Living Room Letter-Press

Building a tabletop press is a fantastic way to work together with your teen on a challenging, hands-on project. With a little bit of planning and a day of fairly simple construction, you and your teen will build a long-lasting tabletop press, create your own print designs with linoleum blocks, and letterpress a series of unique prints. Use your creations to make personalized cards, stationary, and letters!

Note: As this project has many steps, it might be easier to read all the directions first and visualize or draw a picture of the finished product before starting.

To Build the Press

What You Need: (All materials available at most hardware stores.)

• Four 12" x 12" sheets of ¾" plywood
• Six 4" x 12" sheets of ¾" plywood
• Five 8" x 12" sheets of ¾" plywood
• Four 16" lengths of 1/2" diameter all-thread
• 16 sets of nuts and washers to fit the all-thread
• One 9" press screw, diameter 11/16"
• Wood glue
• Drill with 1/2" and 11/16" bits

What to Do:

• Build the Base.

1. Glue all 12" x 12" pieces of plywood together using wood glue to form a 12" x 12" x 3" block.
2. Once the block is made, use the ½" bit to drill four holes total, two on each side of the block. The holes should be centered and no more than 2" apart.
3. Place the all-thread through them. Be sure to put cardboard or newspaper under the base to avoid scratching your work surface.
4. Use eight sets of washers and nuts (two sets per hole, one above and one below the base) to hold the all-thread in place.

• Build the Upper Bar.

1. Glue all 4" x 12" pieces of plywood together to create a 4" x 12" x 4.5" block.
2. Turn the block vertically on its side so that you can drill through the 4.5" side. Using a ½" bit, drill four holes (two on each side of the upper bar) to match the holes in the base.
3. With the 11/16" bit, drill one hole through the middle of the block. Insert the press screw so that its handle sticks out from the top of the upper bar.
4. Once the press screw is attached, slide the upper bar over the all-thread, using eight sets of washers and nuts to keep it in place.

• Build a Platen.

1. The platen is the block that presses down onto the base to create an impression in your paper. Glue all 8" x 12" pieces of plywood together with wood glue. Once it's dried, your platen is ready to use.