Dodge Ram "Letterpress" Commercial at the International Printing Museum

This is cool... a truck commercial with a letterpress. Except that in the commercial, it show the type right-reading, so it would print backward! Picky, picky, I know... Unfortunately the only version I've seen on TV show only a snippet of the letterpress action. Here's the longer version.

"The Dodge Ram "Guts & Glory: Letterpress" commercial was filmed at the International Printing Museum in Carson, California in April 2011. It starred the Museum's director/curator, Mark Barbour, as "The Hands."

Visit the International Printing Museum for more information about letterpress.

Cheers,
~Gina

Dental work...

UPDATE.... thanks to my friend Stephanie I have found a company that took one look at this photo and told me that they are able to repair that gear. The contact she gave me – Richard at Capital Print –  answered my email even though he was on holidays. When he gets back next week I will take the gear to him and the rollers should be back anytime now, too. First job... my new business cards.

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So my lovely, old press needs some work before I start using it. I want to be sure I am producing quality pieces -- and with the price of paper -- reducing waste with misprints. I shipped the rollers off to Graphic Roller, near Montreal, to have the rubber replaced. There were pretty chewed up, had served their time for sure. 

Now what I am searching for is a dentist... err... machine shop to fix this gear. It's missing a tooth and the bigger gear it connects with is missing about 3/4 of a tooth. Every 4 or 5 rotations of the flywheel those gaps meet and make a loud "THUNK"! Assuming that there will be times that I will print late in to the night, or at least the evening, I don't want to disturb the neighbours. No doubt the slipping won't make for good registration either!

So... can anyone recommend a machine shop? So far I have found only one place that might be able to do it. I have to take it over to them so they can see if it is something they can repair.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Gina

O.S.E.B.

Last week I was thrilled to find out that I have been accepted into the Ontario Self-Employment Benefits program. It is offered through Employment Insurance to help people who qualify for benefits start their own business. I turned in my applications and went to an interview in mid-July so it's been a long six weeks waiting to hear the outcome. Given that it starts in a week or so it feels like going back to school (yay!!). I miss the rhythm of the school year and am usually wishing I could start something new this time of year. Maybe I miss the new back-to-school clothes, a fresh package of pencil crayons and crisp, new notebooks? I did make a stop at Staples last night...

Now I am cleaning house, filing and organizing in preparation for 3 weeks of "in class" at the start of the program. :^D

Cheers,
~Gina

A little mixed media

I was doing a little purging for a upcoming pick-up from the Canadian Diabetes Association and I came across some old books, including a dictionary. Instead of donating it I decided to try a little mixed media work. I scanned a page with the definition for "son" on it, added a little ink and water colour illustration and used some large wooden type from my letterpress. Made one for some friends with a new baby boy and one for another with a toddler. Fun!

Going through the pages of the dictionary I found so many more I want to do! I think "bouffant" might be next...

Cheers,

~Gina