This week I’ve been trying to wrap up a type casting job on my Monotype Composition Caster, when an internal part on my 12-point Lanston mould broke. I had been casting some 12-point low spaces, and when I got down…
Category: Equipment Acquisition, Repair, and Maintenance
New Monotype Control PCB Test
I’ve populated my new PCB with components and after a bit of fiddling, I’ve run a test on it and everything appears to work. The board has a few problems that had to be patched over, including: A missing trace…
Our New Type-and-rule Caster in Motion
I’ve cobbled a motor mount and installed a new drive belt, and our new type-and-rule caster now runs: It still needs work, though. For one thing, the belt either needs tension adjustment or some belt dressing so it doesn’t slip…
A PCB for the Monotype Computer Interface
I’ve been slowly plugging away (apparently, for at least 9 years!) at an interface to control my Monotype Composition Caster using a computer. The caster was originally designed to be controlled by a 31-channel punched paper ribbon, which is read…
Swing Frame Removal, Part 2
On our new Type and Rule Caster I want to replace the swing frame assembly with one where the crank to raise and lower the pot is above the pot rather than below it, to avoid needing to have my…
What’s Inside a Paper Pulley
The motor that came with our recently-acquired Monotype Type and Rule Caster was fitted with 2″ a pulley suitable for a flat drive belt to run the caster. Such pulleys are shaped with a bit of a crown, that is,…
Initial Work on the New Type & Rule Caster
While the weather was good for working outside I started to work on getting the new Type & Rule caster operational again, for now concentrating on the pot and pump side of things. The caster is fitted with a bottom-crank…
An Addition to the Type Foundry
Two years ago I found out that this Monotype caster, fitted for strip casting, was available for free in the Toronto area. Unfortunately, at the time, I had no room for it and needed to expand our shop space to…
Inside the Beast
Last year we purchased a new-to-us Noble & Wood Cycle Beater for beating pulp for papermaking. It has, since then, been sitting in a corner in our shop taking up space. This was mainly because we also had so many…
(Un)Plugging Cooling Water Passages
One of the moulds for my Monotype Composition Caster, specifically the type U Lanston display mould fitted for 36 point body size, had completely blocked cooling water passages. This would seriously limit how fast the caster could run, even more…
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