 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|---|
Etching Press Showcase
The following are some comments I received from printmakers far and wide. They are much appreciated on my end because they give me inspiriation to continue with my little project. They also demonstrate how you can customize the plans in many ways to fit your particular needs.I hope they will be equaly inspiring to thoes thinking about building their own Etching Press as you can see from these examples it can be very rewarding!
______________________________________________________
Bruno's Press
Some pictures of the press we built with you excellent plans. The bed is 40 inches wide and 60 inches long. As you can see we added an chain system on the top to automatically control the pressure evenly on both sides. Not a classic feature, but very practical and time saving!
Thanks a lot! And good luck to all those who are building their etching press now, it's definitely worth it!
Bruno
______________________________________________________
Ric's Press
Well, the project has been successfully completed. Considering the amount of time and research in getting all components together, and detailed drawings to suit locally available components I decided to construct two presses, as another family member needed one also.
The general roller specification is 600 mm long at 165 mm dia. each, of thick walled cast steel. Side plates are 12 mm oxy profile cut steel. The restangular press frame is structural grade laminated plywood with aluminium internal angle brackets and threaded rods to form a relatively rigid and light stucture. the press is mounted on a separate wheeled box unit,
also of structural grade plywood and solid timbers.
The press top tie rods and tubes are spaced wider than the roller diameter, to permit removal of top roller if required. The outer 6mm thick chain cover plate is mounted on a series of stud bolts firmly tightened to side plates using hex "rod joiner' threaded units and nuts as spacer pieces.
We now look forward to many printings with these robust units.
Thanks,
Ric,
Sydney, Australia.
 Completed press2..jpg)
 Top view detail..jpg)
 Rollers ready for machining..jpg)
 Side plate-oxy profile cut, drilled, polished..jpg)
 Oxy profile cut roller lifts..jpg)
______________________________________________________
Scott Minzy
Here are some pictures of my new press built by some local students from plans. My wife got me your plans for my birthday last year and though the total price of the press was reasonable it was still slightly out of reach at a thousand dollars and it was difficult to find a shop willing to do custom work. On a long shot I contacted the local high school technical centre and explained my situation. As it turns out they were looking for a project and had much of the stock on hand from a military discard, which saved me quite a bit. I spent just over $300 in materials and $150 in labor -Total cost $450 - I'm excited to say the least.
The press is much like the one in your plans though a little longer with 5' rollers instead of 6' . It look like a tank and felt like one too as four of of us carried it up three flights of stairs to my studio.
Thank you for your quick responses to my queries and making your plans available.
-Scott
___________________________________________
Barrett Epp
I just wanted to say thanks for the great information on building a
press. I made the frame out of aluminum with a 2.5 inch bottom roller
and a 3.5 inch top roller. The rollers were made of steel pipe. When
I first got it together I was having a problem with the rollers not
rolling smooth but I found a burr on the edge of one that was
catching.
barrett
______________________________________________________
Martin Sander
Dear Mr. Forsythe,
I'm an german artist. Some months ago I ordered plans for an etching press from you. Now the work is done and I realized an fantastic etching press to a relatively low budget (approximately 900 dollars- the tradesmen who realized the press from my/your plans insisted in quite expensive steel ensuring a high quality product with a very high-grade look. An etching press in an comparable quality should be viable for only 500 dollars, but in the end I'm very happy with the look of stainless steel).
Thank you very much,
Martin Sander
____________________________________________________
Andrew K Gott
Mike Lyon
Dear Doug,
I owe you a ‘THANKS’ and LONG overdue! So... THANKS! One of the best $25 I ever spent!
I used your plans to jump-start my 5x10 foot stationary bed pinch-roller press and... Well it all worked out very well!
http://mlyon.com/2005/10/large-format-woodblock-printing-press/ was my first post about your plans and my work... But maybe the best illustrations are in videos...
Have a look at http://mlyon.com/2006/02/movie-aspen-grove-pigment-application/ for one example of the press in use. You’ll find others if you look.
Again, MANY thanks, Doug! You were a great help!
