Antique equipment club

[jvanick]

All the 'new press' threads and the equipment resource list and all the nice gear got me to thinking about those of us who print on older/antique (by today's standards) equipment.

I own and print every day on a 1991 Javelin 6/8, which has been upgraded with pneumatic screen locks, and a chopper system.  And then send them down a Mercury conveyor dryer from around the early 90's.

I'm actually considering replacing the original PLC with a home-coded one to add things like double index, dry index & revolver mode.

Who else here is printing on antique gear?  And have you done anything to 'modernize' it?

[Evo]

Our shop has a circa 80's American Rototex 6/4 manual press. With an inline foil stamper.


I hate the whole thing.

 

[ericheartsu]

oh boy. this is my thread!

We have a 1997 M&M Xpress 10/12 press. This press actually is pretty awesome. it has a geneva drive, which from what i understand, is a step down from servo, and step up from pneumatic. It's got AC heads, and much like other American presses, it has a huge imprint area. Unfortunately for us, i think the PLC is toast, and no one has any information on this press, aside from the history of the machine. So this dinosaur might be done. But it was a solid press. Only one point of registartion though, which makes it a little weird.

That goes through a 2000 Sprint international.

Then we have a 1997 6/8 gauntlet. We bought it used, and at this point, i'm almost ready to complete rebuild it. I've already changed so many things on it.

That press goes through a mid 90's Eliminator Dryer.

On top of that we have a first generation stretching table, a Thompson Die Cutter from 60s/70s, and a Svecia Press/UV dryer from the early 90s as well.

[sben763]

Have a 1991 Lawson dryer. Changed belt speed controller to digital and relays to solid state. This dryer is rock solid.

I just bought a 1995 Lawson Vector 6/8 automatic. Replaced a couple of the micro switches, welded a couple of cracked welds.  Ordered new bushings for the heads but am figuring a way to change to bearings

This thing seems to have pretty good registration. I still haven't completely calibrated machine just been using the screen adjustments for head to head calibration.

I have a old national exposure unit that was a halogen and blacklight unit.  Converted to a 1000w metal halide with steel manual shutter.

[Printficient]

There is a shop here in town (ol man) that runs a fab.1988 or so Precision Oval.  Does not get any better than that!  Another shop with MHM's.  1 SA.  2 SP2000. 2 SP 3000. 1 E type.  That is every generation except the latest.

[Frog]

I use a pretty old Advance Phoenix dryer, and my Workhorse Mach VI is no spring chicken either.

[StuJohnston]

Hahaha.

1984 American Multiprinter
70's cameo
60's/70's geniette (no longer used, but hard to get rid of lol)
1951 Heidelburg windmill diecutting/foiling press
50's Seybold Dynaclamp paper cutter.

I have some newer equipment, but these are the actual antiques of my shop. It's funny to not the lack of safety features, the heidelburg won't reverse and has no protection agains't falling into it's 16 ton jaws and the multiprinter is all too happy to pin you in between a platten and a print head. Thank goodness the American has a safety switch on top of the control unit, so as long as there is another person around you should be ok. I was soooo happy to have my thieme since it has a safety bar around the head since it is gear operated.

[ZooCity]

1992 GT 6
80s American Cameo
80s American Tex Air, 20'

The Olec's and the Millington frame are the dinosaurs that have survived, though I suppose LED will eventually antiquate them.


Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

[ol man]

precision 6 color oval - 87 i think - and yes i can out print you on your new  press with my oval - just gotta treat her with love.
SPEC - 8 color challenger rip off.

[ol man]

oh and the dryer - precision

[ol man]

There is a shop here in town (ol man) that runs a fab.1988 or so Precision Oval.  Does not get any better than that!  Another shop with MHM's.  1 SA.  2 SP2000. 2 SP 3000. 1 E type.  That is every generation except the latest.

you like that press don't you ?

[Printficient]

There is a shop here in town (ol man) that runs a fab.1988 or so Precision Oval.  Does not get any better than that!  Another shop with MHM's.  1 SA.  2 SP2000. 2 SP 3000. 1 E type.  That is every generation except the latest.

you like that press don't you ?

I ran many a shirt on it that's for sure.  How are you doing on supplies?

[Denis Kolar]

1992 Antec Legend 6/4, works perfect, holds great registration
Mid 90 Nuarc 40-1K Mercury Exposure unit
Late 90 Atlas 824 conveyor dryer

My whole SP setup is used stuff, but all of it is in a great condition.

[inkman996]

We have a prototype Supertex built by the original AWT. Early 90's ish. Not to be confused with the Rototex in any way. Tho we do not use a manual anymore I have never seen a manual in my years that can touch this supertex. Nothing built today or back in the day is as solid and smooth as this thing is. The problem was its cost, it just was not practical for the market so it never took off.

[IntegrityShirts]

1989 Precision Vortex dryer. The beast just keeps on burnin cotton day after day.

I had an all electric oval, not sure what year that thing was. What a horrid piece of machinery. It would slap ink on a shirt as fast as you could load it. It would also rip the necks and sleeves off shirts, misprint 4 in a row, all while maintaining horrible registration. Setting up a 4 color job required a monumental investment in test prints.