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!
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!
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!
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.
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
Hello Doug
I just had a meeting at the German Lao Technical
School where they are building the press for Luang
Prabang. We printed the first prints on it, they
turned out very well and every one was happy with the
results and the press. A few little things have to be
done, but I think by the 15th December it will be
finished.
As it is the first press ever build in Laos, ( as you
can see they build it like a Russian tank) there will
have to be little changes on the second one next year.
For example, a bigger wheel and a different guide for
the bed. We will have a little baptizing drink in
December with some VIPs after that, I will accompany
the press to Luang Prabang to help install it at the
Art School there.
As I have mentioned this is a Franco / German Aid
Project Financed by the two embassies here in
Vientiane. Next year it will be French financing the
second half of the project and we will soon see every
Art School in Laos equipped with an etching press of
your design, thanks once again in the name of all off
us.
I will keep you updated.
All the best
Axel
from L-R German and French Ambassador, Axel Wolkenhauer
Added December 18, 2006
Hello Doug.
So now we have finished the second Press and the 3rd is nearly completed.
I’m sending you a few photos from the handing over and inauguration ceremony at the Lao-German Technical School in Vientiane on the 5.12.2006. It was the official handing over of the 2nd press to the Art School in Savanaketh, a big thing with French and German Ambassadors present together with the Lao Vice Minister for Culture and Information and several other dignitaries.
Hello Doug
I just had a meeting at the German Lao Technical
School where they are building the press for Luang
Prabang. We printed the first prints on it, they
turned out very well and every one was happy with the
results and the press. A few little things have to be
done, but I think by the 15th December it will be
finished.
As it is the first press ever build in Laos, ( as you
can see they build it like a Russian tank) there will
have to be little changes on the second one next year.
For example, a bigger wheel and a different guide for
the bed. We will have a little baptizing drink in
December with some VIPs after that, I will accompany
the press to Luang Prabang to help install it at the
Art School there.
As I have mentioned this is a Franco / German Aid
Project Financed by the two embassies here in
Vientiane. Next year it will be French financing the
second half of the project and we will soon see every
Art School in Laos equipped with an etching press of
your design, thanks once again in the name of all off
us.
I will keep you updated.
All the best
Axel
The first of the three presses has arrived in Luang Prabang after an arduous eleven hour journey in a little van from Vientiane.
Coincidently it was 23rd and 24th of December and I felt like Father Christmas, and as you can see from the photos, a lot of happy faces. The French artist Christoph Meyer, currently in residence at the art school, started printing strait away after the opening ceremony. The ceremony it self was a big affaire, with representatives from the Provincial Government and Politburo. Naturally afterwards every thing was well baptised with Bier Lao.
I think this project has demonstrated, that with a little determination, good will, and some money a lot can be done for the arts and others.
I will send you further press clips when I have copied them.
All the best, and a happy Boxing Day.
The first of the three presses has arrived in Luang Prabang after an arduous eleven hour journey in a little van from Vientiane.
Coincidently it was 23rd and 24th of December and I felt like Father Christmas, and as you can see from the photos, a lot of happy faces. The French artist Christoph Meyer, currently in residence at the art school, started printing strait away after the opening ceremony. The ceremony it self was a big affaire, with representatives from the Provincial Government and Politburo. Naturally afterwards every thing was well baptised with Bier Lao.
I think this project has demonstrated, that with a little determination, good will, and some money a lot can be done for the arts and others.
I will send you further press clips when I have copied them.
All the best, and a happy Boxing Day.
The first of the three presses has arrived in Luang Prabang after an arduous eleven hour journey in a little van from Vientiane.
Coincidently it was 23rd and 24th of December and I felt like Father Christmas, and as you can see from the photos, a lot of happy faces. The French artist Christoph Meyer, currently in residence at the art school, started printing strait away after the opening ceremony. The ceremony it self was a big affaire, with representatives from the Provincial Government and Politburo. Naturally afterwards every thing was well baptised with Bier Lao.