Mike
Mike Lyon
Kansas City, MO
http://mlyon.com
______________________________________________
Walter Di Marino
Hi Doug,
As I promised, I send you some better pictures of my portable press.
All the press is made of aluminium anticorodal, an aeronautical league, the cylinders are cm. 52 wide and have a diameter of mm. 140.
If I need to move the press I take off the bed (cm. 130x52) that weights nearly 18 Kg. and I deplace everything by myself. The press itself weights around 30 kg. So I thing the total weight is less than 50 kg. (less than lb 111).
Greetings, Walter
Wow!
What Can I Say, A True Work Of Art Walter!
_______________________________________________________
Eric's Press
Would
just make you want to go over and be his best friend wouldn't it!
Here is the skinny on the press.
The rollers are about 36 5/8 in width, for large format posters. The press plate
is about 48x37. The entire press is enclosed by birch plywood with drying racks
for about 27-54 posters (depending on size). I move a lot so the table was built
in about five pieces that fit together. The shelves on the bottom are 3'x3' cubes
that bolt easily together.
There are large wood pieces that fit over the top that allow me to use the press
as a work space when I am not using it.
Eric has been kind enough to share the plans for his great press bench design...
__________________________________________________________
Cameron & Mary's Presses
What a relief to finally have them here and assembled! Mary and I had been working with (struggling with) a machinist to make the parts since September 08. We purchased the plans online and finally found a skilled and accomodating machinist/engineer who made the parts. By doing so we were able to save about $1500 per press (we each got one).
The rollers are 14 inches (plans specified 12 inches). They are extremely solid and capable of providing more than enough pressure for any printing technique.
Now, we learn how to use them - how exciting. I’ve made a few prints from collagraph plates so far, just exploring the technique. Mary and I will be taking a printmaking class at the Art Student League of Denver in a few months. Until then I’m going to explore collagraphs.
__________________________________________________________
Richard's Press
Finished press bed is 36" x 66" rollers are 34". It works
smoothly.
You may notice that the gear box is quite thin as the axle end on the
bottom roller which was adapted from a different design was only 3".
This
necessitated quite a few changes. the paint is a hammered finish silver.
Richard
Chris
I would like to quote a rather famous Canadian Red Green he once said "If your wife don't find you handsome, she should at least find you handy" I don't know if the first part of this quote applies I've never met Chris but I certainly know the latter part does. Great job!
A few notes from Chris:
Roller length is 30", the bed is 34"x34" and total length is just over 60". I doubt my wife will ever pull a print that large but who knows? Feel free to use the photos. As far as hints, I made the project tougher than it needed to be. My wife was very skeptical of the project so I over engineered some of the materials. Thicker steel plates etc. It was overkill. The size of the rollers and plates make it heavy and awkward to put together. I should have followed your plans to keep the weight down. I work for a newspaper and have access to a machine shop. So I really was able to keep the cost low by machining the plates and rollers myself from scrap that I purchased at a yard. Total cost was about $800 and most of that was for gears and take up bearings. The table is made from fur 2x10's and fur 4x4 posts. I turned the posts on a lathe and mortised the 2x10 sides into the posts. My wife insists that it is better than the Takach she used to borrow at a friends studio. The plans were great! Thanks for saving me about $5,000.
George's Press
Hi Doug,
Finally finished my etching press after downloading the plans last year. It took awhile, but the result is pretty good I think. The machinist who made the press made a suggestion which you might incorporate in your plans, to add a stiffener inside the roller, so as to prevent bending the axle. Mine is 30" and it works like a dream!
Regards,
George
Paul's
Press
Note the heavy duty casters on the bench so that the press can be moved around and the great pressure turn screws and custom wheel. Fine job Paul!
Mel's Press
Mel..... a thing of beauty I'm speechless! I'm sure you will all agree a great press for a great guy!
Stuart's Press
Here it is. Rollers are 31 inches long and 6 3/4" OD. The bed is 34X60. I'm a bit out of practice but it looks like it will print well, once I get the hang of it again....................regards........... Stuart
___________________________________________________
Erik's Press
Specs:
32" roller width. 8" diameter top roller, 6" bottom
roller.
