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Message 1
From: Charles Morgan
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 06:09:47 -0800
Subject: [Baren 32901] Re: heavy metal press
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Yes, it will work. Steam roller printing (actually using paving
equipment) has been a popular event in many places, and has lots of
public appeal. Just do a google search to find lots of examples. In
particular, have a look at the website below:

http://www.umt.edu/art/dod/steam/index.htm

Click on the photo titled "Printing". Seems their steam roller packed
it in, so they resorted to using a garden roller. There are several
photos of the garden roller at work.

As for hydraulic jacks, I have made a press from a standard bottle
jack which I use all the time. It works quite well. I used it to make
my "Year of the Dog" cards and most recently my prints for the
alphabet exchange. I distribute plans freely. Email me off list and I
will email a .pdf file to you.

Cheers ..... Charles

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Message 2
From: "Marilynn Smith"
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 06:28:03 -0800
Subject: [Baren 32902] Re: Baren Digest (old) V38 #3816
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Harry, the slaveship print is amazing. It makes a powerful statement.
Marilynn

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Message 3
From: "Mann, Ryan"
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 08:37:07 -0600
Subject: [Baren 32903] Re:latest print
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What a great print. It has a primitive feel to it that reflects the
primitive conditions of the slaves and primitive thinking of their
captors.

Staring at it, the individual outlines seem to meld into a single mass.

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Message 4
From: David Harrison
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:42:32 +0000
Subject: [Baren 32904] Re: heavy metal press
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Ah, a steamroller -- I can dare to dream :-) In the same vein, I was
just walking to the post office and passed a building site where they're
using a piledriver. Now *that* looks like fun!

(BTW, if you search 'pile driver printing' on Google, the first article
is 'The effect of pile driving on fish'. Flatfish, perhaps?)

I have your hydraulic jack plan from earlier in the year -- it looks
like a great step up from nipping presses. Plus the plexiglass sliding
registration sheet is a must-try.

Just one question -- I'd be nervous about exerting too much pressure and
having six tons of force splitting the top beam or shearing off bolts!
How well does the whole setup behave?

cheers,

David

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Message 5
From: Charles Morgan
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 07:59:08 -0800
Subject: [Baren 32905] Re: heavy metal press
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I have never had any problems. I really bear down on the jack pump
handle, and nothing has cracked yet. I use two 2x4s laminated
(screwed and glued) for the top and bottom bars. The lamination is
stronger and less likely to crack than a single 2x4. Using just one
hand, I do not think you could exert enough pressure to crack anything.

As to shearing off the bolts ... well, that would be almost
impossible with this set up. I use smaller bolts on a hydraulic press
I made for my machine shop ... put together with heavy angle iron.
While pressure forming steel plate, I have exerted enough pressure to
cause the seals in the jack to fail, but the bolts did not shear.

Do not shortchange a nipping press, if you can get your hands on one.
I have several, and they work quite well ... but they are very heavy
... and getting more expensive all the time.

Cheers ..... Charles

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Message 6
From: David Harrison
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:07:14 +0000
Subject: [Baren 32906] Re: heavy metal press
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That sets my mind at rest a little -- wasn't sure how easy it was to
overload things!

As for nipping presses, I bought one a little while ago. Thanks to a
slow day on eBay and my brother's courier account it didn't cost too
much either. Not sure if the top plate is totally 'true' to the bottom one.

Searching the archives I read that you use a felt > tablecloth > paper >
block > perspex 'sandwich'. Will the felt help even out a tiny
misalignment between plates? I have a couple of small sheets of felt on
order just in case.

cheers,

David

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Message 7
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 10:19:08 -0600
Subject: [Baren 32907] RE: Technical Printing Advice Please
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Dear Alex,

PAPER:

Use the 'right' paper to learn moku-hanga (I've printed on Rives and it's
NOT suitable as it's quite soft and very short fibered and so pills up
easily under repeated baren printing so it's VERY HARD to use)...

For moku-hanga you want a LONG-fibered paper, strong as possible to
withstand the baren, and homogenous as possible (no clumps or other
thickness variations)... Hold potential paper up to the light and look for
variations in light and shadow (you don't want any) to check for even-ness,
especially in handmade papers). Usually you'll want to purchase papers with
both sides sized (which makes the surface stronger, reduces absorption, and
reduces 'bleeding' of pigment along paper fibers).

