The Winking Cat Cylinder / Etching Pressames

A fine looking press! And, having survived two years of use, obvious robustness shows. Well done. From Gummi Bear rollers to this latest device amply demonstrates your keen curiosity as to bresting challenge and getting things done. It’s a genuine pleasure to observe the traditional American streak of individualism is not dead. :o)

Winking Cat, you have gone from the scuba tank press,
to the Nautilus. Where did you find the flywheel?
best james

Forme…. thanks for the good words. Coming from someone of your experience, I take it as a high compliment indeed.

James… yes, it’s been a learning curve and a very interesting one at that. I still have the scuba tank press. It’s been lent out a few times, sold once, then re-inherited…. and it still prints great. Right now it’s on loan to a local community Art Studio…. where it’s doing it’s part to teach the basics of printmaking.

There is an interesting story about that flywheel: A few years ago on Christmas Day a tornado came through and tore up the local high school, which was built in the late 1800’s. That wheel was used to turn the main steam line valve… and thus turn the heat on or off in the entire school. While they were hauling off the debris, I spotted it in a scrappy’s truck… but he wouldn’t sell it to me. So I had to follow him back to the scrap yard, negotiate with the yard foreman….. and finally got it for the princely sum of $10!

Anyway… thanks for the thumbs-up.