We took the plunge on an auto.

[mk162]

the funny thing about the gauntlet micros is they are so basic.  You can buy everything you need from McMaster to rebuild them cheap if needed.

[broadway]

I had an old Gauntlet for 10+ years never used a hammer. What i did, still do, is before you clamp the screens in,  release the mocros and move them a bit. I find this will reduce the ocassional "jumping" of the micros. I went from front/back screen clamps to side clamps on the Diamondback and i took me a while to get them down. Quite different than the Gauntlet. Same micros but in different locations. Still no FPU for me. I am more of a "Jesus, Mary and Joseph" kind of guy. 

[3Deep]

Reading this post makes me feel like I've missed out on some good old times LOL, being that I got a pretty nice press with all the bells & whistles from jump and never had problems with micros

[stitches4815]

I want to thank everybody for your comments.  I know we have a long way to go to learn this machine when we get it.  For those that have asked it is a 1996 6/8 Gauntlet Revolver.  The stomach ache has gone away and some excitement has began to creep in.

[Screen Dan]

OOOH!  A GT-6!

We used to have a GT-8 of roughly the same vintage.  That machine had the most buttery smooth micros I have ever touched on any press ever.  Ever ever ever.  The later Gauntlet 2s don't even come close.  Our Gauntlet Z is even worse (I think it's a maintenance issue, honestly)....and the Challenger 3?  Pffft, I'm just glad I don't run that beast.   Very very stiff micros, though I hear they are super precise.

But a GT-6?  As long as it's all snugged up and there is no slop in it?  Those micros are the best.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Dan The Man, you've succeeded in kicking my lazy arse into Maintenance Mode. I'ma take a micro apart, clean it, grease it and see if I can lose the ham....  um..... "Dynamic Excitement Tool" on at least one head.

What could it hurt?

I love the micros on my Hopkins 6/4 and like Tony said, the whole X, Y Axis thing once mastered quickly becomes automatic. It's just that the whole rear clamp thing is totally different than what I learned on the Hopkins years ago. I suppose I'll unlock the rears for larger movements and see what happens.

I don't yet have a pre-registration system like a Tri-Loc. I register to a film taped on a piece of White 3mm Sintra (PVC sheeting for signs) and lift the table. It was ghastly slow at first, not so much now.  If I ever get busy to the point that I can't take the press out of production for my CaveMan Registration System, I'll have to do something different. I just try to schedule higher color count jobs first in the day, setting up after the last job is boxed up from the previous day. Then any one colors go to the manual for printing while I set up the next job on the Gauntlet.

Low volume shops do stuff that simply wouldn't fly in in a higher throughput environment. And I are LOOOW Volume Shop...certain times of year especially.

[stitches4815]

It's been awhile since I have posted about this.  We received the press and just had it installed.  Holy crap!!!  It may be old, it may be ugly, but it is mine.  That thing is amazing.  I don't know why we didn't do this years ago.