PSA: check your press plates before you wreck another batch

Spent last weekend doing a run of 30 journals and every third spine came out crooked. Thought it was my folding or the glue temp, swapped everything twice. Turns out my press plates had a tiny bow in them from sitting against a damp wall for like 6 months. Laid them on a flat surface and you could see the gap clear as day. Flattened them with a mallet and dead level now, but check yours if your spines keep shifting. Has anyone else had warped plates sneak up on them like this?

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sethanderson20d ago

Mallet flattening sounds like a band-aid more than a fix, honestly. A slight bow might work fine for soft stacks but I'd bet money they'll shift again once you really crank down on a big run.