A New Press in the Making

This press is going to a print maker in Indianapolis. It is being made from scratch from an antique style that Kris chose. I have not converted one of this particular style before and it has it's own challenges which makes life interesting.. The casting of the frames is slightly curved at the back and I must fit frames to it without a curve; straight and parallel. The job is keeping me on my toes, best foot forward and all that - how one can be on one's toes and have the best foot forward at the same time is a puzzle I shall no doubt enjoy solving... Do stay tuned for the next installment of...

Flying an Antique Etching Press to Copenhagen part 2

Building a crate as light and as strong as possible around a heavy cast iron press was in itself a creative job

 Then driving it up to Auckland airport early on a Monday morning through Auckland traffic was a test of my patience. I'm afraid I got a low score, patience is not one of my gifts..
Three days later Mikala has it delivered to her studio on a barge in a Copenhagen Canal. Job done

 And here is Mister Press in place in Mikala's floating studio, assembled and ready to work.

Flying an Antique Etching Press to Copenhagen

 The free standing press above is sold to a Danish artist, Mikala Valeur and I have been busy crating it for the flight from Auckland to Copenhagen via Emirates Freight. Building the crate for it and having it protected from any possible shock or harm has been this week's creative journey.
 I like doing things I have never done before and this one was "How the hell am I going to get that as small as possible and as light as possible and protected to survive a fall from a forklift onto concrete as a worst case scenario" type of gig. Each night I have gone to bed with some unsolved problem in the next step of the crating and protection of the press and each morning as I lay in half sleep/half awake mode the perfect idea comes to me for that day's work. That experience, that unfolding, has been very interesting and I felt that I was being led or that I had managed to allow my subconscious to work properly instead of my (former) stress and worry routine.
I have had to use all of my brain and quite enjoyed the experience and I greatly admire Mikala's faith in me which is cool. Her art work is awesome also, check it out at 100percentvaleur, the name of her site

Table Top Etching Press For Sale enquiries, johnmulvay@gmail.com

 Another restored antique ..Press bed 465 x 800, complete with felts

Two Table Top Presses Restored

Two Japanese Shin Nihon Zokei table top etching presses restored. The one on the left was restored for a friend and the one on the right was bought in damaged condition from a school and is restored and for sale

Etching Press Restoration

Shin Nihon Zokei etching press restored to it's former glory after rescue from a school where it had suffered abuse, misuse and neglect. This is the second Shin Nihon Zokei press I have restored and just today I got a third Shin Nihon Zokei press brought to me to restore, this one not suffered damage from misuse and abuse but exposure to the elements and long neglect.... nothing missing, nothing damaged just all shabby and surface rust and dust. Seems like I am a Japanese press hospital.... I like fixing up stuff that is well made and useful. Makes me feel useful

A New Etching Press for Studio 19, Kerikeri, New Zealand

The twenty second product of Classic Etching Presses just arrived and assembled at Murray and Cath Dunn's fabulous new studio

Table Top Etching and Wood-cut Press

Antique Etching Presses enquiries: johnmulvay@gmail.com

Etching Press Restoration

 This press was at a School and fairly wrecked over time by the students and came home to the Press Hospital to be made all better. Dented rollers, drive cog out of alignment and teeth broken and many teeth with stress fractures, missing drive handles and missing pressure screw handles, dirty rusty faded and scratched..
The rollers have been trued. The missing bits fabricated and a new drive cog and a correction to the drive cog's alignment is being made.
 Watch this space...

24 Inch Table Top Press

A young Christchurch print maker ordered this press, paid a deposit and waited while I created it.
Here it is just finished and posing on the kitchen table before going the next day to Christchurch

Small Table Top Press

This small heavy press has gone to a print maker in Otago, for Christmas. I made two of them at the same time, the second one for the print studio here. The press bed is 470 x 900

School Etching Press - enquiries: johnmulvay@gmail.com

Te Wharekura O Te Kaokaoroa O Patetere is a Primay to Intermediate School in Putararu, South Waikato.
It is a brand new school, most of the pupils and staff are Maori and fabulous Maori Art is in the corridors and soon there will be fabulous Maori prints!
The press will be used mainly for wood cuts and lino cuts and dry point on perspex prints

Etching Press Sale, enquiries: johnmulvay@gmail.com

Celia's press just arrived and unpacked at her studio on Oxford, North of Christchurch

Here is Celia's press on my kitchen table posing for a photo before I take her to Pack and Send in Hamilton for the trip to Christchurch.

American Etching Press Sale. enquiries: johnmulvay@gmail.com

 Here is Marti Schmidt's 1908 21 inch table top etching press being packed for delivery to Marti's studio in Florida, USA. It left on the big bird today and should be at Marti's door in six days from now.

American Etching Press Sale

This cute little 1908 is off to Florida on Monday.
It is portable and will be carried to various print making classes run by Marti Schmidt.
You can see her work at www.martischmidt.com

Table Top Etching Press

This press is the baby of the range, 18 inch and made from a 1903 antique seen here with Janet, it's new owner in her studio. I delivered it myself to Janet in Wellington and caught up with friends and family while I was there and took the long way home.
Not a bad life...

Table Top Etching Presses For Sale. enquries: johnmulvay@gmail.com

On the left is a 1908 24inch press and on the right is a 1903 18inch press.