Knobs on Seal Drymount Press

[neil poulsen]

I just picked up a Seal 500T dry mount press for a couple hundred dollars, and I have a question about the knobs on top and how they should be adjusted.

The knob(s) in question can be seen in the second photo. The larger, "doughnut" knob around the outside isnt' tight and can be easily turned on both the left and right. (See first photo.) How should they adjusted?

Also, is there a knob in the center of the doughnut that's adjustable? If so, what criteria would I use to adjust it?

What luck. I just happened to be looking through Craigslist, when I ran across this press. One can do 16x20 prints on the Seal Commercial 200 that I will sell, by overlapping. But given the 500T's 24"x36" platen size, it can all be done in one cycle.

[Willie]

The outer knob is turned to lock the inner knob. The inner knob is turned to raise or lower the platen from the top to increase or decrease the pressure on the mat board/print/mounting material 'sandwich' in the press.

Loosen the outer knob, turn the inner knob til the platen is where you want it and tighten the outer knob to hold it at that setting.

Might need some trial and error to get it where you want.

Really helps if the pad in the press is a new one as after some years of use you end up with it flattened or compressed in areas the size of the material you normally put in the press.

[Kevin Crisp]

The outer one (might have an allen screw in the side) locks the adjustment on the shaft. I got a good deal on a similar model and it was very out of adjustment. I download the manual on line, followed the instructions, and now it works fine.

[Keith Pitman]

You might follow JB's suggestions: http://www.jbhphoto.com/articles/adjusting-the-dry-mount-press/

[mbuonocore]

Chris Pashke has a wonderful resource section on her website http://www.designsinkart.com/. In the "Library" section of the site, click on "Articles by Subject" and find the "Press Adjustments, February 2014 PDF".

It's frustrating that you can't link directly to that information, but the information is well worth searching out. I find her instructions clear, and also advocate using shims depending on the material you are mounting to. The less I have to fiddle with the knobs, the better.

I don't have my press in front of me, but if I remember correctly, you want to loosen the locking nuts with the press in a closed but not clamped position. It is difficult to do with the press open.

[Jerry Bodine]

...One can do 16x20 prints on the Seal Commercial 200 that I will sell, by overlapping...

Neil, I have the 200 (18x23 platen) that I bought new in the late '60s; I've been mounting 16x20 prints in a single pass ever since. Yes, the mount board (22x28) sticks out around platen but the prints have adhered just fine. Not sure why you need to do it in passes.