press time...

I have been on the look out for more orphan presses and I have found a few in the past few weeks.  When I was in Arizona, I found a Speedball linoleum press.  It was cast iron and probably from the 1940s.  The price was very good, so good I ignored the problem that I bought a press that weighed 35 pounds while being  2,000 miles away from home.  Let's just say the counter clerk at the airport was a bit surprised at the weight of my checked bag!

Tonight I bought another press, my biggest press to date.  On the "press platform" from the left you have a 4x6 Sigwalt Ideal #3 from about 1920.  Next is my new press, the Kelsey Excelsior 6x10 press which is from 1954.  The red press is an Adana 6x4 press from 1936.  The small press is a Sigwalt #10, a 2x3 press from the 1950s.  I have two other of these small Sigwalts from the 1920s but other than being all black, they are exactly the same. And another Ideal #3.  And probably some others, but who is counting?

I am getting close to done.  It is a party.  It is a family.  I would like a 5x8 press and a 3x5, but since I haven't exactly "wore out" these presses, I think I can be patient.  Oh, I want a sign/proof press.  But presses don't a printer make!  I did get some more type today with the big press, but rather than be nicely sorted in drawers, the nice person took it out of the type cases and put it Ziploc bags to make it easier to carry.  16 fonts of type in baggies.  My eyes hurt already.  I also bought paper today, and more ink, and I have exhausted any excuses to not print more.

After I sort some type, of course.

But if you do see any other orphan presses, the home still has some room...