Casting Type-Founder Matrices on a Monotype Super Caster

[John Cornelisse]

Typefounder matrices, one in a time there was a special holder for this, made by Monotype.

Drawings of it can be found in the books of parts... I never encountered one... Are those all disappeared ?

Matrices are plenty, so the will casting them is there. Dan Jones of the Pigment Press in Ontario Canada has done quit some effort to solve the problem.

It sure is not finished, and will be perfected, but here a little film on Youtube:

The face involved is 18D Hercules, a very bold face, a little part of the legacy of a Belgium typefoundry.

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Further experimenting: 72pt casting from typefounder matrices:

To be able to cast these 72pt matrices, the mould has to be changed a bit:

The top plate of the mould needs to be grind down, until it is down the mould opening.




These taper pins could be made shorter at the wide end. Monotype had a reason for them: to make sure that the mould pieces would align properly.

[John Cornelisse]

Presently I'm in Poland. Took with me the attachment Dan Jones made for us.

Casting typefounders matrices... This has been accomplished.



A complete font has been cast of Brygada 36 point... An old Polish font, these matrices have been idle for at least 90 years...





The head of the Supercaster has been raised by tubes, at the same time the gliding mechanism for the matrixholder, in this way we have enough room to accomodate typefounder matrices.

In the past Monotype made an attachment for typefounder matrices, but s far as I know, none of them have survived. I never saw an example... only some drawings in the book of parts.



In this way we will be able to re-use all the matrices of a former typefoundry in Warschaw. Some 2000 cases with matrices  are waiting for us... At presently a special room has been cleaned and work is in progress t store alle cases, so that it will be possible to make an inventory of this all.

[Keri Szafir]

Well, maybe not all of them, but those for 14 points onwards...
See, this holder requires the Monotype display mould (either 14...36 or 42...72 points) to work as it relies on the display bridge and head. Smaller sizes (6...12 points) must be cast on a composition mould with an adapter plate, but attaching the display bridge is impossible. The head is completely different too - actually, two slightly different heads for 1x1 small composition mats and (1, 2)x(1, 2) large composition mats. The latter has a spring for putting additional pressure on the matrix. The mat holder will have to be different as well.

[Dave Hughes]

Wow, great work John.

The way things are looking this work could eventually benefit the whole letterpress community.

[John Cornelisse]

For the sizes 42pt up to 72pt, the upperplate of  the mould insets, needs to be grinded down, this was shown in the first part of this item.

For the smaller sizes... I think the other head can be raised also, and it will be possible to make another surface under it, to accommodate typefounder matrices for smaller sizes.

[Dave Hughes]

I have been contacted by email by Ronald Steur, chairman Typefoundry Westzaan, Lomanstraat 36-2, 1075RC Amsterdam, Nederland.

He asked for the following images to be posted on this topic. I hope they are self-explanatory, as he did not supply any captions or explanation.

[Dave Hughes]

Ronald has sent the following explanation:

the pics i sent are somehow selfexplaing, but some comment could however help.
the start is a digitally designed type. this could be also an existing foundry type that has been scanned.
on a usb in the appropriat fotmat the modern computersteered engraving machines engrave sufficently precise the matrix in a messing material of which 1*1" supra matrix can be shaped. also the depth if engraving is with a high quality engraving device astonishing stable. for the production one piece also an existing matrix can be used when there is enough place on it. the showed pic were an experiment to produce two color types.
I esteem that this way of producing new matrices for type casting is today the most appropriate, easier than reinventing the disappeared electro chemical way.



Ronald Steur, chairman Typefoundry Westzaan

[John Cornelisse]

In this list there are lots of photo's I cannot see:

when I click them I get the message:

Server not found: https://postimg.org/image/tqf86a6pb/

It looks that this website has stopped or otherwise changed its behaviour

[Dave Hughes]

I'm afraid Postimage is not perfect, but it would seem to be the easiest way for non-technical users to post images on the forum.

Although of course we strive to make PostImage as dependable as possible, PostImage's services are provided on an AS IS – WITH ALL FAULTS basis. Your use of our service is entirely at your own risk. We do not guarantee the availability of our service at any given time, or the reliability of our service when it is running. We do not guarantee the integrity of, or the continued availability of, files on our servers. Whether we make backups, and if so, whether restoration of those backups will be available to you, is at our discretion. POSTIMAGE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS AND IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS AND MERCHANTABILITY. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING ELSE STATED IN THESE TERMS, AND IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER POSTIMAGE TAKES OR DOES NOT TAKE MEASURES TO REMOVE INAPPROPRIATE OR HARMFUL CONTENT FROM ITS SITE, POSTIMAGE HAS NO DUTY TO MONITOR ANY CONTENT ON ITS SITE. POSTIMAGE DOES NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY, APPROPRIATENESS, OR HARMLESSNESS OF ANY CONTENT APPEARING ON POSTIMAGE.ORG THAT IS NOT PRODUCED BY POSTIMAGE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO USER CONTENT, ADVERTISING CONTENT, OR OTHERWISE.

The alternative would be for users to acquire, and maintain a hosting service of their own and post image URLs.

[John Cornelisse]

What is handy, to use a image-provider, that deletes in time images for this website ?

Why are we not warned ? And what does the manager of this website to prevent this ?

[Dave Hughes]

If you would like to suggest an alternative image-hosting provider that would provide a better service, at zero cost, I'm all ears.