Lyme Bay Press have started to produce type high letterpress printing blocks using deep relief KF152 Photopolymer plates alongside plates currently available and will enable many printers, who still use hand set type to incorporate imagery and non standard fonts into their own designs.

After much research they have sourced a water/chemical resistant MDF board which they have produced to the correct height to enable them to mount our standard deep relief KF152 plates. Designed to come up to 0.918”, type high, they will drop straight into your chase and you will be ready to begin printing.

There are perfect for someone who has just bought a small press Like an Adana or Excelsior 5x8 and are getting to grips with printing or don't possess a Lyme bay Chase Base. 

For more information about ordering and prices visit: lymebaypress.co.uk/type-high-blocks

Restored Kelsey Excelsior 5x8

Resored Kelsey Excelsior 01, originally uploaded by jacqui sharples.

My curveous Kelsey back to former glory!

Restored Kelsey Excelsior 5x8

Restored Kelsey Excelsior 02, originally uploaded by jacqui sharples.

An easy way to apply gold to your raised letters is by using gilt cream on the end of your finger and rub over them

Restored Kelsey Excelsior 5x8

RestoredKelsey Excelsior 03, originally uploaded by jacqui sharples.

Nice clean roller hooks!

Restoring your press

I've finally done it! My Kelsey is now restored! With Uni commitments, 3 kids and freelance work it's taken me ages to finally get it done! Below are my restoration techniques if your in the same boat as me. I decided to restore my press to how it would have originally looked which was black and gold detailing. Kelseys of later date where Battleship Grey, more info on the http://excelsiorpress.org/. Mine is an early model N as the ink plate moves anti clockwise, on the later models they move clockwise.

CLEANING YOUR PRESS

Luckily my press was in fairly good condition by that I mean it was complete but exposed areas where rusty. Good old kitchen cleaner like CIF is great for cleaning but beware left on too long it will remove paint, this is what I wanted so I could get to all the underlying rust. Once you press is removed of all it dirt and grime you can paint it with HAMMERITE Direct to Rust Metal Paint, better not to use a grey primer because as the paint wears off it will come through and look nasty! I actually used Kurust first before painting, you paint the thin white liquid on the rust and after a few minutes it turns the rust black.

INK PLATES, PLATEN & CHASE BED

A good clean with some mineral spirits will sort out tiny specs of rust and with regular use of ink and white spirit on the ink plate will inhibit the rust. There are plenty of rust removing products on the market if yours are badly rusted but be careful with the ink plates as they shouldn't be sanded as you need a perfectly flat surface for your rollers to move over. I used FIRE BLACK on the back of my ink plate which gave a lovely finish but doesn't interfere with the cog mechanism.

ROLLER HOOKS & GRIPPER BARS

I used a rust removing dip to soak roller hooks, trucks, gripper bars, springs and all little nuts and bolts. You could also try a mixture of white vinegar and lemon juice which is supposed to work just as well. DO NOT PAINT THESE ITEMS especially the roller hooks as these need to be able to move freely a wipe over with white spirit then oil or an undustrial lubricant spray should keep them rust free, but don't put oil on your gripper bars as it will get on your paper!

GOLD RAISED LETTERS

A really easy way of gilding any raised letters on your press is to use some gilt cream on the end of your finger and just rub over the raised letters! EASY! beats a fiddly paintbrush!

PRODUCTS USED
Hammerite Kurust
Hammerite Direct to rust Meatl Paint in SATIN BLACK
Hammerite Rust Removing Dip
Liberon Gilt Cream in Chantilly

KELSEY EXCELSIOR 5x8 before restoration

I found this wonderful American letterpress for sale in Fife, Scotland on eBay and just had to buy it! I had been looking at buying an ADANA as they are the most common in the UK but just resist the history that came with the press and its so much nicer to look at than the ADANA (sorry Adana fans).
It came in a wooden crate and wrapped in newspapers dated April 6th 1915 and an old tin and box with some goodies along with 15 chases made up with type. What did I pay you ask, well it was £150 with some other bits thrown in (10pt Time Bold U/L, 10pt Time U/L, 14pt Imprint Shadow U/L, composing rule, spacers quads etc), not bad as Adana are going for silly money now.
One of the downside to buying an American press is that the parts will cost me more but fortunately for me everything is intact apart from the rollers which amazingly I got off eBay in the UK! http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Bakers-Row. Rex at Bakers Row Shop said the Kelsey is a very rare press to find in the UK, would be nice to know how it found its way to Fife!
I have debated as to what extent to restore the press, do I repaint it or not? On closer inspection there is quite alot of surface rust on the body so I've decided to paint it just where there it needs it. The Ink Plate, Platen and Platen Back all are in really good condition with no rust.

KELSEY EXCELSIOR 8x5 BEFORE RESTORATION

One of the chases that came with the press

Stephenson Blake Old Style Grotesqe

One of the home made wooden chases with a fabulous advertisement for the local store where the printer originally came from. After a bit of research the type face at the top "THE BEST FOOTWEAR" I found was created by the Stephenson Blake Foundry at Sheffield in 1879. Thanks to Ben at http://www.britishletterpress.co.uk/ for checking in an SB catologue and verifying this for me.

The chases are very delicate, being made of wood it is starting to contract and the lead type is falling out. So one of my next jobs (besides tightening the screws on the chase) is to print the chases asap as there is only so much locking up can be done before they crack!