Letter press plate

[msaeger]

I was watching this youtube video of a letter press restoration and around the 3 minute mark he is cutting the plate on a cnc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6EajWZTfcw

What material do you think the plate is being made from? I am looking for something I can cut on my cnc to make stamps from.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

I am not aware of anybody “seriously” producing (rotary) letterpress plates by cutting them out with a CNC router, however this video is about a platen…

AFAIK modern letterpress plates are more similar to flexo plates, for example Kodak:


http://graphics.kodak.com/BD/en/Prod...es/default.htm
http://graphics.kodak.com/AU/en/Prod...ta/default.htm


Stephen Marsh

 

[Cornishpastythighs]

The printing plate is made out of Corian.

http://www.dupont.com/products-and-...n-materials/brands/corian-solid-surfaces.html

 

[dabob]

Back in the day here we used to use zinc and they would "photo engrave" it then they would then use a router to deepen the non printing areas . . .it . . . I suppose you could cut it on a cnc router . . . but getting a halftone out of a cnc would be a job!

Just watched the video . . . that guy is an impressive mechanic/machinist but he needs some high school printing education . . you don't feed a platen standing over the flywheel, and whats that hes using for a tympan sheet, a plastic drop cloth?

Still an impressive feat . .

 

[Cornishpastythighs]

he needs some high school printing education . . you don't feed a platen standing over the flywheel

Still an impressive feat . .

I think the press was very close to the edge of his deck so there was no room to stand in front of the Platen. He is a very talented man though.

 

[old guy]

metal magic in phoenix does this on some dies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mouut6o3ZcI
they have a couple vids on you tube and they still do hand sculpted emboss dies