Very pleased to take delivery of a proper printing press to replace my makeshift vice-press (was great for seeing of I could do this print thing). Bought from the “Portable Printing Press Company” – Very good service and the press looks sturdy and well put together. I didnt waste any time putting some prints through it to test it out. I tried taditional lino – the newer plasti “lino” and a 15mm thich piece of oak with my woodpecker woodcut. All of these produced good prints – eventually. Understandably it is important to get the rollers level- producing even pressure across the block and this took a few test prints to get right for each new block as each was a different thickness.
One problem took a google search to solve and that was the paper for the print was getting creased as it went through the rollers. The google search came up with a couple of discussion forums each recommending using a cutting mat on top of the felt sandwich. With that in place everything went through smoothly at low and high pressures.
Now I’m ready to print my Gurnsey rocks using inks I’ve made myself …..