Funny but sad story, only old time printers will understand

Been working 7 days a week for many years, two jobs, plus my shop.

Last night I went to my shop after work at job at a weekly newspaper. I set my AB Dick 9870 for a 15,000 NCR job.
Cleaned the rollers, put fresh ink in fountain and checked all the setting.

Wanted to get it inked up and ready before putting the stock in the press.

Put the plate on, cleaned it and plugged in the press into the wall socket.

Boy, I ready, I looked at the clock on the wall, only 5:30, have this job done by 7:30 and could go home early.

Pushed the button on the press and nothing happened! The lamp on the delivery was on, so knew the press had power.

I checked everything over and over, check all the thinks that would keep it from running.

I pushed the button again and again, nothing, no sound, nothing. I called the repairman, he wasn’t answering the phone.

I started getting upset. I call ed other people, no one home.

I checked the press again,still nothing happening.

I call a nice fellow in California who sold me some numbering machines.

He asked on question. What button was I pushing?

I walked to the press and looked at the control panel, I started to say the “Red” one. That when I knew I was too tried to work.

Told him, I was pushing the wrong button the whole time.

I guess my age and working myself to death is catching up to me.

When you are so tried, you start pushing the wrong button, it time to shut down the shop!

The sad part is, I kept pushing the wrong button for more than an hour.

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Been there, done that. Thing is, it’s happened not just from being too tired but just happens as part of the day. As long as nothing gets broken and you have all the fingers you started with, it’s not so big a deal. A little embarrassing if anything.

Me too, and not just when I got old. I remember when we had a non-dial telephone, when you had to orally give the operator the number, giving the operator our own number and wondering why she was giving me a hard time about completing the call.

My daughter tells me all the time, when you’re start to get tried, come home, it too easy to get hurt in the shop.

Old Letterpress man’s daughter is right! I’ve seen too many
hands with missing fingers in my days in the trade

It happens, the old saying “familiarity breeds contempt” is apt. I remember placing a very complicated forme onto the bed of a Glockner Stick and Wind flyer cylinder press and got too easily distracted, forgetting to lock it on the bed. Started the machine and in one sway of the bed, lost everything into the guts of the machine. Hours of composing lost and even more hours making sure nothing was left in the mechanics to wreck the machine. I don’t swear aloud, but I was having a go at myself in my head!!!