GRAPHOTYPE.net BLOG

War Time Memories – “A Brief Record of the activities of Addressograph-Multigraph Ltd., in the years 1939-1945″
By Addressograph-Multigraph
Part One – Chapter IV
Pages 36-38
Author: William Freeman

Addressograph-Multigraph Machines on War Work

Early in the war the board of Trade set up a special department, known as the Directorate of Office Machinery, to control the distrubution of such machines.  The department instituted a system of licensing under which they could not be sold without authorization, the result being that the entire output of Addressograph-Multigraph Limited was earmarked for Government departments, or alternatively, for commercial organizations engaged on war production.

As the war progressed, and the demands of the Forces expanded and the shortage of man-power at home became intensified, the value of the “Addressograph” in its own unique sphere became more and more evident.  The ability of the machine to print repetitive information at high speed and with complete and invariable accuracy enabled it to be used in innumerable directions.  One direction in particular may be mentioned – that of the Food Rationing Scheme.  Every food area in Britian employed one or more machines to print food permits, points, account-slips, etc., – a task so gigantic that by any other means it would have been an impossibility.

Reference has been made to the speed and accuracy of the machines.  Neither quality would have possessed any permanent value without a third merit – that of being strongly built.  As a testimony to this soundness of construction, the experience of a well known firm of electrical equipment manufacturers may be quoted.  The firm had in their London depot two “Addressograph” machines and sixty thousand address-plates.  During the 1940 blitz a land-mine struck the building, practically demolishing it.  The intense heat of the resultant fire, to say nothing of the thousands of gallons of water used to extinguish the flames, would have destroyed any equipment of less sturdy construction; the “Addressograph” plates were damaged so little that after salving and cleaning they could again be used.  Though the index cards were, of course, burnt away, the information embossed on the plates was still entirely legible.  When every plate and frame had been cleaned and examined, it was found that only fifteen per cent of the whole 60,000 address-plates were unfit to be used again.

The drafting of so many civilians into the Forces involved the preparation of an enormous number of printed instructions in the form of letters, booklets, spare-part handbooks, maps, charts, etc.  In this field the “Multigraph” Duplicating machines were conspicuously successful.

The Ministry of Information became the largest users of Addressograph-Multigraph Duplicating machines; other Government departments who were extensive users included the R.A.F. Fighter, Bomber and Costal Commands; the Air Ministry; the Ministry of Aircraft Production; the Ministry of Supply; H.M. Stationary Office; the Ministry of Food; the G.O.P.; the Home Office; Royal Ordanance Factories; and the National Fire Service.  The list of private firms largely if not wholly employed on Government work who found Addressograph-Multigraph machines essential is too long to quote in full, but amongst such firms may be mentioned:

Rolls Royce, Ltd. – “Multilith: Duplicators for the production in complete secrecy of part lists and diagrams, Air Ministry Schedules, etc.

The Automatic Telephone and Electric Co. Ltd. – who developed and manufactured the Distant-Reading Gyro-Magnetic Compass, and extremely accurate aircraft compass which contributed largely to the success of Allied air-raids.  “Multilith” Machines, Class 1250, used in the preparation of instruction books, parts lists, and general stationery requirments.

The Hawker Aircraft Co. – world famous manufacturers of the Hurricane, Typhoon, and Tempest machines.

Vickers-Armstrong Ltd., makers of the Spitfire fighter.

A. V. Roe Ltd., – makers of the Lancaster Bomber.

De Havilland Aircraft Co., makers of the Mesquito aircraft.

Birmingham Small Arms Co.

Metropolitan Vickers Ltd.

Vauxhall Motors Ltd.

Callendars Cable Co.

Harland & Wolff Ltd.

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Black Gold, Texas Tea – Oil – Which is the right for me?

The Addressograph Multigraph Company said the ONLY lubricant that should be used with Graphotype machines was DURO-VIS.  DURO-VIS was oil that was produced for and marked by the A-M Company up until their closure in the 1980′s.

DURO-VIS OIL CAN

The official designation of this oil was:
AM INTERNATIONAL, INC., MULTIGRAPHICS DIV.
DURO-VIS/LUBRICATING OIL, PART #:MA-78A, MA-81A
NSN: 9150-00-953-7364

Ok, what is the point of all this information if Addressograph-Multigraph is no longer in business?  We visited with people that knew what DURO-VIS was and people that knew the chemical composition of DURO-VIS they indicated to us that the oil was highly refined 20 weight oil with several special additives that would not attack the bronze bushings and bearings in the Graphotype machine.

DURO-VIS has very similar properties of SAE20 – none detergent oil.

“ DURO-VIS is not Automotive Oil – it is not 10w30 or some other multi-weight oil.
“ DURO-VIS is not Sewing Machine Oil
“ DURO-VIS does not have tackifiers such as Lucas Oil – tackifiers used in this type of equipment will damage the bearings and will not lubricate the machine correctly.
“ DURO-VIS does not contain paraffin’s, wax or soluble wax based emulsifiers added to the lubricant.
“ DURO-VIS does not have additives that attack bronze or bronze based products such as bearings, gears, races, etc.

