In 2010, my determination to acquire a Chandler and Price letterpress led me to scour countless online sale ads for months. Finally, I discovered the perfect one in Provo, Utah. However, I was faced with the daunting task of transporting this 1800lb machine from Utah to Denver, Colorado. I thought to myself how am I going to move this thing!? Despite the logistical challenges, I was determined to make it happen and carefully planned the journey to bring my letterpress home.
In December of that year, I embarked on an 8-hour drive from my home with a trailer in tow to Provo, UT, where I was set to pick up the beastly machine. The previous owner had been using the letterpress exclusively for die cutting at his small shop and was willing to part with it. Fortunately, a colleague of mine connected me with his cousin who was attending Provo University. With the help of his college wrestling friends, we were able to muster enough manpower to move the heavy machine (for which I treated them all to lunch as a thank-you gesture).
After securing the Chandler and Price letterpress to the trailer with straps, and covering it with a tarp, I was ready for the journey back home. Within a few hours on the road, I encountered an unexpected nasty blizzard sweeping across the Montana plains. Despite the white knuckle drive, I eventually made it home, only to face the next challenge of unloading the heavy machine. With the help of some friends, we rolled a couple of pipes under it, using techniques reminiscent of those used by ancient civilizations. This created a systematic way to move the heavy machine quite easily.
Once the letterpress was safely transported to the studio, months were spent meticulously cleaning it, oiling its parts, removing minor rust, and purchasing new ink rollers and other necessary components. After all the hard work and preparation, the machine was finally ready to print.
