Composing Room

Rawhide Mallet with Six Inch Planer.

We carry precision ground stones and new mallets and planers for your shop, plus our own galley magnets and makeup rules. We stock, as available, used HiSpeed quoins and the smaller 3", 4 1/2" and 6" quoins are hard to find. We can supply new HiSpeed Quoins made by BarPlate as they took over the line from Challenge Machinery. We have new quoin keys only for the HiSpeed quoins. We do not stock Hemple or any of the 2-part wedge type quoins or quoin keys for these.

Honeycomb Base, Aluminum. 5x8 inches"
$187.50
HO100
Take your presswork beyond the limitations of photopolymer and wood mounted cuts. Honeycomb base made of ground aluminum at .668" for mounting 1/4 inch, .250" copper or magnesium dies for cold embossing or letterpress printing. These are made by Sterling Toggle, Inc., a company with roots that date to the early 20th Century under the former name of PMC. These bases give a solid and accurate means for securing plates. Bases are locked in a chase like regular type or cuts. Photoengravings for use on honeycomb bases can be made by any photoengraver--just let them know you are using the Sterling base and they will cut the proper bevel on all 4 sides of the plate. Sizes other than those listed here are available, as well as honeycomb bases made to replace the chase for just about any press. Used with Sterling Toggle bits and bit key sold separately. Heights of the bases are determined on the thickness of plate being used, so we need to know that when an order is placed.
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"Bunter Post, 200-245, standard height, complete with 1/4 inch flat head machine screw"
$10.75
ST533
The Bunter Post is used to lock embossing or stamping dies when using a bunter heated base. The bunter post is screwed into the heater or removable front plate with the flat head screw. The adjusting screw securely locks the die into place. Standard height bunter posts can generally be used on all U.S. presses. Low height bunter posts are usually used on presses outside the U.S., such as Heidelberg. Before ordering bunter posts, please check the thread size of your heater. Standard height Bunter flat head screws are 1/4 x 28 thread. Made by Sterling Toggle.
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"Bunting Magnetic base, Cerface design, Aluminum construction, 2.00" x 4.00""
$306.00

Bunting Magnetics, located in Kansas, makes an extensive line of magnetic products. Their line of cerface magnetic bases for letterpress printing have been made for about 30 years and has long been the standard for box making and fine printing using photopolymer plates. We list stock sizes, other sizes are custom and are considerably more expensive. Two or more bases can be locked together in a chase to make a larger base. One to two week factory delivery on standard bases, longer for custom. Bunting also makes the ceramic magnets that are used in our galley magnets.
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"NA Graphics Star Makeup Rule"
$6.95
LG307
A handy tool used by printers since the 19th century. Originally made by the Star Tool Company, this is our reproduction of their makeup rule. If you've wondered what the pockets are for on a printer's apron, then one of these belongs in one of those pockets. Used for separating lines of type, scraping crud off the bottom of things, the long edge is sharpened and can cut string, pry plates off bases, clean the bottoms of linotype slugs, is fun to play with, and there was a time when no one in a letterpress shop was without one. John Horn provided an original Star tool for us to copy and ours is made from etched cold rolled steel.
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"Sterling No. 1 Toggle Hook"
$11.30
St530-101
• Redesigned to insure longer life. • State of the art heat treat procedures to eliminate cracking in high stress areas. • Manufactured from bar stock eliminating porosity problems found in castings. • Made in USA. No. 0 Narrow Margin Hook-used when less than 1/8” (3mm) margin is required. No. 1 Standard Register Hook-can be used most of the time. No. 2 Register Hook-has a jaw width slightly larger than the No.1 hook, it's Sterling's second most popular hook. No. 3E Extended Jaw Register Hook-this hook has a jaw length that is in between the No. 2 and No. 4 hooks. No. 4 Extra Extended Hook-used for locking up dies on honeycomb bases that do not use Sterling's standard hole pattern, such as a heated honeycomb base.
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"Aluminum Base with magnetic surface for steel backed photopolymer plates, 10x12"
$321.00
AM1012
This is the world famous Patmag base, made by veteran printer and type caster Pat Reagh. The sizes that follow this one are all Patmag bases. Pat's experience goes back before most of us were born, and he continues to produce exquisite letterpress work and the Patmag base from his work shop tucked away in the country north of the Bay Area in Northern California. Our prices are Pat's list prices, and he drop ships for us direct from his shop. Pat won't take credit cards, but we do, so buy two or three and help the economy. Remember that one large base that fills up most of the chase can put a serious crimp in your ability to print, so give us a call if in doubt.

PatMag bases can be resurfaced if magnetic covering becomes damaged, worn, or if excessive use of solvent loosens the attaching adhesive. Damaged aluminum can not be repaired. Return base to NA Graphics and Pat will speedily replace the covering and ship direct. Cost to resurface is far less than buying a new base.

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"Linotype Metal"
$2.00
LM1
Linotype metal in pig form, with feeder ears for metal feeders such as Margach, each pig weighs between 22 and 25 pounds, depending on mold used. This is remelt metal that has been fluxed and cleaned with added Plus Metal. This will work in any line casting machine including Ludlows. The metal has not been verified for content, but we use it with great success in our model 31 Linotype and Ludlow at NA Graphic's print shop. Priced by the pound and each pig is weighed separately. Up to 2 pigs can be shipped by UPS per package. There is a shipping charge of an extra $5.00 per package for fabrication of a wood box for shipping. Call for options on large quantities--we have several tons available.
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