here’s a link to my old chandler and price printing press. Others have noted that people who collect old radios also often collect other interesting old things or take on home projects.
this is a typical early printing press.
https://www.members.shaw.ca/volvo/html/chand.htm
It was treadle driven. the treadle itself is missing because it was converted to motor driven, but that’s a simple part and a wooden one would suffice. It opens and closes the 10×15 type bed. they type is locked into a metal frame ( chase) with a quoin and quoin key.
(a cam operated wedge) . The lines of type were in the early days made of wood or brass letters, then in later years they were cast using brass matrices. ( molds) into a line of lead type.
leading was added between the lines of type to shim them away from each other and adjust line spacing. the leading was lower than "type high" 23.3 millimeters (0.9186 inch)
Anything lower than "type high" isn’t hit by the rollers. they travel up to the platen, pick up ink and back across the type form every cycle.
it isn’t inked and it doesn’t get pressed into the paper. If a box was to appear surrounding a block of type that was a lead strip that was "type high" it would be mitered on the corners and fitted into place.
the machine will die cut things too. paper, probably radio backs. a sharpened cutting rule was locked into the chase or bent to shape and inset into slots cut in plywood to support it.
operating the machine requires treadling it, in rhythm with the machine the operator had to remove the printed sheet, and stack it with his left hand, and at the same time pick up a piece of paper with the right hand and place it onto the bed. If he lost his rhythm he had to watch his fingers. The bed was within reach when closed. and many fingers were crushed as a result.
The open gears were also a pinch point. the machine is a joy to run other than the safety concerns.
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