New Product - Custom Laser Engraved Chandler Feedboards

This is exciting. I'm really proud of these. I've been working on this for many months and I'm ready to show these off and make them available.

I redesigned the feedboard that came with a Chandler and Price Pilot to be beefier and more sturdy, as well as adding some nice flourishes. I took an older Chandler logo and cleaned it up, then added some new decoration to punch it up a bit, since the laser could handle as much detail as I threw at it.

Then I contoured the feedboard to work with and flow with the new logo. I buddied up with a local business to have the laser engraving done. After some trial and error, it turned out better than I could have imagined. The engraving is about a millimeter deep, so there's some nice tactile feedback there. The laser process darkens the inside of the logo a little bit, which is just perfect...no paint or stains needed.

Here are some of the features of the Feedboard -

• Made from aged blonde maple. 
• Tongue and groove construction for strength.
• Replaces feedboard and feedboard extension on full size Chandler and Price Pilots.
• Undrilled for custom fit to your C&P.
• Laser engraved with exclusive redesigned Chandler and Price logo.
• Hand finished with Waterlox high quality finish.
• Incredibly smooth new finish.

And some photos...

These will be available made to order right now for the Pilots, then in greater volume later this year. I'm hoping to design a larger one for floor standing Chandlers too.

Email me for details. Thanks for looking - A

The Visible Kelsey

All of the parts of a Kelsey press splayed out for inspection. I can now tear one down in about 45 minutes, tops.

Some of these parts get replaced, but the bulk of them just get stripped and refinished in some way. This is what a Kelsey would look like if you put in a suitcase and had it Xrayed at the airport.

New Kelsey Model P found today!

I was lucky enough to find a Kelsey Model P in very nice condition for sale just a couple of hours away. So I cleaned out some space in the car and took a nice little road trip to pick her up. I had listened to just a couple 'This American Life' podcasts and I was there. Sort of in the middle of nowhere really. But the seller was a very nice guy who collected old tools and things like that.

The family was only the second owner of the press and had had it since the 80s sometime, but his wife had gotten busy with other things and didn't use it enough. So it had sat unused for too long. So, we made our deal and loaded it up.

He also wanted to know if I wanted a copy of Syd Mead's 'Kronolog' on Laserdisc. Which I'm afraid I took a pass on, although I did have a Laserdisc player up until about ten years ago. Seems that it is actually worth some money though.  

Anyhow, the press is in very nice shape and should take a restore very very well. It's complete and original and will come with all the goodies. I will definitely be selling this one come spring. It'll get the full treatment and move along to someone who can really love it and get some use out of it.

Stay Tuned

Chandler and Price feedboard

Brand new maple feedboard taking shape. Features nice finger joints like the original with beefier wood and a very cool surprise coming.

Chandler and Price inches toward completion

With the unseasonably warm fall, I've been able to get more of this beautiful C&P press stripped and repainted. I went with a hammered black this time. It seems like a good color for the Chandlers. Sort of the classic look.

I've switched to an electrolysis method for stripping most of the parts. It's surprisingly gentle and effective.

Here you see some parts freshly painted. Next up is building a good portable base for this behemoth.

Chandler and Price Pilot - The Before

Exciting!

I was lucky enough to find a Chandler and Price Pilot within the state this past week with the help of a printer friend of mine. It was recovered from a storage facility up north in the state.

Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to grab the very popular Pilot. It's in quite nice shape really, although I suspect it was used extensively during it's lifetime. But that's what they were built to do...work.

After getting it home I field stripped it down to it's parts which you see splayed out here in all it's glory.

Next stop is sandblasting all of the grime, paint, and surface rust away. From there she'll get taped and painted. Stay tuned.

SOLD - Kelsey Model U 5x8 Fully Restored and Upgraded Letterpress

This is a Kelsey Model 'U' 5x8 Letterpress. Purchased from a master printer with 50 years of experience in very nice original condition, then restored.

Complete part by part teardown restoration, with the body finished in hard silver and metallic gray metal protecting paints. Press is complete with appropriate matching chase, brand new NA Graphics rubber rollers, adjustment tools, and matching oil can.

The package also features a new, custom made Michigan oak base, finished with the legendary Waterlox Tung oil based sealer and finisher. This extremely long lasting natural finish will last for many years.

Also included is a custom designed feedboard accessory. We've never found any reference to this accessory, although the Kelsey presses always had holes along the left side for something like this to mount...so we designed and built one. This outrig table will hold your paper stock close by to keep your printing flow going. Handmade from the same Michigan oak as the base and also finished with Waterlox sealer and finisher.

This letterpress package is absolutely complete and ready for you and your plates to start producing amazing letterpress creations or as just a piece of cast iron beauty.

• Custom-made Michigan oak base
• Custom designed and built oak feedboard
• Complete part by part teardown restoration
• Sandblasted to raw metal
• Repainted with a metal protecting paint
• All new hand-made, upgraded stainless steel pins
• Brand new rollers from NA Graphics
• Brand new upgraded 'no-slip' trucks
• Adjustment points upgraded to Allen type bolts for easier and finer adjustment
• Tools for adjustment points included
• Matching oil can included.
• Solid brass accent fittings throughout
• All original hardware (nuts and bolts) included
• Crate shipped and guaranteed

More, larger photos available here: Kelsey Letterpress

$1400 obo plus crate shipping costs. Local Pickup available in the Michigan area.

For more information send e-mail to 'andy.tanguay (AT) gmail (DOT) com' for more information.

SOLD - More presses to come in the next few months.