Surface Area or Type Height

Hi All! I have been working with my 1905 Golding Jobber Platen Press for a few years now and I have noticed some plates bind up my press and I am unable to turn the flywheel. The press is adjusted correctly and does not have too much packing, and anytime I print type for an invitation or tag it prints evenly and without binding. However, if I use a plate that has a large surface area the press binds, and I am unable to turn the flywheel. I am currently using a 6x9 boxcar base and the surface area of these plates is a lot smaller than that. There have been times when I remove all the packing and it will turn but have no print/impression at all since the packing has been removed. My husband seems to think that maybe the polymer plate has. variation in height causing to bind but those are mass-produced daily I find it hard to believe that could be the cause. Is it possible a larger surface area plate can cause binding? Is there a workaround or do I just have to readjust the platen?

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Why not put in a little bit less packing and see if that cures the problem and still gives you an acceptable print? You don’t say what packing you are using or what type of impression depth you are seeking. Packing does vary with the size of the area being printed, though usually I use less packing with small areas in order to minimize punch-through on the back side of the sheet.

Perhaps you should read up on the process of makeready- you may be using too much overall impression to get an acceptable result instead.

I don’t mean to insult your intelligence but are you sure your gripper bars are not in so far that they are hitting the Boxcar base? Likewise (and I can’t remember whether this is possible or not on a Golding Jobber), hopefully you didn’t move the gripper bars out far enough that they are hitting the roller rails or anything else.

Golding presses are not built as strong as some of the others, (I have two). Please be easy on yours so you don’t break any castings. If you are unable to turn the flywheel, I would say you have gone considerably beyond what is safe for the press.

Thanks for the replies.

For packing I have been using the 1 sheet of red chip board and about 3 sheets of copy paper. I am looking for a slight impression in the paper but when I remove packing I get barely any and when I add packing it won’t turn. I never try to force it and the second I feel resistance I stop.

I did experiment with a large surface area plate I had and I cut it in half and the press turned. So I’m beginning to think she just isn’t meant to do large areas?

As for gripper bars, my press does not have them. I use foam tape to keep my paper in place, not a huge fan of gauge pins.

Just how big is the plate?

You do realize that polymer plates come in more than one height, don’t you? You might get away with a smaller plate that is too high, but a larger one might not be so forgiving.

So the area was about 3.5in x 5in.

I did know that there are different polymer plates, however, I was under the assumption that each press only orders a certain type of plate (I order KF152). I can certainly try ordering a different plate and see how it goes.

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A plate of that size is near the practical limit of the 8x12 chase/platen size of the Golding No. 6. and certainly within the capabilities of the no. 7. Certainly on the equivalent C&P, this is true. You don’t have any large solids; that makes it easier to get a good print. Assuming you are not printing text in the same form, this should print well without locking up the press. That leads me to conclude you either have too much packing or the platen is mal-adjusted. Or both.

I’d take out the three sheets of paper and take a print with just the press board and add in the paper sheets one at a time to see where the best results are. Make sure the paper sheets aren’t to thick or soft. If I’m using paper in my packing it is likely to be quite thin and hard. Makeready paper is often a bit softer…pages from an old phonebook if I don’t have anything else on hand and it is buried underneath all the other packing.

If adjusting your packing doesn’t work, then re-setting your platen adjustment bolts is next. The process has been described often enough, here and elsewhere.

You’ll find that tracking down these kinds of problems will lead to you becoming a better printer. Good luck and have fun.

A vernier caliper micrometer cost about $15.00 and allows measurement to determine the problem. No guessing required.
https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Micrometer-Measuring-Precision-Measurem...