Description of the JM-15 etching press.

 

Technical data;

Plate format (bed size)

15x30 cm

6x12"

Thickness of wall of upper roller

1 cm

0.4"

Thickness of bed

0,8 cm

0.3 "

Diameter of lower roller (solid)

4 cm

1.6"

Measurements of the press;

Diameter of spoke wheel (3 detachable spokes)

48 cm

19"

- Length (of the side frames)

25 cm

10"

Thickness of steel side frame

0,6 cm

0.2"

- Width (including star wheel)

22 cm

9"

Dimensions of cardboard box

49x31x18 cm

19x12x7"

- Height

17 cm

6.7"

Screw thread of spindles (metric)

M10

M10

Length of roller

15 cm

6"

Max. opening between bed and upper roller

2,5 cm

1"

Diameter of upper roller

5,5 cm

2.2"

Weight

10 kg

lbs 22

General
The plate material; "printing bed":
The plate is made of laminated paper sheets, in liquid resin, pressed under high pressure and temperature. The plate is covered, on both sides, with a white melamine coating. Perfect bed material, compared with a metal bed; does not warp, no oxidation, cheap, safe (=not heavy), very pressure resistant, easy to make marks on the bed.
Top roller driven or bottom roller driven:
Regularly printmakers ask us which drive system is better. There is no difference, the paper does not "feel" the difference while being printed. Some believe that top roller driven is better, some believe bottom roller driven is better. We have both systems available.

These etching presses are driven directly on the lower roller by means of a star wheel. The lower roller is provided with glide bearings and the upper roller with ball bearings. It is possible to dismantle the spokes by means of a screwthread joint attached to the hub. The spokes can be loosened or tightened by inserting a screwdriver in the hole drilled in each spoke. The hard synthetic plate is guided on both sides by the solid steel frames. If the spindles are loosened, the upper roller is raised by spring pressure. This results in a space appearing between the upper roller and the bed plate thus facilitating the sliding of the printing sandwich.
The printing of lino and woodcuts is also possible because of the above mentioned spring pressure and the size of the opening between the upper roller and the bed plate. The upper roller can be raised fairly high (the springs will not be able to lift the roller all the way), allowing the printing of a woodblock of some thickness. The total thickness of the printing sandwich however may not exceed 2,5cm. ( 1 inch) A number of leather or cardboard shims can be placed under the spindles thus providing more flexibility during printing. This flexibility may be handy when printing from plywood or linoleum. Plywood is never completely plane, and this might result in an uneven transfer of the ink to the paper. The abovementioned flexibility allows the upper roller to follow, to a certain extent, the uneveness of the printing forme.
In the old days the leather shims in a press had merely the function to prevent the cast iron frames from breaking if by accident to much tension appeared in them. The JM-15 stands on four little feet made of synthetic material. Some extra holes have been made in the side frames to facilitate fixing of this press on a table top. 4 "hooks" come with the press to fix the press on a table. This press can be used for printing dry points, line etchings, aquatint as well as linocuts and woodcuts. The press is delivered in a sturdy cardboard box.