BUY DURO-VIS:

Where can I get DURO-VIS Oil for my precious Graphotype machine?  At present there are two sources of DURO-VIS Oil.  One is a printing press supply company that only sells it by the case with a minimum order of two cases or you can purchase it from Bruce in his eBay store (eBay – Username: TristateUSA).

TristateUSA Superstore
eBay Username: Tristateusa
Phone Number: 812-744-1060
Store Owner: Bruce

Currently Tristateusa is offering DURO-VIS in 6oz and 2oz bottles.  Please visit their eBay store for current pricing.

Graphotype.net recommends DURO-VIS oil at this time for all Graphotype machines until we can find a commercial equivalent available on the open market.

BRONZE THOUGHTS:

Bronze is considered a yellow metal and it has been used for years as a bearing surface because of it’s unique wear properties.  Just as bronze is a different color than steel it reacts differently to chemicals and lubricants than does steel.

It is important to note that Graphotype machines have many bronze bushings, gears and parts, these bronze parts can be attacked and destroyed by certain types of oils and lubricants available in the commercial sector.  All lubricants are NOT the same, oil is not just oil as many believe – if you care about your equipment you need to educate yourself and use the correct lubricants or you will damage or destroy your equipment.

SEWING MACHINE OIL:

It is important to note here that some sewing machine oils also contain additives that do NOT react well with bronze.  Do not use just any oil available.  Do not use sewing machine oils that have a paraffin base.  Not all sewing machine oils are bad for Graphotype machines but you as an operator must educate yourself to find out which ones are safe and which ones are not.  Don’t just ask the sales person at the local hardware store or sewing machine supply house, make sure you read the data on the sewing machine oil itself.  If in doubt ASK, or review the MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet) that should be avaliable with any and all chemicals and lubricants.

THE CLUTCH:

Another note is that there are 20 discs in the clutch, 10 of steel and 10 of Bakelite, the use of the wrong oil in the clutch can cause degradation of the Bakelite discs to where they will disintegrate.  No oil in the clutch is also a major cause of premature clutch failure.  With no lubricant in the clutch the steel discs will wear the Bakelite discs away.  You do not want to use an oil such as 3-in-one as this lubricant contains paraffin and it will build up on the surfaces of the clutch and discs and cause the clutch to not work correctly.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR GRAPHOTYPE AND IT WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.

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GRAPHOTYPE.net – wants to take a moment and tell all our Service men and women, present and past – THANK YOU!

Today is 11-11-2008 – Veterans’ Day!  Those of us at GRAPHOTYPE.net cannot say enough about our Nations veterans.  Our country owes the men and women of the United States Military a heart felt thanks that can never be fully expressed or repaid.

It is the dedication and sacrifice of our Veterans’ that provide for the freedom to have open forums such as GRAPHOTYPE.net

Some members of GRAPHOTYPE.net will be in attendance at local area Golden Corral restaurants on Monday, November 17th, 2008 from 5pm to 9pm to celebrate Golden Corrals Military Appreciation Day.  Military Appreciation day is an annual event that Golden Corral sponsors in which all military service personnel past or present eat for free.  To date Golden Corral has provided over 1.8 million free meals and contributed over 2.53 million dollars to the Disabled American Veterans Organization.  To read more about Golden Corrals commitment to our military veterans – Click Here –

GRAPHOTYPE.net feels everyone should take the opportunity today to find a Veteran and thank them for their service to our Nation.

Thank You

TagTech

GRAPHOTYPE.net Staff

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GRAPHOTYPE.net would like to let everyone know that we believe in America and the political process.  We encourage everyone to vote today.  It matters not if you sway to the left, swing to the right or hang right in the middle – regardless which way you lean please VOTE.

Races have been won or lost with only one vote, your vote matters.

This year it appears that many people are voting with their emotions.  An illustration of this was the heated debate that took place while we were selling at the local sale SIDEWALK SALE  we were approached by a man that asked how we were going to vote.  The conversation went south very quickly as the man became violent with anger and frustration because we expressed we were going to vote with our conscious which apparently was contrary to his opinion.

While suffering through this mans abuse and hatred we listened and continued to smile.  Life is just too short to immerse ourselves in his anger and lower ourselves to his level.  Our response was we are so happy that he is passionate about his candidate and isn’t it wonderful that we have the freedom to vote the way we want.

This is what America is all about – we have the freedom to vote our convictions.

While the man had to be removed from the sale, or actually physically ejected, we still maintain our stance that we live in the greatest country on the planet and we respect and encourage everyone including this disturbed man to vote.

The ability to vote is one of the primary principals of America and all too often is taken for granted.  We have service men and women past and present that have died to give us the right to vote and we owe it to them and all Americans to exercise this fundamental right.

Get out and VOTE !!!!!!

