One part of my Challenge MA15 proof press that I cannot figure out is the lockup bar, used as a quick way of clamping the type in position on the bed. The bar has a locking lever which turns an…
Category: Things we do
A Trip to West Virginia
The display matrices I had purchased in the recent Anderson auction were heavy enough that it would have cost several hundred dollars to ship them. Instead I took a couple of days to drive to Terra Alta, WV, to visit…
Tagged with: Rich Hopkins
Adventures in Matrix Copying – Part 2
My first attempt at making a rubber mould of a Lanston display matrix ended up with a fatal flaw due to an air bubble. I made a second attempt, hoping to avoid repeating this flaw. The instructions for the casting…
It’s Not Dead Yet!
This post was written on January 31st, but for some reason I forgot to actually publish it! This year’s mulberry branch harvest has been sitting in a bucket of water to keep it fresh, but it has also been sitting…
Adventures in Matrix Copying
One thing I have wanted to try for a while was the duplication of a Lanston Monotype display matrix. It it probably not worth the trouble to copy an entire font of mats, but it would be useful for replacing…
Another Wayzgoose is History
Last Saturday the 36th annual Wayzgoose was held at the Grimsby Public Library and Art Gallery in Grimsby, Ontario. We were fortunate to have our sale table right next to the front door so we didn’t miss any visitors. Lily…
A New Pin Wrench
When I was fixing my Monotype caster to do some composition casting a few months ago, I broke the small pin wrench that I use for turning some of the adjustments on the caster. The wrench seemed to be too…
Rubber feet for the Challenge Proof Press
Proof presses are subjected to a lot of sideways forces when used, caused by the carriage hitting its stops at either end of its stroke. These can be reduced by slowing down near the end of the stroke, but there…
Putting a back on the Challenge Proof Press
When I got this press earlier this year, I printed off a nice copy of the instructions. Challenge Machinery still exists, and their web site is quite useful in that they seem to be trying their best to have manuals…
Last week’s time suck
Last week was March Break, and Audrey and Lily flew to Calgary to visit Granny. I took the opportunity to do a few home improvement projects (replacing a bathroom sink, putting up a knife holder in the kitchen, and installing…
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