It was a long exhausting day, but the presses are all in - old and new. The only thing that didn't fit through the door was the guillotine, which will involve some dismantling in the week to come. Big shoutout to Bill and Rick from Shaughnessy Rigging & Transportation in Deerfield, NH.
*** update *** with many many thanks to Rob, Jeff and Matt from Gentle Giant Restoration, and Larry from Taza Chocolate (mmmmm, chocolate), the guillotine was tipped over, swung in, and now stands proudly in it's corner. Hooray!
Now just to get those typecases from Ohio...
12.20.2006
12.13.2006
Woes of Bad (property) Management
I was scheduled to have the presses moved over to the new shop tomorrow. I say "was" because at about four thirty this afternoon the state elevator commission shut down the freight elevator in the old shop's building for a code violation.
Evidently it only lifts 4000 pounds, when it should lift 5000 pounds.
Now what happens? We wait until some red tape is unwound and a variance is administered on that particular elevator to "re-certify" it as a 4000 pound elevator. I may be able to have a state elevator inspector come and supervise the move but who knows when one of these guys will be available on the same day as the movers.
I don't know what to do but sigh deeply and try to stop the pounding headache this has caused.
Evidently it only lifts 4000 pounds, when it should lift 5000 pounds.
Now what happens? We wait until some red tape is unwound and a variance is administered on that particular elevator to "re-certify" it as a 4000 pound elevator. I may be able to have a state elevator inspector come and supervise the move but who knows when one of these guys will be available on the same day as the movers.
I don't know what to do but sigh deeply and try to stop the pounding headache this has caused.
12.09.2006
A New Addition
This week I bought yet another press. This is a very dangerous and addictive habit. The new addition to the little (three-ton) family brings the grand total to seven presses, as follows (photos coming soon):
Beezu - a treadle-platen C+P 10x15 (which just got a motor with the hopes of automating someday soon)
Gertrude - sister C+P 10x15, missing the treadle, but has a lovely little motor to keep her running
Igorina (Iggy) - a much-altered C+P 10x15 that was retrofitted with a kluge autofeeder, which was later removed, but still has much of that skeleton fused into her - motorized, auto-jogging, fun little beast
Precious - Vandercook #4 - my precious, my precious
Little Beezu/Kelsey F - Kelsey 9x13 Model F - mother of a table top, a real bear to operate, but prints just fine
Kelsey O - Kelsey 5x8 Model O - has brand new rollers but needs some tlc before she's ready for printing
Bubbeleh - Baltimore 2x3 - has no chase or rollers, but operates remarkably smoothly for such an old fogey - circa 1875
... and we mustn't forget Chomp, the turn of the century C+P guillotine cutter - much in need of a new cutting blade, but a valiant steed none-the-less.
I'd love to adopt another Vandercook proof press one of these days - that would make the family complete!
Beezu - a treadle-platen C+P 10x15 (which just got a motor with the hopes of automating someday soon)
Gertrude - sister C+P 10x15, missing the treadle, but has a lovely little motor to keep her running
Igorina (Iggy) - a much-altered C+P 10x15 that was retrofitted with a kluge autofeeder, which was later removed, but still has much of that skeleton fused into her - motorized, auto-jogging, fun little beast
Precious - Vandercook #4 - my precious, my precious
Little Beezu/Kelsey F - Kelsey 9x13 Model F - mother of a table top, a real bear to operate, but prints just fine
Kelsey O - Kelsey 5x8 Model O - has brand new rollers but needs some tlc before she's ready for printing
Bubbeleh - Baltimore 2x3 - has no chase or rollers, but operates remarkably smoothly for such an old fogey - circa 1875
... and we mustn't forget Chomp, the turn of the century C+P guillotine cutter - much in need of a new cutting blade, but a valiant steed none-the-less.
I'd love to adopt another Vandercook proof press one of these days - that would make the family complete!
12.04.2006
Choices Choices
One design, many color choices.
This brown outline is my favorite with a real retro feel, and I'm fairly certain that's where we're going with this. Need to keep in mind, though, that the other last duck cards have different accent colors.
This gray outline is great with the blue, classic, almost cartoon-y, but falls a little flat with some of the other colors (black, orange, pink).
Colorful blue on blue is fun and is what I chose for our holiday cards. But I think maybe not for the series as it means two separate colors for each of the eight cards.
This brown outline is my favorite with a real retro feel, and I'm fairly certain that's where we're going with this. Need to keep in mind, though, that the other last duck cards have different accent colors.
This gray outline is great with the blue, classic, almost cartoon-y, but falls a little flat with some of the other colors (black, orange, pink).
Colorful blue on blue is fun and is what I chose for our holiday cards. But I think maybe not for the series as it means two separate colors for each of the eight cards.
12.02.2006
In the Beginning
Welcome to the (hopefully) regular blog for Albertine Press.
Perhaps the biggest piece of news is the upcoming studio move. For the past year the print shop has occupied a little room in an old medicine factory in Lynn. It has a great big barn door, is incredibly drafty, and is full of woodworker's dust from the friendly neighbor furniture craftsmen. It also has charm and a dear place in my heart for being the first real home to Albertine Press.
But ho! I now have the keys to a much larger, brighter, dust-free space on the Cambridge/Somerville line. I'm told there is a chocolatier across the hall, whose acquaintance we will most certainly have to make. The office taking up a room in our apartment will also be relocated, along with the 20,000-odd envelopes and pieces of paper which more than occasionally overwhelm well more than that one room.
Men with big trucks are due at the end of the week to move several tons of cast iron, steel, and lead from the old shop to the new. Yay for men and big trucks.
In the meantime, there are four custom jobs to print, many new lines of greeting cards to finalize, and of course, a shop and an office to pack and start moving. It's going to be some week.
I hope that chocolatier has samples.
Perhaps the biggest piece of news is the upcoming studio move. For the past year the print shop has occupied a little room in an old medicine factory in Lynn. It has a great big barn door, is incredibly drafty, and is full of woodworker's dust from the friendly neighbor furniture craftsmen. It also has charm and a dear place in my heart for being the first real home to Albertine Press.
But ho! I now have the keys to a much larger, brighter, dust-free space on the Cambridge/Somerville line. I'm told there is a chocolatier across the hall, whose acquaintance we will most certainly have to make. The office taking up a room in our apartment will also be relocated, along with the 20,000-odd envelopes and pieces of paper which more than occasionally overwhelm well more than that one room.
Men with big trucks are due at the end of the week to move several tons of cast iron, steel, and lead from the old shop to the new. Yay for men and big trucks.
In the meantime, there are four custom jobs to print, many new lines of greeting cards to finalize, and of course, a shop and an office to pack and start moving. It's going to be some week.
I hope that chocolatier has samples.
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