Thank You

GRAPHOTYPE.net Staff

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I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people tell me  . . .

I lubricated the whole machine . . .
I used a whole can of WD-40®

Folks – I cannot stress enough WD-40® is NOT a LUBRICANT!

Let me say this again – WD-40® is NOT a lubricant!  WD-40® is not a lubricant by any stretch of the imagination and definitely not by the definition of a lubricant as used with Graphotype machines.  So if WD-40® is not a true lubricant, what is it?  It is a great product manufactured by the WD-40® Company that does great things such as clean, preserve and penetrate it also has many wonderful properties that make it an essential in almost any well rounded tool box, but a true lubricant WD-40® is NOT!

Clearly stated on WD-40®’s own web site is these words:

Did you know . . .

• WD-40® can clean your bike & tools, remove grease, and lubricate locks, hinges & all moving parts
• WD-40® removes paint, gum, rubber cement, stickers and other adhesives
• WD-40® loosens and penetrates rusted or stuck bolts and plumbing joints

A great CLEANER, penetrating oil and light preservative: This is what WD-40® is; but a true lubricant it is not.  In the world of “Graphotype Machines,” WD-40® has its place in every Graphotypist’s tool box but NOT as the primary source of lubricant for these machines.

On the WD-40 web site they state: “WD-40® is the ultimate multi-purpose problem solver. WD-40® cleans/degreases, penetrates to loosen up stuck parts, prevents corrosion and is a light lubricant.”

The WD-40® Company does make two different products that we as Graphotypist’s indeed consider to be true lubricants.  These true lubricants that will interest Graphotypist’s are:

• 3-IN-ONE® Multi-Purpose Oil
• 3-IN-ONE® Motor Oil

On the WD-40® web site they define 3-in-one oil® as: “3-IN-ONE®, with it’s special drip spout, enables you to lubricate without any overspray or splatter. 3-IN-ONE® is ideal to use on tools, rollers, hinges, in-line skates, wheels…nearly everything that moves.”

If WD-40® is not a lubricant what purpose does it have being in my tool box if I am working on or maintaining Graphotype machines? 

When you come to possess a new machine with an unknown maintenance history, are restoring a machine or just need to clean an existing machine in your inventory, WD-40® can be an essential tool to help you clean and properly maintain a Graphotype machine.  Improperly applied or over applied lubricants over time collect dust, dirt and grime as well as become thick and sluggish gumming up the workings of a Graphotype machine.  To clean gummy and thickened lubricants, rust, dirt and grime from your Graphotype WD-40® is great and GRAPHOTYPE.net recommends this product for cleaning.

Graphotype machines that sit idle will corrode, rust and gum up.  The keyboard gates and the gate ring on the Class 6300 Graphotypes seems to be particularly susceptible to sticking and corrosion.  The keyboard what and what kind of ring – I don’t know what you are talking about?  If you remove the cast iron cover just above the keyboard on a Class 6300 machine you will see a horizontal platen that has a round ring with cut outs around the circumference of the ring.  The cut outs are slots for gates that slide up and down transferring the keyboard selection to the die carousel so the desired character is imprinted.

We will be blogging about this ring at a later date and how to care for and maintain this ring at that time but for the purpose of this post we will use this ring as an example.  If your keyboard is stuck, or difficult to operate you might take a look at the gate ring as a starting place.

If the gate ring has visible corrosion, dirt or grime then it is time to clean the gate ring.  We would recommend using WD-40® on the gate ring allowing it to soak into the gates and saturate the metal.  After a good soaking and the proper manipulation of the keyboard to ensure that everything is working correctly, it is time to clean the WD-40® off the machine.

We recommend cleaning the WD-40® from the machine with rags and paper towels. Once the WD-40® has been removed as much as possible it is time to actually lubricate the gates and gate ring.  We recommend that you actually take a true lubricant such as the 3-in-one® oil and lubricate each gate with ½ a drop of oil per side of gate.  The gates only need the slightest layer of lubricant on them to function properly.  Over lubricating the gates can cause problems just as much as not lubricating the gates.

3-IN-ONE® Multi-Purpose Oil

This oil is fine but it is not recommended by GRAPHOTYPE.net as your primary lubricant.  Being a Multi-Purpose oil this formulation has some addatives that are not needed for Graphotype machines.  If no other oil is avaliable then use this oil as an emergency alternative until you can locate some proper lubricant.

See our BLOG about DURO-VIS for the correct lubricant for Graphotype machines.  If you cannot find DURO-VIS then use 3-in-one® Motor Oil (for electric motors – in the blue and white can) as an alternative until you can find DURO-VIS.

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As the Internet evolves GRAPHOTYPE.net tries to embrace new technologies to better serve our web visitors.  We are currently experimenting with a BLOG in hopes that such a venue will allow us to interact with our members and visitors as well as inform and entertain all that stop to review GRAPHOTYPE.net.

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Thank you for all your support

TagTech
GRAPHOTYPE.net Staff

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