Restoration

 

 I completed the restoration of the micro letterpress (Adana HS1?) today.

It started in a pretty bad state as you can see from the photo below.

After stripping it down I was able to sand the body back and paint it - a colour close to Adana red.

Finally all the bits were cleaned, ground and polished without going over the top.

Below are photos of the reassembling the press.

And then all done - almost ready for action...

Except for the rollers - in a bad state. Fiona says we should keep them because they could create great patterns.

I have ordered a new set from Caslon in the UK. The ones I ordered are for an Adana HS1 - so in a few weeks we will see if they fit.

Melting moments and micro press

I have been working with an electrician friend Gary to see if we can sort out why my metal melting furnace kept shorting out. After some tests by Gary and a check under the melting cylinder and element it appeared to relate to a broken ceramic cover for the element wire. This was glued and I have done a couple of test melts. It seems we might have resolved the issue.

But one of the learnings when I did the test melts was that it is better to melt smaller quantities and not overload the furnace; and the furnace can trip when the top is left open when pouring.

The photo above shows white hot molten metal (1100 degrees) in a very very hot graphite crucible.

Some process photos - the heat off the crucible is incredible.

And a few pieces poured silver from an old beaten up candle stick. Ready for trimming, grinding and polishing.

We bought the wee press below from an artist friend. It is in need of a strip down restoration which I will do over the next little while. I think it is an Adana HS1- (chase size is 3inchx2inch) - the smallest Adana made - though I can't see any Adana markings on the press. I have ordered new rollers from the UK. Prior to this our smallest Adana was 5X3.

All artists know that time needs to be spent on keeping tools in good working order.

Sorting, cleaning testing - leads to production

©2020 Barry Smith - An old ornament that has been cleaned and inked up

Over time Fiona and I have acquired lead and other pieces that are known as ornaments - not word type but rather bits and pieces that are decorative in nature.

©2020 Barry Smith  - A small selection of the ornaments that I intend to print

In the past Fiona had inked up a few pieces and stamped paper by hand to see how they might print; but we really needed to sort the tray and just check how they would print on a press.

Amongst our Adana presses we also have a wee 5inchX3inch press. So I decided I'd do some printing to test out how the wee Adana worked; and see how some of the ornaments printed.

©2020 Barry Smith  - Small Adana chase with rose ornament locked in - you can see in a past life the ornament was not cleaned after use. The locking on this small press chase is done using inbuilt grub screws in the bottom and right hand arms of the chase - quite ingenious

©2020 Barry Smith  - Small Adana inked up ready for action; the chase is held in the press also using grub screws in the top and right hand side of the cast iron frame.

©2020 Barry Smith  - Using a piece of clear plastic sheet to check where the print will land - makes registration easier

Once I knew how the Adana worked and how ornaments might print I decided to print a series so we have a bit of a sampler. But as you know one thing leads to another - so I decided I might as well print 20 of each in gift card size.

©2020 Barry Smith  - About 240 pieces of Mohawk superfine smooth white 270 gsm paper cut to 9cmX5.5cm in size

 ©2020 Barry Smith  - Proofing - these could be used in a sampler

In the end I printed about 13 individual and clusters of ornaments.

©2020 Barry Smith  - Inked up in blue - book related ornament

©2020 Barry Smith  - Line up of 5 squares made from 9 ornaments each

©2020 Barry Smith  - Gift cards with - squares made up of 9 24pt ornaments in each case

I'm cleaning the ornaments as I go and re-organising the type tray they have been stored in. I have quite a way to go but it is worth it - rescued history.