That's why they invented baking paper, I will be using it for inlay work with cnc'd parts :)
Rick
Printable View
I have seen them used for veneer work on box’s etc. particularly marquetry work and as Warwick has indicated inlay work...I have always wanted one but unless one turns up locally the freight would make it too expensive
Not, strictly speaking, book presses although as many people use them a such, me included, I guess that makes them book presses:)
Originally they were letter presses, used in pre-photocopier days to make letter copies.
See Duplicating machines - Wikipedia for chapter & verse.
Mine came from the Great Western Railway offices at Taunton (Somerset) Station, someone had stolen one of the brass handle ends so I turned up a wooden replacement until the right size piece of brass turns up.
As book press they are OK for one or two books but not much use if you are working on ten. A 'proper' book press has a much greater distance between the platens.
Apart from book binding mine gets used for all sorts of jobs including glueing patterns onto leather, wood & metal, pressing leaves and flowers (a friend is into card making) in fact anything that needs pressing and will fit.....
In it in the image is a cardboard box that was damaged in the post, by dampening the card & pressing till dry, all the creases will come out.
Mark
There's one for sale in an antique shop in Guildford (WA) I noticed a couple of days ago $295. Ouch!
You've done well.
Two for sale on ebay at the moment ...
This one in Vic for $240
Attachment 449032
And this one at a BIN price of $1,950 in Sydney !
Attachment 449033
which looks pretty much like the others except with longer "legs".
Stewie
Stewie - The second picture looks like a letter press that has been extended to make it more usefull for book binding, I had considered doing the same to mine but as I only ever had 2 or 3 books on the go at one time it was not worth it.
On most of the letter presses I have seen the top (moveable) platen has lugs either side which fit into grooves in the arch for alignment, in your picture the groves can be seen in the arch but not in the legs, anyway the thread is too short to push the platen to the bottom if only a couple of books are in it.
Pictured is a very early book press (French) which shows what I mean.
BTW considering the prices asked (AU$1950 = £1000 - ouch) perhaps I should chain mine to the floor... on the other hand they are not something you could tuck under your arm and sneak off with....
Mark
Here is a 'proper' book press, currently up for auction here in the UK at a well know site.
Mark
I have a cast iron book press that I use for veneering panels for box tops/bases. Very simple and effective. I wouldn’t use this for inlays - if you are doing it correctly inlay doesn’t usually need clamping, far less pressing.
You could use a vacuum press or Roarockit bag instead - both would work fine- but for veneer panels the cast iron press is so much simpler. This morning I faffed about with a vacuum bag for ages, only because it was a curved top that was veneering. Had it been a flat panel I’d have popped it into the press and been on my third flat white while I was still cursing the unmarried parentage of the vacuum bag. Both have their place and I’d not like to be without either, but the old-world muscle of the cast iron press is lovely...
Brian
Brian,
These will be cnc inlays like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYnO8kSHQ1c
Rick