Router

Operates routing machine with free moving head to cut excess metal from nonprinting areas of electrotype, stereotype, and photoengraved printing plates...

Operates routing machine with free moving head to cut excess metal from nonprinting areas of electrotype, stereotype, and photoengraved printing plates: Clamps plate face onto routing machine table. Selects cutter bit and installs bit in chuck of routing spindle. Depresses pedal to start machine and moves hand guides to control direction of rotating cutter bit along outlines of design or letters set off by chemically darkened etching. Depresses pedal to raise cutter bit to avoid cutting printing areas of plate. Bevels edges of plates to form nailing surface for mounting plates to wood or synthetic blocks, using router or beveling machine. Mounts curved plates on saddle device in order to cut metal from nonprinting areas. May mount finished printing plates on wood, synthetic, or metal blocks to raise them to printing height, by hand or using automatic plate-mounting equipment [BLOCKER (print. & pub.) I].