Spring Cleaning

There's no better time than today to clean my press.  We're currently experiencing the fallout from ex-cyclone Oswald, delivering gusty strong winds and horizontal rain.  So what better time than to give 'Thumper' my etching press his annual clean.

Firstly, I remove the surface rust on all the rollers and exposed metal surfaces with a creme cleanser and scourer, being careful to clean the 2 main rollers in the direction of the grain, that is around them rather than from side to side.

 

There's a few rust spots on the rollers I can't remove - its a bit disappointing, but I have to be realistic considering our humid weather, my aversion to regular maintenance, and Thumper's age - he's almost 5 years old!

 

 

 

After rinsing off the creme cleanser and drying with a towel, I wipe on a coating of liquid lanolin to protect against future rust.

And finally a drop or two of oil to assist lubrication.

Thumper is ready to go, lets start printing before the rain eases off and I have to rejoin the world!