THE EQUIPMENT—ITS SELECTION AND COST

In planning an equipment for a print shop, as for any other shop, the more specific the conditions and limitations under which one is placed, the more intelligently one can go about the undertaking. In the first place, the following things should be as definitely decided upon as possible:

1. The grade and number of pupils who are going to handle the equipment.

2. The nature of the work anticipated.

3. Amount of money to be expended.

This is only another way of saying that a school printshop must meet school conditions. There are a number of points in which the school print shop differs materially from the commercial job shop. The number that must be kept at work is an illustrative point.

From the standpoint of durability and of quality of the work to be done, it is safer, of course, to buy as large a part of the equipment as possible, new. In other lines of the Manual Arts work, very little disposition is shown to buy second hand machinery and tools; but there seems to be a decided tendency to look for old equipment for the printshop. This, perhaps, arises out of the misapprehension that even a very small printing plant is very expensive. On the contrary, it will be seen by reference to the lists on page [58], that a printing equipment is comparatively inexpensive. Unless one is an expert, or is familiar with the time and kind of use the goods have been subjected to, it is unsafe to buy such used goods as type, leads, slugs, rule, furniture, and type cases, for these may be regarded as perishable; besides, they are comparatively cheap. So, from the financial standpoint, as well as that of good work, it is unwise to buy such used material. And when it comes to the larger, more expensive articles, like the press and the cutter, it must be considered that they are probably not soon, if ever, to be replaced, that imperfections are difficult to detect, and that not a very large reduction, can be had on machines in good repair. But if it is a question of getting a start in printing by the use of old equipment or doing without the printshop, by all means let’s have the old equipment. There are a good many items that can be safely and cheaply bought second hand. Among these are cabinets, stones and frames, case stands, lead cases, etc.

It is wise to buy only such staple articles as in a good printer’s judgment the conditions demand. There is some temptation to buy, out of a scanty allowance, articles which are not absolutely necessary, or which may easily be improvised. It is wise to buy the essentials and such quantities and accessories as make what one buys available to its full capacity. To illustrate, it is not uncommon to find quite a liberal quantity of type with an insufficient supply of quads and spaces. This simply means that the type is available for use only to the extent of the quad and space supply. This illustration is only typical of a number that might be made. For school purpose, it is much more satisfactory to have generous quantities of a few sizes of type of one series, than to have small quantities of several sizes and series. If the specific purposes of the shop are clearly in mind, the selection of faces, quantities, and sizes of type is greatly facilitated.

If it is planned to do very much of the supplementary reading work for the elementary grades, good quantities of 12 point type should be provided, including such a special supply of sorts, especially in capitals, as seems necessary to meet the needs. For instance, it has been found that in the language and reading work of the lower grades, the personal pronouns, I and we, are used with great extravagance in beginning sentences; so the I and W boxes are soon empty. In case some prominence is to be given to arithmetic work, then larger quantities of figures, fractions, etc., should be bought than come in the regular fonts. For general work, there can be no wiser selection than a large quantity of 10 point type. Of course, where the allowance permits, it is extremely nice to have small fonts of two or three different faces, which may be used for variety, initials, display, etc.

It has been found very satisfactory to have large quantities of a few sizes of body type as previously suggested, and in addition, a few fonts of a heavier face, duplicating the body type in sizes but with some larger sizes, and also a small assortment of some nice simple text letters. In selecting type, a wide, clear, readable face is desirable, and it is best to select those faces which do not contain hair lines or complications which make it difficult to get a distinct impression, and which render the type less durable. It is rather unusual to see a shop sufficiently supplied with quads and spaces, and especially is this so where much of the work is widely spaced and where each line is treated as a paragraph, as in elementary matter.

In order to provide for the small font display type which, of course, comes in straight letter work, it has been found a good plan to add, in addition to the regular 20%, 5 pounds each of quads and spaces for each 50 pounds, and 2½ pounds for each 25 pounds of body type.

Everything considered, the 10 × 15 press is preferable for the school as well as other work. It accommodates large forms, which fact is often urged against it; but for the smaller work, like the most of the school work, it is practically as easily handled as an 8 × 12. It is considerably more expensive but it has a much greater capacity for work of the more advanced kind.

Fig. 30.

Of course, cabinets are preferable to open case stands. They are compact, free from dust and dirt, and of good appearance. However, they are more expensive than stands, if the matter must be determined by the question of cost. If one goes to the expense of getting a cutter, Fig. 30, it is the part of good judgment to get one that will be of the greatest service. So it is advisable to get a 25 or 26 inch cutter. The difference in cost above that of a twenty-two inch is overbalanced by the economy and convenience in cutting large stock. In case a large cutter cannot be bought, small table cutters, which give good service, may be had at various low prices. The stone mentioned in the $800 list on this page is practically ideal for the small printshop. It is a 26 × 44 marble, mounted upon a cabinet which contains a large quantity of wood furniture, and a number of drawers and letter boards. This stone is not so much more expensive after all, if one considers the cost of the furniture and case and the other conveniences.

