[BKARTS] The Phantom Roller mystery

[Paul Platosh <platosh@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear friends-

I have been printing on my 10x15 c&p letterpress for 10 years, and have been 
a reader of this list (and occasional contributor) for as long as that. I 
thank you for your advice and general good nature over that time.

I am sure many of you are like me - you bought your letterpress because you 
like printing and typography, and you figured out how to use it by trial and 
error (and a lot of advice from this list). Still, you probably developed 
many bad habits as I have over the years. Things you have done perforce, 
which worked well enough at the time, so now, 10 years later you are still 
doing it. For example, not owning a roller gauge, I simply set the height by 
experimentation and building up the right tolerance through strips of 
drafting tape. It works, but that doesn't mean its right.

So now, I turn to you, once again, to answer a question on my mind. Have you 
ever heard that a man missing an arm can occasionally feel an itch on the 
missing appendage? I have this condition, except, its not a missing arm, but 
rather a missing roller on my press. If you are familiar with the c&p, you 
know that it has 2 rollers close together, and one above, and one an inch or 
two away. I have 2 rollers with which I have printed for 10 years. I have 
not expereinced any deficiency in my printing due to this missing roller. 
Still, like the man without the arm, I occasionally feel its loss, and 
wonder what would it be like to print with the 3rd roller? Does it matter? I 
am haunted by this, and it itches my soul. Ok, drama off.

So the question is 2 parted -
1. Why did c&p design the press to have 2 rollers together, and one 
separated away?
2. What functional advantage does printing with 3 rollers have over printing 
with 2, if I have never felt my printing is lacking?

Many thanks to you all, and to all a good night.

Paul

_________________________________________________________________
View Athlete?s Collections with Live Search 
http://sportmaps.live.com/index.html?source=hmemailtaglinenov06&FORM=MGAC01

            ***********************************************
                                   
Guild of Book Workers' 100th Anniversary Exhibition Now Online - Catalog Available
  <http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/gbw/gallery/100anniversary/>
                                   
            For all your subscription questions, go to the
                     Book_Arts-L FAQ and Archive.
                                   
         See <http://www.philobiblon.com> for full information
            ***********************************************