When I acquired the second of my Arabs (since passed on to new owners) I also got a copy of the instructions sent out with each new press to help printers put them together. I've kept this booklet and it has given hours of fascination. Because that second Arab had to be entirely dismantled to the last nut and bolt, I appreciated having the instructions as an aide-memoire. As you will see one owner took issue with the manufacturer’s instructions and there is a variant narrative running through several sections.
I feel, having used these instructions, that I may have learned useful things in the dismantling which cover some of the disputed or unclear points in the booklet. Be that as it may, it is good to have evidence of how the manufacturers intended it to be done. And a word of advice: watch out for the back platen legs. They are out to get you, and they play hard.
Download scanned booklet
PDF download (about 1.7MB) This file download is provided in the belief that the original text is out of copyright. If you wish to claim copyright ownership please contact me.
To make sense of the numbers and names, you will need the illustrated list of parts. I do not have a copy that is worthy of reproduction so please ask around.
The image shows the side elevation of the press. It is taken from a British Printer issue of the 1870s