Novice -- might have damaged press -- any advice appricated.

[Naldinho]

Hi

I'm not a trained pressman. I was just trying to help out on a pretty simple one colour press (Ryobi 2800CD) and during cleaning I accidentally allowed a rag to be pulled into the kompac. This caused a difficult jam and it took some effort to get the rag out. Now when I try to run the press the plate gets completely inked over. This is happening only on the side where the rag went in so I suspect I damaged something.

It is Sunday so I can't call anyone and I feel horrible that instead of helping I might actually have made the situation worse. Can anyone give me some guidance as to how bad the situation is and if there is anything I can do to fix it?

 

[Richard]

Kompac jam

Kompac jam

Hi, my sugestion to you is: put a little ink on the kompac rollers, have a dry used plate on.
Lower the kompac roller so it contacts the plate, usually the second position after the off, if your using a handle, wait 20 seconds, then return to off setting. Look at the stripe left on the plate. From what you described, the stripe is probably not equal across the plate.
You want a stripe of aprox. 1/8 inch. Hopefully all you need to do is adjust the kompac so that the stripe is the same thickness all across the plate. THere is a knob on the operators side, and the gear side. Arrows indicate, increasing pressure and decreasing pressure.
Now, if the Kompac is not damaged then it will work.
Most people like honesty, and you may want to get an experienced person to make an ajustment for you. Get as far as making a stripe test.

 

[Naldinho]

Thank you for the response.

I ran the test but instead of a stripe across the plate what I got was the negative image of what happens when I try to run the press normally. The plate is covered in ink completely from head to foot on the left and has zero ink on the right.

I assume that means it is touching too much on the left and not touching at all on the right (the side the rag went in).

I can't find the knobs to increase or decrease pressure though. There is a ring on either side that has measurements and both sides are set to 2.5 but no knobs.

Looking at picture of the press online there is suppose to be a lever that controls the water dampening system that is missing from this but I assume that was for the original Ryobi system and was removed when the Kompac was installed.

I don't mind paying to have someone come and adjust it I'm just more worried about the possibility that I did serious damage.

 

[GazKL440]

The ring is the adjustment of the pressure setting of the nip in what is effectively the metering roller. I'm sorry but i cant remember how to set the form to the plate on a compac, been a long while since i ran a press with one! I would *doubt* that you have done any serious damage (dont quote me tho!!), probabaly just bumped the settings out to the point where the form is skewed hard onto the plate on one end and not touching on the other.

 

[LoneGoose]

Naldinho, you don't have to run the press with the Kompac roller inked. Just lower it onto the plate and lift it off again - then check stripe produced on plate.

On a GTO, the adjustments are made on two knurled screws just under the Kompac, one on either side of the plate. I'm sorry, I have no idea about the Ryobi.

 

[Disappointed]

I'm sorry but i have to mention this,

as you say you are a novice and we all started somewhere, but has anyone showed you how to hold cloths / rags when cleaning down??

It sounds like you may have had a narrow escape with having your hand drawn into the rollers???

As to the problem,

From what i recall of Kompacs, they were very sensitive to adjustments, presuming the rag went between the metering and forme roller, you have likely just forced the adjuster apart. It can be a pain to get back in line.

 

[Cornishpastythighs]

2 safety tips NALD, Never operate equipment by yourself (especially as you have never been trained) without someone else around and never ever get a rag so close to moving parts that it can get grabbed. You just had a lucky escape, whatever damage you have caused can be repaired, your fingers however cannot.

 

[Naldinho]

That you everyone for the replies.

Re: Holding Rags
I was told not to try to wipe the machine while it was running but rather to hand turn it for clean up so that this wouldn't happen. This isn't something I am pursuing as a career -- I have my own business not related to print but I started volunteering when the proprietor became ill and then he passed away. I don't actually work here I just do some of the grunt work on machines that are much simpler than the press.

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The rag went between the two rollers that are under the removable plate that holds the water bottle. I managed to cut it very short and then wet it and it fed though to the other side and I pulled it out. Sorry I don't know what the names for the individual rollers are.

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Still haven't been able to figure out what would adjust contact. I've left a message with the person who normally services the presses but he hasn't returned my call yet. I expect he'll be call back soon. Hopefully it isn't that bad.