[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Friday, 29 January 1999 Volume 06 : Number 427 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jean Eger Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 07:12:35 -0800 Subject: [Baren 2817] Re: Baren Digest V6 #426 Graham wrote: >Is your computer working OK? Graham, I subscribe to the Digest and so get postings once a day. I enclose the posting (below) by Jean Parus, for clarification. Jean Eger Dear Jean, Hi! while searching for info on printmaking, I surfed across your site and learned all sorts of interesting things. I then found the Baren Encyclopedia and all the goodies there. Recently, after having an awful time trying to get cherry blocks for my wood prints I ran across a brand new site on the web: www.lakeshorehardwoods.com they have beautiful clear faced cherry and other hardwoods suitable for woodblock printing . They will cut to size and plane the blocks for you - though you might want to use your hand plane to give them a glass like surface . They don't seem to charge very much per board foot at all. I am just contacting people with websites who are leaders in woodblock printmaking so that they can check out this site and pass it on if they like it. Thanks for all your good info which has been very useful to me and good luck. - -- Jean D Parus -- ------------------------------ From: "Roger A. Ball" Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 08:43:42 -0700 Subject: [Baren 2818] wood, bookfinder and dremel The Lake Shore Hardwood site mentions butternut. Didn't someone say they were using this? Can anyone attest to its hardness/softness, merits? Is it "fibrous?" I might like to try it... I use a dremel to cut away large areas and an X-acto on virtually everthing else. I must confess also to be looking into and sometimes using a straight-edge razor knife. Thanks, Jim. :o) Well, thanks a LOT for sicking me on bookfinder.com! Now I'm in debt and still finding bargains! I better start selling some dang prints! A hearty welcome to all the new members! Pull up a chair and sit a spell. Peace, - -Roger ------------------------------ From: Don Furst Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 10:49:02 -0500 Subject: [Baren 2819] Re: food for thought Graham wrote: >Jack Shadbolt 1909 - 1998, >You may find this quote... interesting and quite possibly helpful... Graham, That was very nourishing food for thought indeed. Students and professionals alike can benefit from such clear advice about evaluating their artistic efforts. I have printed your message and will copy it for my students. Thank you for the post. -- Don Furst ------------------------------ From: Wanda Robertson Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 10:17:56 -0700 Subject: [Baren 2820] Re: wood, bookfinder and dremel Well, Roger, put the blame where it belongs - on Dave Bull! He posted that address to the list and now I have to build *new* bookshelves. I found and bought so many books that I had to write to the fellow that maintains the site and tell him how great it was, but how broke I was becoming. He wrote back and said he was thinking of starting a new site: "loan-finders.com" :-) Well, at least he has a sense of humor! In case any of you missed it: http://www.bookfinders.com :-) Wanda ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne N. Chase" Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 15:59:17 -0500 Subject: [Baren 2821] Re: food for thought Dear Don Was browsing through an old catalogue that a printmaker friend loaned to me and lo and behold, one of your prints. And might I say it was fantastic. Although, heavens forbid {it was a lithograph and mezzotint.} and not a woodcut. Printmaking is pretty wonderful, is'nt it? Catalog was the Sapporo International Print Biennale Exhibition in l993. Much BELATED congrats . Great print! Jeanne ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 08:55:41 +0900 Subject: [Baren 2822] Interesting site ... Another 'goodie' came in this morning ... *** start quote *** Our company, a Dutch company called Polymetaal, is a manufacturer of printmaking equipment. Apart from etching and litho equipment we manufacture also pressed that are especially developed for printing woodcuts and linocuts. Our program can be seen on http://www.polymetaal.nl It is worth a visit and perhaps it is interesting to exchange links. *** end quote *** I just hopped over there, and found it to be quite an interesting site. Although their main business is selling etching presses, they do have stuff that will be of interest to many of you. There are also sections on printmaking sites, reference books, etc. etc. Dave ------------------------------ From: Brenda Romans Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 09:34:23 +0000 Subject: [Baren 2823] Re: Dremel Drills My husband bought me a Dremel for Christmas (last week!). I also have the cable/pen type attachment which seems much easier to use than the body of the tool. Dick's comment about it taking off is very apt, the thing skids if you are not concentrating hard. Maria mentioned that they (or their ilk) leave burrowy marks - that's just how I'd describe it too. The spherical bit makes this kind of mark but the cylindrical bit makes a squarer mark and may be more useful. I can't comment much on this as I don't have small enough bits to do what I want at the moment. You need a smaller bit than you think you do. I must say though that the spherical bit makes wonderful fishes eyes :-) I also think that hand cutting tools make better marks, and are more satisfying. It might be useful for surface texture though, I use lino a lot and the new stuff I have been buying doesn't etch. Dremel have a very good web site - pictures (and extensive details) of all the attachments to drool over, and suggestions for how to use them in projects. Cheers Brenda ------------------------------ From: Brenda Romans Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 08:05:30 +0000 Subject: [Baren 2824] About plywood? I'm used to working on very small (3" x 2" is typical) end grain blocks with a mirror finish, or lino. Yesterday I tried to print from a 20" x 15" 6mm plywood block and I have some questions. I had a look at the web site and I don't think it addresses the stuff I want to ask. Let me know if I should be posting here or digging further. What I'm trying to do at the moment is print in a pale colour from an uncut block to make full use of the grain pattern. Then I'm going to print from lino on the top. When I get the hang of this I might even start cutting the wood :-) - - Can I cut plywood with an electric jig saw without it splintering? I bought a new hand saw yesterday and it's OK but boy it's hard work. - - I rubbed the surface of the block hard with a rag but was horrified to find tiny little splinters all over my (new!) roller. They seemed quite soft and didn't damage it but I'd like to get rid of them on the next block without getting rid of the grain. - - What do you thin oil based ink with? Medium copper plate oil seems a little gloppy and reducing medium is weird. Cheers Brenda ------------------------------ From: Matthew.W.Brown@VALLEY.NET (Matthew W Brown) Date: 29 Jan 99 07:00:56 EST Subject: [Baren 2825] Cutting plywood, rollers, ink Brenda, Cutting plywood: You could try cutting from the backside, or put masking tape on the face to keep down the splintering, or score your cut line with a knife before using the hand-held jig-saw, or use a bandsaw (which has teeth headed down into the stock rather than up. on thinnning ink: you could try a lighter weight plate oil, flash oil, or maybe even a little kerosene/paint thinner, etc. Gregory on rollers: on Brown Re-grinding: I don't remember getting into detailed specifics when ordering new 'rubber' a year or so ago. They came back looking and working great. Also, there is some great letterpress stuff on the Web with a discussion group quite a bit larger than this Baren. Don't remember addresses but you will no doubt find it with a search. Perhaps you can learn more about rollers there. Matt ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V6 #427 ***************************