top tympan sheet or acetate. That usually takes care of any lines.
Perhaps an old timer living close to you can show you how to position your make ready using two pinpricks to locate your make ready under your packing.
I always have two clamped top sheets. I take a miss on the top sheet, and then stab through. I then paste makeready unto the underlying top sheet, taking out one filler to compensate. I avoid pasting anything on the top sheet as the grippers may pull it off. This is the same for me for C&P platens, and even my Adana. Two clamped sheets.