C&P 12x18 New and Old Style treadle compatibility
In lieu of all the information I have received, I still need to know if a new series 12x18 treadle and hook will fit an old style 12x18. Simple. Yes or no. Before asking the most knowledgeable of peers here on BP and FB, I asked many others that are not on these social platforms. “Old Timers”. But have not gotten a simple yes or no.
Are old and new style treadles and hooks interchangeable with one another? Specifically on a 12x18 C&P.
Treadhook
You’re going to treadle an 12 x 18? Hope you’re 6’2” and weigh 265 lbs.
John Horn I am 6’2” and 260 lbs.. But that is not the concern. The concern is interchangeability between old and new.
I can’t answer for certain about the 12x18 but a treadle for the 8x12 will not fit the 10x15. My expectation is that a 10x15 treadle will no fit a 12x18. That said, it is not too hard to improvise a treadle, given the existence of an offset in the flywheel shaft. If the shaft is straight, then it gets a lot harder. Treadling the 10x15 is pretty easy, but the flywheel goes round once more per impression cycle than the 8x12 and I believe the 12x18 has one more than that, so there is more effort, proportionately, as the press size increases.
and there are differences between old and new series presses treadles on at least the 8x12, mostly in the length of the hook.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Here’s a conversation about this from years past. If you search for “treadle old style” you’ll get a few posts about this.
http://www.briarpress.org/45875
I think the consensus was that it’s possible to put a new treadle on an older press, but not the other way around.
My suggestion would be to get a straight piece of wood about 3-4 feet long, or use the treadle if you have one, measure the distance below the crank (assuming there is one) on the flywheel shaft) and the piece of wood or treadle when it is stuck under the lower rear cross-bolt of the press frame and whatever it hits on the frame with the other end at its highest, and the crank is at its highest. Your connecting hook needs to be a bit longer than that from inside the hook to the point of attachment on the treadle, to clear the frame on the upswing. Measure the diameter of the bearing on the crank and the hole for the hook in the treadle and have a blacksmith or farrier forge you a hook out of 3/4” diameter steel rod, so it looks like the hook in your photo.
Bob