[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking.

Baren Digest                Sunday, 17 May 1998        Volume 03 : Number 158

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From: jimandkatemundie@juno.com (James G Mundie)
Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 13:04:58 -0400
Subject: [Baren 787] varnishing blocks 

Graham wrote:

>Make sure you varnish your plates after carving to ... help ... hold out
>moisture.

	I must say that this advice surprised me, Graham.  It seems
sensible, but I had been warned against doing this because it did not
allow the board to "breathe" and would actually encourage the board to
warp and split. 
	I suppose, though, that shina plywood is a different animal than
a "natural" board.  Also, if you are only printing very small runs of
prints at a time, warping and splitting probably isn't much of a
consideration anyway.
	I am curious... what type of varnish are you using?  It must be
very thin indeed not to build up around your thinner lines (as well as
waterproof), no?

***
Thanks for the gelatin information, Dan.

***

Mise le meas,
James Mundie, Philadelphia USA

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 14:11:44 -0700
Subject: [Baren 788] Re: varnishing blocks 

I use a valspar varnish (marine) and it is cut 50/50 with thinner.

I use on an all wood that I use for blocks.

Small runs or big runs it does not matter.  This will also give the surface
just a little more strenght for carving.
I varnish before and after carving.

Who Said.....  Noboru Sawai and he learned it from his teacher Toshi Yoshida

Cherry wood may not need it but basswood does.

Graham

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End of Baren Digest V3 #158
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