Showcard Press Tune Up

anieto3
on 13 Aug 15 (12:09)

I picked up this beauty a few years back for cheap. Haven’t printed a thing on it yet. The roller appears to be in good shape. The works feel a little herky-jerky, and the adjustment screw needs less rust.

Can you members of the brain trust out there suggest what needs to be done to this to make it functional? Do I need to remove the surface oxidation/rust from the bed? Can i free up all the moveable parts with elbow grease, or will this require immersion in a solvent tank? The edges of the bed where the bearings of the roller assembly engage—are these too rough for reliable printing? Is there anything I can do to the bearings themselves to smooth out the ride? (Really, this part looks worse than it feels. Rusty, but travels pretty smoothly)

Any and all input is appreciated. I’m looking to use this primarily as a letterpress proof press, and to print linocuts.

Thanks in advance,

Armando
Lousiville, KY