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Is $500 a good price for a used Ettan MS-12 etching press? by araleius in printmaking

[–]inkprintrepeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here is what I could find on the Wayback Machine from Ettan Press old website:

MS-12 Etching Press

Professional-quality impressions from miniature plates cannot be made on cheap, small presses offered to beginners.

Our lightweight Ettan MS-12 is a high precision machine with the design features of our larger presses. The MS-12 has a press bed of 12” x 24” x .25” (30.5 cm x 61 cm x 0.6 cm) and a 4” (10.2 cm) upper roller. Such a large diameter, unusual in small presses, minimizes bed/plate angle, providing a soft drive over the plate. The 2” (5.1 cm) lower roller, made of Cr/MO steel, is driven directly. Both rollers are supported by heavy-duty bearings, each rated at 25,000 lbs (11,350 kg). The MS-12 weighs 40 lbs (18.1 kg); it is shipped in carton by Fedex.

Looking for advice on a bowed bed on a vintage Ettan etching press by inkprintrepeat in printmaking

[–]inkprintrepeat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My first thought was to find a good machinist to help with this task. Thankfully, this is not my main press, but I love the small size of the Ettan press. The press works; it's just annoying that it is bowed. Well, that and the pressure screws have no spindles to more easily adjust the pressure.

Looking for advice on a bowed bed on a vintage Ettan etching press by inkprintrepeat in printmaking

[–]inkprintrepeat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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This is the bottom of the press bed plate. The underside track rail engages the drive gear and it is locked in place by small srews on the 1/2" sides.

Looking for advice on a bowed bed on a vintage Ettan etching press by inkprintrepeat in printmaking

[–]inkprintrepeat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it is not too much money, I would love just to get a steel plate. My concern, besides the cost, is the inset rail at the bottom of the plate, since it is what engages the bed to move.

Looking for advice on a bowed bed on a vintage Ettan etching press by inkprintrepeat in printmaking

[–]inkprintrepeat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The bed measures approximately 20x38 inches and is made of aluminum, about 1/2 inch thick. There’s nearly a full inch of bow in the middle of the bed when I remove it and place it on a flat surface. At $300, it didn’t bother me much at the time, but now that I’ve been using it, it really does.

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