Very Special Delivery

Woot woot woot woot! It’s here: my brand new Whelan XPress etching press!

I’ve been busy this past week cleaning and organizing and making space for it. I think when I talk about it, people don’t really realize how big a press is. My old one was miniscule, the size of good coffee-table book. My new one is an Industrial Machine. The only place to fit it, and the room with the best light, is the kitchen. Here is the newly-emptied kitchen, floor polished, ready for the press to arrive.

I got home from work and spent a few hours fidgeting until finally, FedEx. Here is the press in its box, poised on the liftgate, ready to be lowered to the ground.

I live in a cottage behind another house, so it was a bit of a long push to get the press to where it needed to go, especially since a tree branch prevented the truck from pulling in to the driveway. As luck would have it, my front neighbors were having their house re-painted, and the workman was willing to help out.

Finally, around the corner and to my door.

The press was beautifully wrapped and boxed. Lots of plastic wrap kept moving parts still, and straps kept the press firmly in place on its palette. The giant outer cardboard box lifted right off, and was donated to the pack of children across the street, much to their delight.

A bit more heavy lifting was required to get the press off the palette, and I had to remove the wheel in order for it to fit through the kitchen door. Still, it was really easy process to get it into the house.

Some cutting of plastic wrap.

A complementary apron! With lots of good pockets!

More layers coming off….

and a little bit more….

Ah! There it is, ready to go. I left a layer of cardboard on the press bed for the time being, as an anti-cat protective measure. Tomorrow I will commandeer a sheet to drape over the press when it’s not in use. And tomorrow I will get to play with my lovely new toy.

Another view of the press and the kitchen. Now we’re cooking!