Sailboat steering wheel for a drive wheel (required changing the
shaft on the driving sprocket to a 1" shaft to fit the standard 1" keyway
in the wheel). I powdercoated the steel parts in a beautiful copper-vein
hammered finish to complement the copper spacing pipes. I'm currently
using a melamine bed, but am looking to upgrade to something a
little less compressable (perhaps Aluminum with a phenolic resin
laminate?). The press is installed at Saltgrass Printmakers (www.saltgrassprintmakers.org)
where it's being used with great results!
-Erik
___________________________________________________________
Doug Jaap
The size is 33.5 x 55(bed). Works great, real smooth. I am looking forward
to building another now that I know it works so well. Hoping to sell
the next one and at least pay for the first.
Sincerely, Doug Jaap
____________________________________________________
Tom's Press
And thank you for your helpful comments Im sure they will be of help to other press builders
Note the welding on the top.
High quality acme threaded rod with brass machined insert bolted in
place. Note also the nylon washer above the nut, which is fixed with
a set screw to adjust the tension on the washer. No up-down slop at all.
My answer to calibration issues. The top roller is calibrated to the
bed, and then the two dial calipers are zeroed. We still need to
adjust this to vertical.
The old bicycle crank works really well for the crank handle, with
the axel cut in half and inserted into a hole in the 5/8" rod end.
Then welded into place. The handle is some kind of plastic that was
lathed to fit on the peddle shaft.
The bed is two 1/8" hardboard layers and 6 1/4" hardboard layers
glued with white glue. Total cost is $50, so if we have to re-do it
with expoxy it isn't a big deal.
I had to weld plates to the back of the sides to hold it in a
vertical milling machine.
Realistically, you need access to a machine shop to do it yourself. I
turned the bottom roller on an older lathe, but it vibrated terribly.
We sent the upper one out to be turned, and they did a terrific job
for about $120. I went high end on some components, and the total
amount was about $1700. But I feel I have a $4000 machine in terms of
accuracy.
Thanks for your great plans.
-Tom
________________________________________________________
Duncan's Press
An Example of a Small Direct Drive table press
Hi Doug,
The plans are excellent. Here are a couple of photos of my first press, totally home made except for the bearings and the phenolic resin press bed, it's much smaller than yours but the results are very good according to my wife. (She's the artist, I'm the artisan and general assistant.) I've learnt some things along the way so I'm all fired up to build one even better!
The rollers are 46cm wide and about 6 cm in diameter. The press bed itself is 46 cm wide by 70 cm long so it easily accommodates A3 paper. The small size of the rollers, especially the bottom roller, means that you can use a direct drive rather that gearing or chain drive; ours is direct drive to the bottom roller and it works really well. Having said that, it's all in your plans - you just scale them to fit what you want, what materials you can get and what your workshop will accommodate. I don't know what it's like in your country, but here in England the bearings are ridiculously cheap so long as you don't want high speed ones, which we don't, so it's not worth making your own housings or anything, however the take-up bearings I used came in a fairly standard carrier with a larger slot than the 8mm steel I used for the uprights so I had to fit some gib strips (is this an international or an English expression?) If you think it would be useful I'll send you some pics with a ruler on them so you can judge the scale. ( Do you still use proper inches over there or have you been "metricated"?)
It might interest constructors in England to know that my total cost (excluding effort!) was in the region of £120 of which £40 was for the phenolic resin press bed.
thought of something else that might be helpful to builders of smaller presses. I've attached a photo showing the take-up bearings raised to lift the top roller and you can see where I had to cut out the side plate and bottom bearing housing to allow the small diameter rollers to come closer together (arrowed on photo). For the same reason the press bed is thicker, and more expensive, than would otherwise be needed. The other thing I had to do was mount the bearings on the outsi de of the side plate rather than inside, but it's only one more hole and some serious effort with a big file!
Once again I'm full of praise for what you have produced!
CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE PROGRESS SO FAR!
Great Job Does The Heart Good