I think this project has demonstrated, that with a little determination, good will, and some money a lot can be done for the arts and others.
I will send you further press clips when I have copied them.
All the best, and a happy Boxing Day.
The first of the three presses has arrived in Luang Prabang after an arduous eleven hour journey in a little van from Vientiane.
Coincidently it was 23rd and 24th of December and I felt like Father Christmas, and as you can see from the photos, a lot of happy faces. The French artist Christoph Meyer, currently in residence at the art school, started printing strait away after the opening ceremony. The ceremony it self was a big affaire, with representatives from the Provincial Government and Politburo. Naturally afterwards every thing was well baptised with Bier Lao.
I think this project has demonstrated, that with a little determination, good will, and some money a lot can be done for the arts and others.
I will send you further press clips when I have copied them.
All the best, and a happy Boxing Day.
The first of the three presses has arrived in Luang Prabang after an arduous eleven hour journey in a little van from Vientiane.
Coincidently it was 23rd and 24th of December and I felt like Father Christmas, and as you can see from the photos, a lot of happy faces. The French artist Christoph Meyer, currently in residence at the art school, started printing strait away after the opening ceremony. The ceremony it self was a big affaire, with representatives from the Provincial Government and Politburo. Naturally afterwards every thing was well baptised with Bier Lao.
I think this project has demonstrated, that with a little determination, good will, and some money a lot can be done for the arts and others.
I will send you further press clips when I have copied them.
All the best, and a happy Boxing Day.
The first of the three presses has arrived in Luang Prabang after an arduous eleven hour journey in a little van from Vientiane.
Coincidently it was 23rd and 24th of December and I felt like Father Christmas, and as you can see from the photos, a lot of happy faces. The French artist Christoph Meyer, currently in residence at the art school, started printing strait away after the opening ceremony. The ceremony it self was a big affaire, with representatives from the Provincial Government and Politburo. Naturally afterwards every thing was well baptised with Bier Lao.
I think this project has demonstrated, that with a little determination, good will, and some money a lot can be done for the arts and others.
I will send you further press clips when I have copied them.
All the best, and a happy Boxing Day.
The first of the three presses has arrived in Luang Prabang after an arduous eleven hour journey in a little van from Vientiane.
Coincidently it was 23rd and 24th of December and I felt like Father Christmas, and as you can see from the photos, a lot of happy faces. The French artist Christoph Meyer, currently in residence at the art school, started printing strait away after the opening ceremony. The ceremony it self was a big affaire, with representatives from the Provincial Government and Politburo. Naturally afterwards every thing was well baptised with Bier Lao.
I think this project has demonstrated, that with a little determination, good will, and some money a lot can be done for the arts and others.
I will send you further press clips when I have copied them.
All the best, and a happy Boxing Day.
The first of the three presses has arrived in Luang Prabang after an arduous eleven hour journey in a little van from Vientiane.
Coincidently it was 23rd and 24th of December and I felt like Father Christmas, and as you can see from the photos, a lot of happy faces. The French artist Christoph Meyer, currently in residence at the art school, started printing strait away after the opening ceremony. The ceremony it self was a big affaire, with representatives from the Provincial Government and Politburo. Naturally afterwards every thing was well baptised with Bier Lao.
I think this project has demonstrated, that with a little determination, good will, and some money a lot can be done for the arts and others.
I will send you further press clips when I have copied them.
All the best, and a happy Boxing Day.
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!
This is a photograph of a 24" hand operated press I built for my daughter.
The only parts I purchased for this press were the printing rollers (6" stainless steel fabricated by a machine shop)and the bearings and gears The black walnut for the bench I salvaged from a barn demolition and the cast iron wheel I found in another barn.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
A thing of beauty I'm speechless and Mel was too! I'm sure you will all agree a great press for a great guy!
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
