Searching for C&P NS 8x12 crankshaft replacement

I recently purchased a C&P New Style 8x12 letterpress. Being that I’m new to the letterpress world, didn’t realize that some presses had straight shafts and others have crankshafts. I already went ahead and purchased a treadle kit for the press but when I was assembling I realized I had the wrong shaft.

I am trying to avoid using a motor since I am fairly new to it and want to make sure I can get the press running slowly at first.

Does anyone know of either a machinist that can reproduce a crankshaft or have a crankshaft laying around from a parts press?

Thank you in advanced!

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C&P seems to have cast a common shaft for 8x12 and 10x15, then machined to fit. If you can find a 10x15 shaft, a good machinist should be able to turn it down to size for you. Look for the bearings too, it will make life easier.

If you are handy you might be able to make an eccentric crank and strap to use. Enter “eccentric crank and strap” in Google images to see what I am talking about. You may be able to cut each part in half and then bolt them back together around the shaft without even taking the shaft out of the press. Then you could use your existing shaft.

When I was a wee lad using my Dad’s 8x12 platen in the basement, there was only a single-speed motor, no treadle. If the stock was easy to feed like a card or letterhead, I could handle it. When I worked up to a two-page book form and it was too fast for consistent feeding, I just turned the flywheel by hand as I fed, using a fingerless glove for protection.
Getting a C&P with variable-speed rheostat, and later adding a foot-brake, was when struggling ended and printing began.

Bite the bullet. They aren’t hard to run with an electric motor. I got an 8x12 c&p new style in 1958.. I was 13 years old, my dad slapped an 1/3 horse power motor off of his Sears belt/disc sander on it with the smallest pulley he could fine…and were off to the races. Parallel imp is correct, you must have a brake, that will make a press out of it. I still have that press, some 60 years latter. I have rum over 2000000 through it over the years. Don’t use it much any more…only for that goofy odd ball job that won’t go through an automatic press. The last job I ran on it was an award ribbon on 2 1/2” wide satin ribbon. mount a dowel below the bed, leave the press on impression and print and pull every hit. Let the printed ribbon sit a day to dry, have your wife of girl friend go through them with pinking sheers and cut to length. Enjoy you press, don’t be afraid of it, Bud