Probably the general method of selecting equipment for any line of work is to take an ideal list and by elimination reduce it to within the limits of the appropriation. The following $800 equipment is the one selected by the author for his own classes, after several years of planning and investigation. During this time, a great many school men who have had to deal with the same problem, and a number of expert printers were consulted and asked for criticism of the proposed list under the conditions which the equipment has to meet:

1½ h. p. motor.
110 × 15 Chandler & Price Gordon Press with 3 chases.
1Steel chase.
1Boston Staple Binder, Style A.
126″ Chandler & Price Paper Cutter.
1Utility Imposing Stone Frame and Stone, 26 × 44.
1No. 68 New Departure Cabinet (50 cases).
1No. 2 Paper and Card Stock Cabinet.
1No. 8 Bettis Lead and Slug Case.
2Pairs news cases.
2Pair 2–3 case tilting brackets.
1Metal furniture case.
1No. 1 Harris Rule Case.
58¾ × 13 all brass galleys.
112 × 18 all brass galley.
88 × 2¼ Yankee Job Sticks.
118 × 2½ Yankee Job Stick.
2Doz. No. 1 Wickersham Quoins.
2Keys, No. 1.
1Doz. Spring Tongue Gauge Pins.
1Quart Success benzine can.
1Benzine brush.
1No. 2 press brake.
13 × 6 planer.
13½ × 8 proof planer.
12½ × 4½ mallet.
2Pair roller supporters.
20Pounds 6 Point Authors Roman Wide.
40Pounds 8 Point Authors Roman Wide.
40Pounds 10 Point Authors Roman Wide.
20Pounds 12 Point Authors Roman Wide.
20Pounds 18 Point Authors Roman Wide.
2Fonts 6 Point Old Roman Black.
2Fonts 8 Point Old Roman Black.
2Fonts 10 Point Old Roman Black.
2Fonts 12 Point Old Roman Black.
2Fonts 18 Point Old Roman Black.
1Font 24 Point Old Roman Black.
1Font 30 Point Old Roman Black.
1Font 36 Point Old Roman Black.
1Font 48 Point Old Roman Black.
1Font 8 Point Engraver’s Old Black.
4Fonts 12 Point Engraver’s Old Black, L. C.
2Fonts 12 Point Engraver’s Old Black, Caps.
1Font 24 Point Engraver’s Old Black.
1Font 48 Point Elzeverine Initials.
5Pounds 6 point spaces assorted.
10Pounds 8 point spaces assorted.
10Pounds 10 point spaces assorted.
10Pounds 12 point spaces assorted.
10Pounds 18 point spaces assorted.
5Pounds 24 point spaces assorted.
5Pounds 30 point spaces assorted.
5Pounds 36 point spaces assorted.
5Pounds 48 point spaces assorted.
5Pounds 6 point quads assorted.
10Pounds 8 point quads assorted.
10Pounds 10 point quads assorted.
10Pounds 10 point 2- and 3-em quads.
5Pounds each 12, 18, 24 point quads assorted.
5Pounds each 30, 36, 48 point quads assorted.
10Pounds 10 point leaders, three dots to em.
10Pounds 8 point leaders, three dots to em.
50Pounds each 2 point L. S. leads and 6 point L. S. slugs.
3Pounds L. S. brass rule hair line, side centered on 2 point body.
3Pounds L. S. brass rule, 1 point face, side centered on 2 point body.
2Pounds 2 point L. S. black face rule.
2Pounds 4 point L. S. black face rule.
2Pounds 6 point L. S. black face rule.
2Pounds 10 point L. S. black face rule.
24Pounds metal furniture.
1Font No. 1 brass and copper spaces.
4Font solid brass panel ends.
1Set 12 point brass squares.
1001×3 brass label holders.
5M¼″ Boston staples.

In case this amount of money is not available for a printing equipment, this list may be modified to come within the necessary limit. By substituting a smaller press and cutter, by getting stands instead of cabinets for the type and stone, by eliminating the stock cabinet, motor, and stapler, and by reducing the quantities of various items, one may still have an excellent equipment. The following is such a suggestive list, and can be bought for $400:

Press, 8″ × 12″ with four chases.
Cutter, 23½″.
½ Doz. job sticks.
1 Doz. gauge pins.
1 Doz. quoins.
2 Keys.
1 Benzine can.
1 Benzine brush.
1 Waste can.
½ Doz. brass galleys, 8¾″ × 13″.
10 Lbs. metal furniture.
1 Two lb. font labor saving brass rule, 1 point, side centered on 2 point body.
1 Two lb. font brass rule, labor saving, 2 point.
50 Lbs. L. S. leads, 2 point.
25 Lbs. L. S. slugs, 6 point.
1 Rule case.
1 Metal furniture case.
1 Planer.
1 Proof planer.
1 Mallet.
1 Lead and slug case.
1 Case wood furniture.
24 California job cases.
2 Pairs news cases.
1 Double case stand, 24 cases.
1 Stone and frame, 26″ × 44″.
10 Pounds 8 point type.
50 Pounds 10 point type.
25 Pounds 12 point type.
2 Fonts 18 point type.
1 Font 24 point type.
5 Pounds 8 point quads and spaces.
15 Pounds 10 point quads and spaces.
10 Pounds 12 point quads and spaces.
5 Pounds 18 point quads and spaces.
2½ Pounds 24 point quads and spaces.

Fig. 31.