Building an English Common Press
Good afternoon,
I’m about to start an adventure building something that will approximate an English Common Press. My goal is to create something that will work in the spirit of a Gutenberg press, even if it’s not completely accurate. I’m aware of the book “The Common Press” by Elizabeth Harris, and am making arrangements to go have a look at one. (Only 2000 copies were made, so tracking one down has taken some time.)
I would appreciate any thoughts that folks might have - be they suggestions or cautionary tales.
Thanks,
— Markus
Have you seen the tv programme ” Stephen Fry and the Gutenburg press” available on You Tube to view.
One thing to remember is that “common” presses, as they were called in their heyday, varied quite a lot in their design, hardware, wood, etc.; most were made of Oak, I believe, in England; the most prolific American Common press builder, Adam Ramage, preferred Honduran Mahogany. To make a “replica” requires the resources available to Harris & Sisson for machine work, especially making the screw spindle and nut. Substitutions can be adapted, but the swing of the bar limits the amount of “fall” so that a coarser screw pitch is necessary. A few builders cast screws and nuts both of brass or bronze. So be prepared for a challenge. If you can make a pattern, bell foundries can cast in bronze, a more durable choice than brass.