SR-71

... except that the last piece of type is also held in place by something.


Not always. The printer that demonstrated this was setting type on an
actual printing press when he showed me, so I saw it first-hand.

So, how was that last piece of type held in place?

Jose
--
"There are 3 secrets to the perfect landing. Unfortunately, nobody knows
what they are." - (mike).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Jose" wrote in message
news
... except that the last piece of type is also held in place by
something.

Not always. The printer that demonstrated this was setting type on an
actual printing press when he showed me, so I saw it first-hand.

So, how was that last piece of type held in place?

If I remember correctly, it was supposed to snap in and sit snug against the
previous text. The completed plate sat up not quite vertically, but near it.
I don't know what they used to fill the space between the end of the type
and the end of the line, but I have no particular reason to think the guy
was making it up when he told me--while he was setting the type--or why he
would spread such an "urban legend" if the press he was demonstrating
contradicted it.

-c

I don't know what they used to fill the space between the end of the type
and the end of the line, but I have no particular reason to think the guy
was making it up when he told me--while he was setting the type--or why he
would spread such an "urban legend" if the press he was demonstrating
contradicted it.

I thought he actually demonstrated it to you, rather than just told you.

Jose
--
"There are 3 secrets to the perfect landing. Unfortunately, nobody knows
what they are." - (mike).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Jose" wrote in message
...
I don't know what they used to fill the space between the end of the type
and the end of the line, but I have no particular reason to think the guy
was making it up when he told me--while he was setting the type--or why
he would spread such an "urban legend" if the press he was demonstrating
contradicted it.

I thought he actually demonstrated it to you, rather than just told you.

No, he didn't break the production equipment anymore than a professional
pilot damages his airplane to demonstrate that it can happen.

Are you REALLY this interested in it? If so, then I'll downshift:

The typesetter was setting up a print job on a vintage printing press. As
he was doing it and describing the process, he explained that the quotes go
on the outside of the period so the period doesn't lean outward and
potentially snap off during the printing process. That's all I know about
it. If you think he was underqualified to explain such a thing or was
somehow being dishonest, or you think I just pulled all of this out of my
ass for the sheer hell of it, then show me what you have to the contrary.

This incident happened at the OSU Printing Press on the southwest corner of
15th and Washington in Corvallis, OR in the spring of 1991 The building
burned down in the summer of 1991 so unfortunately the geological
coordinates won't do any good if you wanted to try to Google Earth down the
building's vent pipe or something. I toured the facility and spoke with
the press operator as part of a senior-level journalism studies class.

Any other questions?

-c

If you think he was underqualified to explain such a thing or was
somehow being dishonest, or you think I just pulled all of this out of my
ass for the sheer hell of it, then show me what you have to the contrary.

I use Microsoft Word, which simulates a printing press. So there.

Actually, old wives tales persist even among the qualified. Ask ten
pilots about lean-of-peak operations and you'll get twelve incompatible
replies.

I suppose that if the type were held together by a block that was not as
high as the letters, this outward bending could occur (and would be more
severe for a printing character because of the contact with the rollers
and paper). I've actually worked at a hand printing press with movable
type, but it was so long ago I don't remember enough details for that to
be very useful. (It was in the Dominican Republic, I was eight.)

I remember a prior discussion (here even) about this very point, and the
arguments brought up then convinced me that it was probably an OWT. I
could be wrong about that... I haven't been wrong at all this year and
I'm probably due for an error. This could be the one.

Jose
--
"There are 3 secrets to the perfect landing. Unfortunately, nobody knows
what they are." - (mike).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

gatt writes:

Are you REALLY this interested in it?

Interested, but not in an aviation forum.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
gatt writes:

Are you REALLY this interested in it?

Interested, but not in an aviation forum.

THEN STOP NITPICKING AT IT HERE AND MOVE ON. YEESH!

-c

Jose writes:

I thought he actually demonstrated it to you, rather than just told you.

It's hard to demonstrate urban legends.

--
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"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Jose writes:

I thought he actually demonstrated it to you, rather than just told you.

It's hard to demonstrate urban legends.

It should be easy even for a chair-pilot to demonstrate urban legends:
http://www.snopes.com.

I've been pretty polite about taking your flying questions here at face
value, and have retreatedly tried to defend you from people here who
repeatedly attack you. Apologies to them for not paying attention; it's
clear now why.

Apparently this is what I get for sticking up for you. The body of people
interested in your words has just decreased by one more. Enjoy your flight
simulators.

*plonk*

-c

gatt writes:

I've been pretty polite about taking your flying questions here at face
value, and have retreatedly tried to defend you from people here who
repeatedly attack you.

I've been pretty polite all my life, and I plan to stay that way.

--
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