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| Ed's new press - a work in progress
As promised to Ed, here are some photos of the Pilots currently 
in the shop on 1/9/2013: <- To the left The totally disassembled older Thorp-designed "Early Series" Chandler & Price Pilot... - aka "Rob's Press" (promised to a couple in Singapore) A fully assembled and operational C&P "New Series" Pilot - "Barry's Press" -- >
An Early Series "Thorp" style Chandler & Price Pilot (below) - needs lots of work.. & some new parts...   Early Series Pilot - "Gus's Press" - to the right --> In working condition, and last used for numbering by an older printer who decided to retire. It was in service and it works, but it's pretty much ink-stained, and may have been repainted (badly) It's in need of some clean up. This is the press I've chosen to restore and will henceforth be known as "Ed's Press"... Ink rollers - New Rollers from NA Graphics on top, used rollers taken off of Gus's press, below. Not bad, but not new either... We'll use these ourselves; you get the new rollers...   Ink disk - with scratches. This will be resurfaced. The pieces below the disk are the roller arm links from two different presses - and are not exactly the same. This is the link that determines the resting point of the ink rollers. Too short, and the rollers don't clear the chase and are in the way; too long, and they rest on the lower frame - as they did on this press, leaving a thick build up of old ink. Very unsightly... I will make a new link that will be fit to the press so that the rollers clear the chase, but do not rest on the lower frame. I'd have expected more attention to detail from Chandler & Price, but apparently, they didn't always get it just right. But, to be fair, a variation of just a few thousands can change the resting position of the rollers. Wednesday - Sandblasting Chase Bed & back of ink disk. photos to come: 1) Chase Bed - before 2) Chase Bed - After 3) Ink disk rear view - after sandblasting. (It was really nasty - with a lot of caked up ink & solvent - perhaps 100 years' worth...) History: And, now that the chase bed has been sandblasted, we can see the serial number - P327 - which we have not yet been able to date. The common listing of C&P serial numbers does not include the Pilot presses.. BUT. If the number is any indication, and if the "P" stands for Pilot, this could be one very, very old press... We don't know exactly what year C&P began making the Pilot themselves, but this press was originally designed by Mr. Thorp (at least he got the patent) around 1884 or so - when he was at the Cleveland Type Foundry. CTF was absorbed by American Type Founders around 1892. They advertised this press in their 1897 catalog. Sears Roebuck also advertised this press about the same time. C&P was founded around 1884. This press could be one of the first made by C&P... Still a mystery to be solved. The C&P 7x11 press numbered 301 was made in 1884. This could be from the same year... In any case, this is one very, very old press - and definite part of platen press history. And, soon it will be new again.... And, just for fun.... A few other of the 50 presses in the shop...  
They're hidden everywhere!
- on shelves, on carts - *under* carts! --->
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