Category: Letterpress for beginners
Earlier topic: Cleaning lettertype cabinet trays

Looking for Advice Kelsey Excelsior

Hello everyone!

I’d be incredibly grateful for some advice from those of you with experience using or restoring a Kelsey Excelsior 6x10.

A little background: I’m a graphic designer considering purchasing a tabletop letterpress, initially as a hobby and a way to learn the craft. I have some basic printing knowledge, but I’ve never actually set up or run a job on a letterpress.

I’ve found a Kelsey Excelsior 6x10 that I’m considering purchasing and will have the opportunity to inspect it in person. I’m trying to educate myself on what to look for before making the investment.

Here is what I know about the press from the seller:

The seller describes the mechanics as being in excellent condition, with the press moving smoothly and without binding.

The cast iron body reportedly has no major rust, cracks, or welds.

The ink disk rotates clockwise and is said to work smoothly.

The original 6x10 iron chase is included and reportedly has no cracks or warping.

The rollers and one roller truck are missing and will need to be replaced.

The seller has not personally used the press and does not know when it was last operated. Its functionality is based on the movement demonstrated in the listing video.

I’ve watched videos and done some due diligence, but as a beginner, I’m still not entirely confident about what to look for or what might be a red flag.

I’d especially appreciate any advice on:

What mechanical components should I pay particular attention to when inspecting the press?

How can I tell if the platen is in good condition and properly aligned?

Are there any specific tests I can perform to check the platen, impression, or overall mechanics?

Are there common problems with these presses that I should be aware of?

Are the missing rollers and roller truck relatively easy to replace, and are there any compatibility issues I should consider?

What would make you walk away from a purchase?

I’ve attached photos of the press. Any advice, things to look for, or personal experiences with this particular model would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much in advance!

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Log in to reply   3 replies so far

  • Lammy
  • on 13 Nov 26 (10:14)
  • Updated 13 Nov 26 (10:17)

You’re biggest concern on a small table top press like this is cracks to the cast iron and missing/damaged parts.

Wether the platen is level to the bed isn’t a concern as it should be adjustable (I’m not entirely familiar with this press) and you should check it and adjust as needed anyway.

From the photos there doesn’t appear to be any repairs to the handle or handle, bed, or frame. You have a chase. All the roller hook springs are there. The ink disk pawl is intact. Chase lock is there. Tympan bales are present.

Only odd this is why are there different spring retaining nuts on the roller hooks? Nothing that can’t easily be fixed, so not a deal breaker.

Check that the roller hooks are straight and slide in and out smoothly.

Not having roller cores and trucks isn’t the end of the world either, but you may want to figure out replacements before you spend the money for the press. I know it’s possible to get replacement trucks made from Delrin and the roller core can be made from steel rod, and you’ll want new cast roller rubber wether you make a new roller or have an old one re-cast.

https://www.briarpress.org/35585

https://nagraph.com/rollers-trucks-cores.html

https://www.starkpressco.com/product-page/kelsey-6x10-rubber-form-roller

A couple of observations: at least one of the roller hook rods is bent. There appears to be the rod on which gripper arms would be mounted on the bottom edge of the platen, but I see no grippers. The spacers on the two roller hooks may indicate that those springs are weak, but that can be remedied. Otherwise the press appears to be in good enough condition to be restored to normal functioning — BUT a word of caution: these presses are NOT strong enough for “deep impression” printing on any kind of dry paper; with careful preparation an even impression which transfers the ink but does not deeply dent the paper should be achievable with practice and proper preparation. Testing the impression will require a locked-up block of type or a good mounted plate, all known to be precisely type-high (.918”): for which you will want printer’s “furniture” and quoins; a sheet of tympan paper or suitable substitute (file folders can serve as a source if large enough) and some cover and text weight paper for packing the platen. Such will allow an assessment of the current adjustment of the platen, and careful adjusting of it to produce an even impression. A “very small” amount of ink (about a quarter of a cc) spread with an ink knife or flat-bladed paint scraper to start with, adding tiny amounts and distributing each addition by operating the press without the chase installed until the ink is even on the ink disc and the printed result is satisfactory. These are some of the “niceties” you’ll want to learn to produce printing that satisfies. Lots of people have printed beautiful work on Kelseys, but not as their first tries. :-)

Thank you both for your feedback. I didn’t realize that the Kelsey is not as solid as the C&P or the Craftsman. I guess I will have to keep looking! My goal is to find a larger tabletop, as hard as they seem to be to find! I don’t really have the means to house a floor model at this point.

I really appreciate the time you both took to reply!
Thank you!