Mini Historical Printing Press With Coffin and Tympan

Two of my interests are in history and in reading, so obviously I'm interested in the history of books. I recreated a mini screw printing press, most likely from around the 1400s (or the Renaissance Age).

In roughly 1440, Johannes Gutenberg invented the first movable-type printing press. Utilizing the first-century Roman screw press, his press revolutionized the printing industry. Before his printing press was invented, the only way a book or text could be made into copies was through hand-printing, which could only produce about forty pages daily, and hand-copying, which could only produce about a dozen. Gutenberg's printing press could produce 3,600 pages a day.

Gutenberg's printing press was about 7-8 ft. tall and 5-7 ft. long. Mine is a mini version, measuring only 10 in. tall and 11 in. long and wide. My screw handle is not in the middle as his was but rather at the top for easier twisting. It will only take a weekend to make!

Tools:

1. Drill
2. Drill bits (1", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4", 3/32")
3. Hand saw (or any saw)
4. Hammer
5. Screwdriver (electric or hand, it doesn't matter which as long as it fits your screws)
6. Sand paper (I sanded the wood ahead of time, but you'll want to do this before construction)
7. Staple gun (with staples) (optional - if not, then small nails or something to hold the fabric in Step 10)

Materials:

1. 39" 1x4 cut into (x1) 12 1/2", (x2) 9", (x1) 3 1/2", (x1) 4" (this last one is not pictured as I forgot I needed it until the end)
2. 20" 1x6 cut into (x2) 9"
3. 1/2" plywood cut into (x3) 9" x 11", (x1) size of frame
4. 2 frames that are 9" x 11" or smaller
5. Wood screws x8
6. 1/8" screw eyes x8
7. 2 narrow utility hinges with screws (small enough to fit frames)
8. 1/2" carriage bolt 10" length
9. 1/2" hex nuts x2 (I had an extra in the photo)
10. Twine or 4 twisty ties (I used the latter but bought the former just in case)
11. Fabric cut slightly bigger than frame - sturdy, not soft and clothes-like
12. Wood glue
13. Small nails (optional)
14. Two or more clamps - I used a shoelace but clamps would work just as well (optional)
15. Wet paper towels (for wiping up spilt wood glue)

You're going to need the 1x6 cut into the two 9" boards, one of the 1/2" plywood cut into 9" x 11", wood glue, and a shoelace for this step.

Before glueing, simply place the 9" boards on the plywood, with the 9" side of the plywood aligning with the length of the planks. This is how the boards will be oriented. Remove them and spread glue over the entire surface of the plywood. Put a small bit of glue in between the boards before placing them on the plywood.

I tied the base with a shoelace to keep it from shifting while it dried and placed it on my 1/2" plywood to keep it from tilting to one side. You could also use clamps, but I didn't have any big enough. By placing it on the plywood I kept it level. I could have used two shoelaces but I only had one spare. You don't have to do this part.

This would be called the 'plank' on a printing press. It's the bottom part where the coffin holding the type sits.

Take both 1x4 9" boards and 4 wood screws. These two boards will go on the sides of the press; they are called the 'cheeks'.

After the base has dried, drill small holes slightly smaller than your screws (for me this was a 3/32" drill bit). Then screw the 9" boards into the base using the wood screws. You could put a little wood glue in the hole before screwing if you wanted.

How did I make sure they were aligned perfectly? If you look at the photo of the 9" boards attached, you will see small holes drilled in the top. I took the 'head' (1x4 12 1/2" board) and placed it on top. I then drilled small holes and even slightly screwed the 'head' onto the 'cheeks' to hold it while I screwed the 'cheeks' into the base. I removed the 'head' after I was done. This might seem unnecessary but I wanted to be sure they lined up. There's probably a better way to do this, but I did what I knew would work.

This part doesn't necessarily have a name but it's essentially a screw with an attached block. You're going to need the 1x4 3 1/2" block and the carriage rod.

Drill a 1" hole that will fit the carriage rod head flush into the block. The hole doesn't have to be dead center but should be super close. Put some wood glue in the hole and hammer the rod into the hole. Let it sit to dry.

The 'head' is what holds the screw. Take the 1x4 12 1/2" board and drill a 3/4" hole partially through. Don't go the whole way, as there needs to be a ledge for the hex nut to rest on. After you have drilled enough for the hex nut to be flush with the board, drill with the 1/2" drill bit through the rest of the board. This hole is for the carriage rod.

Hammer the hex nut into the hole until flush with the board.

You're going to want to take 2 of the 1/2" plywood 9" x 11" (the only ones remaining) and drill a tiny hole in the corners (I used the 3/32" drill bit). For one of the boards I drilled the hole 1/2 inch into the board from the nearest corner and for the other board I drilled the hole 1 inch into the board from the nearest corner. I did this because the screw eyes should not touch when placed over each other.

Also, I forgot to take a picture of this until I had assembled it but you should drill a 5/8" hole in the dead middle of one of the boards. It just needs to be big enough to fit the carriage rod.

You're going to need the carriage rod with block attached, the 'head', 4 wood screws, and the hanging board with the hole drilled in the middle.

Place the hanging board with the drilled hole on the carriage rod. It doesn't really matter which way you place it. When I had screwed in my 'cheeks' the base shifted just ever so slightly (unbeknownst to me) so I couldn't get my hanging board to fit quite right. I just turned it the other way so it could fit smoothly. Problem solved!

Screw the carriage rod into the head. Then screw the head into the cheeks.

Picture 1 has what the press should look like after this step. Picture 2 has what it should look like except don't forget to slide the hanging board on before screwing. I did and had to do it again. Picture 3 has what it should look like from the side (it should not be levitating - I was holding it up to show the block).

Now we're going to attach the bottom board with either twine or 4 twisty ties. Simply place the bottom board on the 'plank' (base) of the press. Make sure you align it with the hanging board.

Lower the hanging board by twisting the carriage rod. Twist it down until the screw eyes are next to each other. Then simply tie the screw eyes together - not super tight, kinda loose.

All that's left for the press part is the handle. You'll need the 1x4 4" block and a hex nut. Drill a 3/4" hole into the wood - just enough so that the hex nut is flush. Hammer the hex nut in. Put some wood glue in the nut and screw it onto the carriage rod.

The press is finished! If you just wanted to make the press, you could end here. But if you want to use it for letterpress printing (as I did), I also made a coffin and tympan below.

The 'coffin' is what holds the metal type. You're going to need one of the frames and the plywood that is cut to the size of your frame.

You can either use wood glue to glue them together or drill a small hole and insert a small nail with a little glue. I did the latter as I didn't want the wood glue to seep into the 'coffin' and create small bumps where I can't put the type flat.

The tympan is what holds the paper flat against the type. You need your other frame, fabric cut slightly bigger than your frame size, and a staple gun with staples. If you're not using a staple gun, use small nails to hold it in place. For my fabric I just used some leftover fabric I had from making a bag. It should be sturdy fabric, not soft like clothes, but more like a sail.

Simply fold the fabric over the frame and staple it into place. Make sure to only staple or nail in the corners as the sides need to be open for the hinges.

Get your hinges and 'coffin' and 'tympan'. Drill small holes into the 'tympan' and then screw in the hinges. Then align it next to the 'coffin' and drill small holes and screw in the hinges. Your 'tympan' and 'coffin' are finished!

Your Mini Historical Printing Press is now finished along with your Coffin and Tympan! You could make small notes for your friends in the Coffin or use the Press for block printing. The possibilities are almost endless!