Veneer press

[Doug B]

This press is a a family heirloom which belonged to my wife’s grandfather

I know he used it for veneering but a google search also calls it a book press as well as a veneer press, I intend to use it as a veneer press but just wonder if anyone knows anything about it & it’s manufacturer.
I’ve started cleaning it up the only markings on it are on the underside.

Any info about it would be gratefully received.

 

[AndyT]

I'm sure I've answered a similar question recently, where I cited this blog post which explains that it's a copying press, as used in an old process for copying correspondence. A binder's press has bigger clearance between the base and the moving jaw.

http://www.edenworkshops.com/The_Nippin ... Press.html

 

[Lons]

Thanks for that link Andy I missed your original post.

I have a press almost identical to the one Doug shows though I can't remember if or what markings are underneath, it's too damn heavy to turn over. I bought about 40 years ago and used it originally for pressing marquetry pictures but I always thought it was a book press.

 

[Doug B]

Thanks for the link Andy I’d also not seen your original post, very interesting =D>

As Bob says the cast iron press is a very heavy little devil but fortunately even though the rust was extensive it came apart quite easily

This photo shows the part clean up of the base platen with the top plate in the background showing the level of rust

Once removed I was surprised how rough the original casting had been left, the underside was better finished than the mating surfaces of the press, not that this will effect the operation of the press but still I’d imagined the two surfaces would have been skimmed :shock:

That said they certainly hadn’t skimped on paint perhaps to cover the poor casting, still a lot of paint/rust removal to go at.

 

[AndyT]

It certainly does look like a lovely solid thing which will be ̶i̶n̶d̶u̶c̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶n̶i̶a̶s̶ helping in many crafts for generations to come.

 

[TheTiddles]

That’s a great old British casting for you, dog rough!

Aidan

 

[Doug B]

Thought it might be of interest to some if I post up some photos of the finished press which I managed to get back together yesterday.

The main body parts of the press had been sprayed black, this just left the sundry bits to clean up, these were they prior to a trip round the motorised wire brush.

& after

Then it was just a case of a smear of grease & fitting it back together.

I’m really pleased with how it’s cleaned up, hopefully I can press it into service in the near future.

 

[AndyT]

Good for another century or two!