honeycomb base / toggle hook

The holes in the honeycomb base I have, measures 13/32” on top and the bottom measures 7/16”. I guess there is a reason for the taper but I don’t know. It seems like a straight hole would work. I have #2 toggle hooks. I’m sure someone else will help you out on this.

Corobborating the above, just checked out a full size one piece Honeycomb base, Around 20” x 30” would have been supplied From Germany for use on a Bigger Heidelberg Cylinder, Mid 60,s or thereabouts…
With a Digital readout Caliper/Vernier appears to read out (in the gloom of the corner of the Workshop) base height at 18.5 m/m!! but still with a few hooks in from way back, the base is actually marked on one bleed edge, Upper and Lower, (that is what the German checks out to approx.,)
The reason appears to be that as D.B.s resume above, (thank You Sir) implies, the holes are actually bored/drilled with 2 distinct sizes, in the order of 70/30% variation in the Boring, i.e. 70% at the larger Bottom dimension, 30% at the Top dimension, to produce a natural *shoulder* presumably to restrict the rise of the Hooks on lock up and register/adjustments, by virtue of the Heel of the hook contacting the inbuilt shoulder.
(it is gloomy in the Workshop) but caliper/vernier implies 11.9m/m. at the bottom (big) end, 10.5m/m at the top (smaller} end, “ISH“ only in the Gloom.?

***U.K. Specs only.***

The FullSize/One piece will eventually be Cut Down and Edge milled to any given/requested chase size, and in Light Alloy would NOT be expensive to Ship??? . I.A.E.F.!!

Note of caution, there were at least 2 makes of Honeycomb base, Cornerstone and Cefmor and the clip sizes are different - Cornerstone have a small hinged flap at the bottom..
M of M if you have a Cornerstone moumt (large) there is no need to cut it down just undo the alun bolts on the corner of the chase and the mount will come apart in sections ( l-shaped, oblongs and squares) and you can make up all sizes to suit. I am using some for my Windmill and Vert.
see picture for v50. I thought I had a picture of the components but can’t find it at the minute. I am using my base with polymers either using aluminum plate or some old lead sheet I have which was cast in a printers foundry and machined to the required thickness..

v50chasesmall.jpg

Cornerstone hooks are compatible with PMC Sterling system honeycomb.

Frank, Thank You, unfortunately My One Piece as above is actually One Piece??…Possibly in line with one Quirk/Variation, whereby Some (limited number) H/Berg, Cylinders had the Bed Ground Out & Down. for unclear reason(s)??

On duty in our Museum Print Shop (Sunday coming) can do a little research amongst the Many, Many, (letterpress related) artefacts inc. (as you imply) Segmental Honeycomb base and varieties of Hooks, there is already established, Hooks Calibrated by denomination, 1 - 4 at least.

Parallel, thank You also, How do I (the author) ascertain the Make(s) of the, Hook, types to be found/seen in the Museum, many lumped into a container with No I.D. usually.!! . . May help the learning curve for others.. . Ta… Mick..

through my experience in the bizz, and knowledge from peeps here. there is a “Blatchford” size out there also. holes are noticeably smaller than sterling size.

I don’t know the Cefmor hook, but the PMC-Sterling/Cornerstone type has a hinged foot which settles flat at the bottom of the hole (and I suppose that is what makes it a “toggle hook”), and when the screw is lowered, an arm on the back is pushed against the hole, which tightens the hook against the bevel of the plate. Most of my PMC Sterling and Cornerstone hooks are marked as such. These Sterling hooks are steel and the Cornerstone are something lighter (their Duralumin?).
Blatchford hooks have a U-shaped slide on the back.

i just had pieces of a blatchford honey comb, no hooks. but, now, that you say this, i have seen pictures of those type of hooks.

Parallel, and others, Thank You all, incoming info, hopefully helping the Original Postee (T.T.l.) and assisting the learning curve(s) of a few more along the way, maybe EVEN *Rambling Mick* in the bargain.

And Yes, we seen *Ramblin`Jack Elliott* here in the U.K. a long long time ago, thank You for that as well.

i have many pieces of honeycomb. you lock them up in an open chase. if you would rather work with something already done, rather than spend the money for all the drilling., contact me directly. the money for the metal block would not be that much. your expense would be in all the drilling. my pieces are steel, not aluminum.

I seem to recall from a visit to Heidelberg in the 1950s that they made all cylinder beds to one type height to start, and then they were machined off to suit the the height requirements of each customer. The cylinder production line was awesome, with large labels like ‘Mexico’ or ‘Ceylon’ hanging on the ends, as they inched along the production line. Beds were ground to suit, and labels attached in the appropriate language and I guess the electrics installed differed . The foundry at Wiesloch also amazed, with an 100 metre oval continuous casting line, one complete revolution of the moulds made one complete set of castings for one kind of press.

For reference, I am putting up some photos of Sterling PMC/Cornerstone honeycomb system and Blatchford system material. If upload works, there are base sectons with various size hooks in place, and the hook laid on its back nearby, with keys and auxiliary pieces.
In the PMC system, shown are Cornerstone brand hooks 0-4, a couple auxiliary markers, a hook lifter and a Cornerstone safety key (Clik-tite?). Sterling pieces are 4.5” long for the Ls, the small square 2.25”. They are steel.
In the Blatchford system, there is also an auxiliary press point, a hole cleaner and a Blatchford Gage-it, reproductions of which have recently been offered here. The large L is 5”, the small L is 2.5”. The base metal is non-ferrous (Blatchford was from National Lead Co.).
Sorry if there isn’t enough detail, but images are at the maximum size allowed here.
I have two nearly identical chases, one in each system, exactly the kind shown in Vandercook ads for the No. 4., about 14 x 20. Each is filled with L sections, but additional holes added to the side bars of the chase.

sterling2.jpg

sterling1.jpg

blatchford2.jpg

blatchford1.jpg