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

Baren Digest             Saturday, 5 December 1998     Volume 05 : Number 364

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From: "Ray Esposito" <brassring@brassring.org>
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1998 20:15:23 -0500
Subject: [Baren 2247] I'm baaaccck 

Hi Folks

The relocation is complete but the unpacking will take another week or more.
Between setting u a new house, the Society's offices and the gallery/studio,
everything is still boxed and waiting.

When I logged on, there were 556 messages.  As I was almost finished
downloading them, the telephone installed accidently hit a crossed wired and
for some reason, Netscape began sending all the messages again.  More than
1,100 posts in my mailbox.  Fortunately it was simple to delete all the junk
and the double baren posts.

I have read all of the posts and want to respond to a few.  For now however
I need to head out to Washington for a couple of days as I am entering a
show in Virginia.  Will be back Tuesday.

A lot of great info in the posts.  This forum is really becoming the class
of the net.  I see Gary and Graham are still at it.  Go away for a couple of
weeks and the kids act up.  :-)>>>  I will have to take care of it next
week.

Looking forward to getting back into the flow.  Keep those great ideas and
thjoughts coming.

Cheers

Ray

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From: April Vollmer
Date: Sat, 05 Dec 1998 12:38:09 +0900
Subject: [Baren 2248] Isle of Dogs? 

I add my birthday wishes, too...congratulations on creating a Baren
printmaking community, Dave! Glad you are so well organized to keep
track of your business, printing AND Baby Baren (now a toddler). Enjoyed your
descriptions of organizing your business...always a struggle for me.
Matt and Grahm are also inspirations to me for taking business more
seriously. (nice studio, too, Grahm!)

Dan, thanks for the thumbs up! I havn't got my copy of Printmaking Today
magazine with my article on hanga in it, but I look forward to seeing
it. There is a preliminary version of it on my website at:
http://www.ulster.net/~vollmerf/april/about/hanga.html

But if you want to see the completed version with pictures pick up a
copy of the magazine. It seems to be a good one, with lots of interesting
articles on a variety of printmaking techniques, and good pictures.
(Farrand Press, 50, Ferry Street, Isle of Dogs, London E14 3DT, UK;
e-mail: farrandprs@aol.com) love that address.

April Vollmer
174 Eldridge St. #5, NYC 10002
http://www.ulster.net/~vollmerf/april/

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Sat, 05 Dec 1998 12:39:42 +0900
Subject: [Baren 2249] One-Point lesson 

Here is this week's 'One-point' lesson 

(contributed by Dave Bull)

********** ********** **********

(#32)  Reducing knife breakage ...

Although in my earliest days of printmaking I used a single knife blade
for years on end, I've got a bit smarter as I've got a bit older (or at
least a bit less stupid, anyway), and now sharpen my tools frequently. 
Knife blades now last me a couple of months at the longest ...

Frequent sharpening is imperative given the delicacy of the carving that
I do, and I don't begrudge it - what I used to consider a 'chore' I now
just consider 'part of the job', and don't hesitate to turn to the stone
whenever the tool feels even slightly dull.

But what _is_ undeniably frustrating is to spend a few minutes carefully
putting a fine edge on the blade, only to have the tip then break off in
the first few seconds of use.  And not only frustrating, but wasteful;
there goes another millimetre or so of fine steel, wasted ...

There is a small 'trick' though that can be used when doing certain
kinds of carving that will greatly reduce 'tip' breakage. (This is going
to be difficult to explain in words - a photo illustrating the 'point'
(ouch!) is on the Encyclopedia copy of this lesson.)

'Normal' sharpening leaves the point of the knife in a perfect 'point'
shape - the bevel of the blade and one edge of the blade come together
in a perfectly sharp angle.  Exactly what angle is chosen depends on the
carver's preferences, the type of work being done, and the wood in use. 
But the 'finer' the angle chosen, the more likely it is that the point
will soon break.

To reduce this breakage, rub the _back_ edge of the knife blade very
lightly against the stone at such an angle as to 'bevel' the back edge
of the tip of the knife.  (I told you this was difficult to explain!)
Only one or two gentle strokes against the stone will be necessary. If
you do this as the final step in sharpening, the angle at the extreme
tip of the blade will be reduced slightly, and the tip will be far more
resistant to breakage.

Of course, it also means that the point will be less 'fine', and this
method cannot be used when extremely delicate work is being done, but
for most general cutting, such a blade will still cut smoothly, and even
with the reduced angle, it should still turn most corners readily.

Please try it - I think you will find that it greatly extends your blade
life.

********** ********** **********

Next week -  TBA  ...

These 'One-point' lessons are being collected into a section in the
[Baren] Encyclopedia of Woodblock Printmaking.
http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/updates.html

Contributions from experienced printmakers for future 'One-pointers' 
are eagerly solicited.

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From: Matthew.W.Brown@VALLEY.NET (Matthew W Brown)
Date: 05 Dec 98 02:40:56 EST
Subject: [Baren 2250] Printmaking Today 

	I also was excited to see April's article in Printmaking Today. And
something else in the issue caught my eye, right on the inside of the cover in
the Editorial describing the issue, next to the Table of Contents:

". . . interest in the US for contemporary prints using historic Japanese
methods is so strong that, in New York City alone, several galleries specialize
purely in this area." 

Hmmm, is there something going on that we don't know about? Can anybody share
which galleries these might be? (I'll  contact Farrand press and get back to
Baren about this . . . !)

Matt

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End of Baren Digest V5 #364
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