You can file this under gross. It’s years and years worth of ink and grime on our newly acquired Pearl press. After doing a bit of cleaning, we’ve discovered there’s much more work to do than we initially thought. Our first plans of just using a degreaser fell apart once we realized the gunk wasn’t budging. Now, we’re using a paint stripper.

The picture above is layers of ink + grime on the backside of the platen, and the picture below is the buildup on the chase holder.

Even though we call it our Pearl no. 2, it’s technically an Improved Pearl Press #11.

It’s the same as our other press, now known as Pearl no. 1, which is also an Improved Pearl Press #11.

I love these pictures of the new to us press. The drips and splashes show us its colorful past.

Before finding it’s way into our studio, it was used for 30 years by a man with a commercial printing business in Missouri.

The man in Missouri purchased it in Amsterdam, New York. He also thought it may have enjoyed some time in Europe prior to it’s stay in New York.

I can’t wait to begin using this press and add more chapters to its story.

It looks like all of our toe + finger crossing worked! The press was in pretty good condition. After 24 hours of driving to get it, the press now sits in our garage. Kacey will be spending the next few weeks stripping, sanding, priming, painting and putting it back together again just like he did with our first one. He has quite a project on his hands!

We spent the last week and a half stripping, sanding, priming and painting our beloved Pearl.