Sorting printers type

[durango]

Is there a stickie or discussion (with photos) regarding the sorting and identification of the various printers letters? Primarily I'm concerned with monotype and foundry type. Thanks, Steve

[runfiverun]

little stuff [single letters] is lino.
big blocks are mono [usually,,, sometimes they are just cast from lino too]
thin strips [spacers] can be lino or softer stuff.
foundry is in bars marked foundry [and usually marked do not sell]

[rancher1913]

thought it was mono for single letters and lino for lines of letters, but I could be out in left field.

[durango]

Thanks, but not quite the answer I'm looking for--and--the testing I've had done doesn't jibe with your response. Steve

[triggerhappy243]

Is there a stickie or discussion (with photos) regarding the sorting and identification of the various printers letters? Primarily I'm concerned with monotype and foundry type. Thanks, Steve

I was just typing up a similar question. further back in the archives, there is a good post on this............... but for the life of me, i cannot find it.

[colchester]

There is no easy answer to your question. I will provide some background that might help to understand the difference. Monotype and foundry type are both single letters I say this with 100 percent certainty. There were a handfull of different composition casters that were used to produce produce monotype. The monotype composition casters were used by printers and typesetting shops to produce type. The fact that there were different types of machines that produced characters that have some different characteristics makes ID of monotype difficult. Monotype is generally not as hard as foundry and the type was generally regognized not to be as durable as foundry type. Since monotype was made in job shops all over the country the alloy used to produce it can vary to some degree. Foundry type was produced at type foundrys like ATF the foundry machines used more heat and pressure to produce type and therefore they could use an alloy with more tin and antimony and traces of copper. The type was considered to be more durable.
So to your question. I have asked this same question to letterpress printers and never got a surefire way to distinguish the type. One way is that foundry type will have a groove on the foot of the character but I dont know for a fact that some monotype characters dont have a grooved foot as well. I had a person who is extremely knowledgeable tell me that the foundry has more sheen and is more silvery where the mono has more of a satin and grey appearance.
Sorry this really wont help you sort your type but hopefully it confirms the testing you made

[MaryB]

Line O type is just that. A complete line of type for a newspaper column, spacers for it are used linotype with iffy composition. Still good lead but a **** shoot as to what they are.

Monotype blocks I have seen are hollow inside and have smooth sides.

Foundry type blocks(individual letters) are solid and have a round notch on one of the sides.

At least that is what my research into it came up with. From reading monotype is rare and not used much...

[durango]

Triggerhappy--I believe we're looking for the same thing with the same results.

Colchester--So far, my research pretty much confirms what you said. I will double confirm what you said about the variances between foundries--seems they all had their own recipes for their alloys. A lot of what I learned was on sites for printers, not boolit casters and results of tests I've had done. It seem that their are a lot of old wives tales and speculation
going on out there.

FWIW, I'm dealing with about 200 lbs. of this stuff and because of the much richer tin content of the foundry, I'm hoping to establish a dollar value for it. Also, some of the pieces have 1 or 2 hollow slots in the body of the slug and the notch and that has my curiosity aroused about exactly what these are made of.

SO-----The quest continues--still looking for more feedback. Thanks Everyone,Steve

[triggerhappy243]

there is a member here goes by "bne" he tests metals and can do yours.

[runfiverun]

which is the best way to really know what you got.

I just typed out the metal I go get from the print shop here in town.
yes we still have typesetters here.

[lightman]

I have 3 mixed buckets of this stuff plus 6 or 8 of the 22# bars, or pigs. I know just enough about this stuff to be dangerous!

From my research, Linotype will be lines of type. This would print the whole sentence. Composition should be 4% tin-12% antimony- 84% lead. This would be melted and recast over and over. The alloy would eventually be depleted and it was often sent off to the foundry to be freshened up. There was also alloy available for the print shop to add to the depleted alloy. The spacers between the lines were often linotype but could be about anything.

Monotype was single letters used for headlines and usually was not melted and recast. Composition should be 9% tin - 19% antimony - 72% lead.

Foundry type was also single letters and had a groove in the back of the block. It was also used for headlines and sub titles and lines with larger letters. Composition should be 15% tin - 23% antimony - 62% lead. This was also not normally remelted and recast.

There were a few other lesser used types of type metal like stereotype and electrotype that I have never seen and know very little about. Some of these alloys also tested with a small % of copper and other alloys.

This is an interesting site to check out: http//www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm. I hope I copied that correctly!

As to value, you see it for sale on here occasionally for $2-$2.50 per pound. Most buyers prefer it to be in the original form and not cast into ingots. Some of the letters may have some historical interest and hold more value to a collector. You may want to search EBay for any ideas.

Please post any info that you find and feel free to contradict or challenge anything that I have posted. This is just some info that I have found over the years and may or may not be accurate.