Explore the Best Dickerson Press Repair Services & Replacement Parts
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Dickerson Combination Press Repair Services
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Conrad Machine offers full repairs and restoration services for all Dickerson DC2 combo printmaking presses. Regardless of age or condition, we can repair your press to bring it back to new working order, so you can print again.
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Design
Conrad Press Design
We often acquire many different kinds of printmaking presses from printmakers who trade in their presses toward the purchase of a new Conrad Machine Co. Press. These traded-in presses consist of many different styles of printmaking presses made from many different manufacturers. Once we get a traded-in press, our technicians inspect, test, and rebuild the press
Composite Beds
Ideal for Most Printmakers
A composite bed is an excellent option for tabletop etching presses for most printmakers. The Conrad composite bed offers a combination of precision, durability, and reduced weight. Built from a high-density lignin-resin laminate, this material is engineered to provide an exceptionally flat & smooth surface, making it an ideal printing bed for consistent, high-quality results.
One of the biggest advantages of a composite bed is its durability. With a compressive strength of 29,000 P.S.I., it is extremely resistant to wear and very difficult to dent, making it an excellent choice for classroom use.
At the same time, a composite bed is significantly lighter than steel—about one-sixth the weight—making it much easier to handle in a tabletop press. This reduction in weight improves portability and makes setup and movement more manageable without sacrificing performance.
The result is a bed that is very flat, strong, and reliable, giving printmakers a professional printing surface with the added benefit of easier handling in a compact press.
The composite bed is the right choice for most printmakers who have a smaller budget and don't require the extreme precision of machine ground steel bed.
Steel Bed Plates
The Most Precise Printmaking Bed
A steel bed plate is the most precise and reliable option for tabletop etching presses, offering unmatched performance for serious printmaking. Steel provides an exceptionally flat and accurate surface, making it the best choice for achieving consistent pressure and clean, detailed prints across the entire bed.
Because steel is a stable material, it will not change based on humidity and atmospheric conditions like wood beds. This stability ensures that pressure remains even from one side of the press to the other, which is critical for edition work and high-detail intaglio printing. Unlike softer materials like wood, steel maintains its integrity under repeated use, delivering dependable results every time.
As a hard material, steel is also highly resistant to wear, surface damage, and long-term deformation. It holds up under heavy pressure without developing inconsistencies, making it the preferred choice for printmakers who want maximum precision, durability, and long-term performance from their press.
If you are a serious printmaker who needs the ultimate precision of machine ground flat bed, the steel press bed is the right choice for you.
Aluminum Bed Plates
Precision Printmaking Beds with Less Weight
An aluminum bed plate offers an excellent balance of precision, weight, and durability for tabletop etching presses. It is almost as flat as steel, providing a highly accurate printing surface that delivers consistent pressure and reliable print quality across the bed.
One of the biggest advantages of aluminum is its weight. At roughly one-third the weight of steel, it is much easier to handle, making it a great choice for tabletop presses where portability and ease of setup matter. This lighter weight makes moving, adjusting, and maintaining the press more manageable without sacrificing performance.
Aluminum also has the added benefit of being resistant to rust, unlike steel. This makes it especially useful in studio environments where moisture, damp paper, and inks are part of the process. Even with regular use, it maintains its surface quality with less concern about corrosion.
Despite being lighter, aluminum is still a very strong & stable material, providing the strength and consistency needed for a wide range of printmaking techniques. It offers a dependable printing surface that balances precision, durability, and ease of use for artists and studios alike.
If you are a serious printmaker who needs a precision flat bed, but doesn't want the weight of steel press bed, the aluminum bed is the right choice for you.