Hot Metal Services

Repair, Parts and Service for Letterpress and related equipment. Traveling 48 states +

Hot Metal Services - Services Page

OUR SERVICES
LUDLOW SERVICE
Beth and I travel coast to coast repairing Linotypes, Intertypes, Ludlows and Vandercooks.

We also service the following equipment: Kensol, Kwik-Print, Idea Engineering, Ribbon Masters, Malahide, C&P, Kluge, Heidelberg Windmills, Prouty, Miehle Verticals, V-36, V-45, V-50 and V-50X, Bostitch, Hammond Saws, Parker Stitchers, Challenge, Asbern, Korrex and Reprex

We charge the first hour at a higher rate per day, to help cover lodging and food. The balance of the time in your shop is charged at our regular hourly rate. Please call or email for a rate quote. We also try and walk you through repairing problems yourself. We expect payment at the time our service is finished.

My name is David Seat and for the most part I do not just do repairs. Anytime that you need my immediate help, I am sure to be hundreds of miles away. You do not hire me just to change fuses or make minor adjustments. I expect the operator to know how to do most of the maintenance on his/her own machine. My talents can be better used by doing yearly preventative maintenance and teaching the operator how to do the daily, weekly and monthly maintenance. I usually go completely through every Ludlow machine I work on, inspect each cam, roller and make adjustments to every component on the machine. When I am finished your machine will run as near factory fresh as possible and if you or someone you designate will work along side of me, you will be shown how to keep it that way. By doing this, you will be getting the most for your money from my services. This service takes approx. 4-8 hours, depending on how dirty the machine is and what needs to be done to get it back up and running. This is called PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE and is our normal way of servicing a machine.
Though the above IS our preference, in this day and time we will just make all of the safety adjustments and the lock-ups if this is the customers wish, but we will not guarantee the rest of the machine if this is all that is asked of us to do. This will generally take approx. 2-4 hours.

We also rebuild Self Centering Sticks and clean out the water passages in molds so they will cool properly. If you ship us your delivery slide we can also rebuild it in our shop and send it back to you.

LINOTYPE & INTERTYPE
For Linotypes and Intertypes we check the complete machine, rubber rollers, keyboard, cams, lubrication, adjustments and matrix transfers. We also check temperatures of the type metal, mouth piece, metal levels. Plus any other issues that the customer is having.

VANDERCOOKS
Servicing on the Vandercook includes but not limited to:

  • Cleaning the gears and rails (under and over).
  • Check the bearing adjustments.
  • Check for correct packing of the cylinder.
  • Check the ink roller height and adjustments.
  • Clean the bed and bed plate, if so equipped.
  • Check the ink roller diameters, nyliner wear.
  • Check for wear in the rails and bearings.
  • Check the level of the press and adjust as necessary.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    This is a standard gauge that I use to measure drill bits and other round rods.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    These are used for checking the teeth on Linotype and intertype mats. If a mat slides all the way from end to end then the teeth are worn out. If they stop in the middle or sooner then they are in really good condition.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    This tool is used to install Keyboard Rubber rolls onto their shafts by holding air inside the rubber roll as a cushion.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    This tool is used to check the matrix transfers and other alignments on a Linotype or intertype.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    This tool is used to set the spacing of the Linotype magazine racks.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    These brushes are used to clean between the partitions on the Linotype and intertype distributor channel entrances.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    This is a Ludlow mouthpiece jig, it is used to correctly space the holes if a screw breaks off or to clean out the holes for re-threading.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    This is a companion to the Ludlow Mouthpiece jig to be used if the hole for the screw is too large, you use this jig to enlarge the hole further to insert a plug so that the hole can be re-drilled and tapped to the correct size.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    This is a Ludlow Pot Well Scraper of Star Parts design. Some people prefer this style as you do not need oil with this one and it is adjustable and sharpenable so that it lasts longer and, I think it does a better job.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    These are just a couple of the many different gauges that were manufactured for the Printing industry to help in determining point sizes and measures for type high.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    This is a version of the Ludlow Plunger Puller used to remove a VERY STUCK plunger.. Plus my trailer spare tire and a portion of my back yard.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    This is a pin vise with a #52 drill bit installed that is used to clean out the holes in a Linotype or intertype mouthpiece. This is supposed to be done daily.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    This is the three bladed hone that is used to clean out a VERY DIRTY Ludlow pot well.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    This is just a standard wire gauge to determine wire sizes if they are not known.

  • Tools of our Trade!

    This is the opposite side of the electrical wire gauge with different measurements.