American Etching Press Sale

This little beauty went to America to a print-maker in Indiana and I learned all about international air freight.

The press took 10 days to arrive at Julie's door in Indiana; 3 of those days it spent at Auckland airport having some red tape sorted and waiting for a suitable plane then over the mighty Pacific Ocean she went.

Another 2 days she spent at LAX sorting some more red tape and them off on the final leg to Indiana.

As it is a hand-made converted antique it did not merit any duties or fees.

The freight charge was a handsome figure as Julie did not want to bother with reassembling a partially dis-assembled press. Partially disassembled in two small crates would have saved her $400.

I used a specialist logistics company called Pack and Send and they did a marvelous job, made everything easy and also I took to them a larger version of this model of etching press partially disassembled to be weighed and measured and got quotes for freight charges to Canada, the US, Great Britain and Europe for future reference.

Air freight for table top presses is no problem, larger, free standing presses will have to travel by sea because of their greater weight but that's another story..

Sending this press to America involved many people, all very helpful and I got to chat on the phone and by email with people working in two New Zealand Government Departments: the Ministry of Culture and Heritage because of the antique provenance of the press, NZ Customs (of course) and a charming DHL employee working out of LAX. I felt that I and my American friend Julie were looked after well and that we live in a nice world. Now I look forward to seeing a photo of  the press set up in Julies new Indiana print studio.

Table Top Etching Presses For Sale

The Winter is a good time to get stuff done and the Etching Press production line has been busy.

Here at Classic Presses all the staff; the boss, the engineer, the painter, the labourer and the marketing chappie all get on well and are all switched on to every aspect of the job.
This is because of a brilliant staff management strategy where all the jobs are done by one person, yours truly. There are certain drawbacks to this strategy like tripping over myself occasionaly and overloading the brain (poor thing) with masses of detail and having triage crises from time to time.
It's all going swimmingly though and there is only the press beds and press bed runners to create now and I shall have a dream come true: 4 presses all sale ready.

New Etching Press Demonstration

I sold this press to an old friend of mine, Kim Christensen, who has a photography studio in Auckland.

Photography having moved on from film to computer Kim is bored with his trade's lack of creativity and excitement and decided to try photo gravure print making.

Googling etching presses for sale he found me and came to visit and selected his press from the variety of styles I have and eventually I completed and delivered this press to his Auckland studio.

After making some progress on my current mural commission I made the time to bring to his studio some print making gear and various plates and wood cuts of mine and gave him a brief tutorial so he could get the feel, literally, of the press pressures and use and see the process of cleaning and inking plates, soaking the print making paper and inking the plate and printiing them through the press and study the wonderful and subtle variety of results in a finished print.

The process of photo gravure plate making is not my thing but Kim will sort that out, my main concern was to give him confidence in the use of the press particularly as this model press has no springs to give it any give under extreme pressure and it is possible to do it some harm so strong is it's frame and powerful it's gearing.

We had fun doing this and may just get a print making weekend tutorial happening in Kim's studio some time as he is located in the heart of the city and has a great area to work in and, of course, an etching press.

Table Top Etching Presses For Sale

Etching Press Sale Enquiries: johnnymulvay@vodafone.co.nz


Sold to a Whakatane Artist

This little cutie is newly made from a 1903 pattern Ewbank mangle and is the baby of the range, takes up less space and has a press bed 450mm x 900mm, comes complete with new felt blanket and can easily print plates or wood cut up to 10mm thick.
We can deliver overseas from our base in New Zealand if you wish it.
Prices and freight charges are available on request.

Sold to a Dunedin Artist

Newly made from a 1908 pattern Ewbank mangle this etching press has stronger springs and wider rollers than usual giving it a large press bed of 600mm x 1200mm.
It comes complete with a new felt blanket, ready to print and will easily acommodate plates or wood cut blocks up to 10mm thick.
Our antique etching press manufactury is located at Art School Waihi in Northern New Zealand

Press Raw Materials

Etching Press Sale Enquiries: johnnymulvay@vodafone.co.nz

Two free standing etching presses and one table top etching press are what I am now working on full-time. Should be finished in two weeks and they better be 'cause I'm booked in to do some work for my accountant, Valda on the 21st and I want photos of these three beauties for sale on this blog and displayed in every teaching print studio and art school in the country by then.
A plan and a deadline. Wish me luck.

Press Raw Material

Etching Press Sale Enquiries: johnnymulvay@vodafone.co.nz

This is the etching press that is pre-sold to Esther, a Whangerei artist. It is stripped down and all component parts painted

The tubular steel framed press is my print studio's new pride and joy and is, like Esther's press, stripped down and all component parts painted


For Esther's new etching press I had two new cogs designed and cut to allow her to print from plates or woodcuts from 1mm to 20mm thickness while staying in constant mesh.
I have learnt much about engineering and have had four different engineering firms employed on helping out with different component constructions and adaptations. All very expensive and time consuming but I now know all the best ways to convert the various types of antique mangles into extremely robust and beautiful etching presses.
Saw a recent release film called Goya's Ghost's and it shows a five minute scene of Goya at work in his print studio circa 1805; etching, preparing, inking, printing and all. Marvelous and inspiring bit of film making.
Goya, Hokusai, Rembrandt, Durer, Kathe Kollwitz and so many others from the past and present are heroes of mine so it pleases me to work on 100 - 150 year old presses.
It don't matter how old something is, if it's good it's good..

Early Days

Etching Press Sale Enquiries: johnnymulvay@vodafone.co.nz

Engineering completed, the new press awaits weld cleanup and paint and construction of the wooden press bed runners and the bed and shelving

The new press will end up looking something like this one which was made from the mangle used by my Grandmother on the Mulvay family farm.


The new steam punk etching press! Won't be selling this beauty, it's a keeper..

The weekly Portrait: Fiona at her wedding reception

Fiona is my niece and this soft ground etching is from a sketch I made of her on her wedding day.
I made this etching at a class I took as a refresher for my printmaking last year and now that I am creating a printmaking studio such things are coming to light.
It has been very stressful having the studio turned upside down and inside out but it will soon be ready and things I have had stashed away in storage for years now have a place and a purpose.
Like me! A place and a purpose! I like it, good way to start the day.