Albion Chill wanted

[Keith Schekkerman]

I am in Western Australia near Perth.

I am trying to help a fellow in Sri Lanka who is restoring an Albion Press. It is all completed bar the 'Chill'.

Does anyone know if Harry Rochatt is still in business? He was making new Albions and might well have Chills on the shelf.

I've just contacted Harry Rochet to see if he could supply a Chill for machine below.

Bedside approx 16.5inch X 22inch. Dimensions would be helpful if anyone had access.

[Richard Lawrence]

I have been confronted with this problem a few of times. My solution has been to make one out of hard wood and adjust it until it works the mechanism correctly. Don't over-stress the wood. Then present the wood to a competent engineer and say 'I want one of these in hardened steel'. It's easier to work hard wood than metal if you have no 'serious' engineering skills. It may take a couple of attempts.

The only other way to do this is to find someone with the same model of press (maker and size) and get good photos and drawings of their chill, or better still borrow the chill and have it duplicated. In my experience (reasonably comprehensive), they are all different. A saving grace is the mechanism has in it a fair bit of adjustment so 'perfection' of dimensions is not necessary.

Ricard, Oxford, UK