Treadle on a C&P 12 X 18?
I am considering putting a treadle on a 12” x 18” C&P.
I see that Hern Iron Works only makes treadles for 10” x 15” presses.
My press has a dip in the drive shaft to accommodate the treadle hook and I have strong legs.
does anyone here have any experience with a treadle on a 12” x 18”?
& will the Hern 10” x 15” hook and treadle setup work as is—or is some type of alteration involved?
thanks in advance for any advice.
Jon Drew/Mpls
One can make a very workable treadle from wood, a few readily available hardware store pieces and some flat steel stock. It will not look like a Hern steel treadle, but will work as well.
The crank cast into the main shaft of a 12 x 18 may have been more to support a pump for a Rice or Kluge feeder than to facilitate using a treadle. However, the presses were supplied with treadles, so away you go.
At seven revolutions of the flywheel per impression, you’ll be getting a good aerobic workout running it!
I have a 12x18 C&P and was gung-ho for a treadle ( and any other accessories that I could think of ). However after comparing the revolutions required for the three common C&P presses and turning mine over by hand to ease the motor on start up, I came to the conclusion that the effort required and the danger caused by it would not be worth it. I never thought of using the crank to power a feeder, but that would explain why they bothered with one. My press is a new style which might fit in more with the air pump theory, time line wise.
On a larger press like that with more RPM per impression, a good motor and a great brake, plus a throwoff lever, are all you need. A treadle is pointless to me. If you can get a good speed controller for a motor and dial it in slow, you don’t really need a treadle.
Plus it would be a BEAR to treadle a 12x18 in my opinion.
I think they’re for smaller presses, but this might just be me.
About 6-7 years ago I designed, and a sculptor in the department welded, a steel angle-iron treadle for the VCU (Richmond VA) letterpress studio’s 12x18, so that beginning students could operate the press — the teacher was concerned about them using a motorized press. The treadle works fine and as far as I know it’s still in use. I have a photo of it.
Bob