You'll have easiest and best results with a paper made especially for
moku-hanga -- most used fibers are from mulberry (kozo) or gampi and these
are available from Baren Mall http://barenforum.org/mall/products/paper.php
(#23, New Hosho is relatively inexpensive for these very large sheets and
works quite well) and from McClains Printmaking Supplies at
http://imcclains.com/catalog/paper/groupa.html (I'd recommend their gampi
'natural' although it is 'clumpier' than I'd wish and expensive)

Baren Mall's Yamaguchi Hosho is expensive but very strong and well suited to
MANY over-printings with baren without pilling -- takes the pigment very
well -- sizing in recent batches is kinda sparkly which is weird but seems
to make the prints sparkle as well
http://barenforum.org/mall/products/hosho.html

Iwano Ichibei is Japan Living National Treasure of papermaking -- you can
purchase his paper as well (even more expensive and even stronger and more
consistent and WONderful!!!
http://barenforum.org/mall/products/iwano_hosho.html -- this is what I've
been printing on for several years and there is none finer that I know of!

For MUCH cheap papers,

Kitakata is very thin (MUCH harder to print many layers on thin paper as it
doesn't hold much moisture before becoming over-saturated and soft) but
prints well
http://www.danielsmith.com/cgi-bin/sgsh0113.exe?FNM=00&CATG=INFO+MKCA&UID=20
07022807284670

Mulberry is also very thin but VERY strong and prints well
http://www.danielsmith.com/cgi-bin/sgsh0113.exe?FNM=00&CATG=INFO+MKCI&UID=20
07022807284670

Kozo lightweight is heavier than the above and also OK
http://www.danielsmith.com/cgi-bin/sgsh0113.exe?FNM=00&CATG=INFO+MKCH&UID=20
07022807284670

Iyo Glazed is very white and has a 'crisp' pebbly surface which makes color
print very bright and somewhat grainy
http://www.danielsmith.com/cgi-bin/sgsh0113.exe?FNM=00&CATG=INFO+MKCE&UID=20
07022807284670

Masa -- SUPER CHEAP (less than 70 cents for a 20 x 30 sheet?) paper which is
surprisingly strong under the baren
http://www.danielsmith.com/cgi-bin/sgsh0113.exe?FNM=00&CATG=INFO+MKEF&UID=20
07022807284670

Okawara 'scroll' -- want BIG (36x72 inch) inexpensive paper?
http://www.danielsmith.com/cgi-bin/sgsh0113.exe?FNM=00&CATG=INFO+MKEC&UID=20
07022807284670

Excellent results can also be obtained with lighter weight (90 lb.?) 'hot
press' (very smooth surface) watercolor papers. Try Arches.

INKS:

I do not like AKUA for moku hanga.

MUCH better results can be obtained with any decent tube water color but
that's quite expensive.

MOST pigment for the buck is by mixing dry pigment with alcohol to a paste
and then with water to workable consistency. Dry pigments are a health
hazard (breathing fine particles) and messy to work with.

Pigment Suspensions are almost as cheap and almost as strong and are what
I've been using for a number of years... EXCELLENT STUFF! Createx Pure
Pigments are decent, but the BEST I've used are from Guerra Paint and
Pigment http://www.guerrapaint.com/

Blacks -- carbon black or, for ease of use, a good quality prepared SUMI
works GREAT! 'Cheap' sumi (like Yasutomu) used full-strength tends to dry
with a gloss, so you'll have to experiment. I've had good results with
Bokuju.

INK APPLICATION:

Print DRYER!!! If result isn't dense enough, a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
application and printing is MUCH better and more controllable than a single
gloppy wet application and printing. Keep brush from getting gloppy and
don't use too much paste and water... The block should look matte (never
glossy) prior to dropping the paper. No WET places on surface or in
relieved areas!

BAREN:

Hold baren parallel to block surface at all times and use very light
'feather' touch in areas of fine detail and around edges -- use heavy
pressure only when printing large flat areas of color.

Keep baren oiled (slightly glossy but not so much that it appears on the
paper) with camellia oil -- cheapest in larger bottles on Baren Mall
(horrendously expensive elsewhere) 240cc bottle (about 9 oz) for about $12
http://barenforum.org/mall/products/print_accessories.php

EMBOSSING OF PAPER SUPPORT EDGES -- these need to be carved or sanded
'round' prior to printing so there's no 'edge'. Also, use care with baren
so you don't print heavily on paper supports.

Well, I probably haven't touched on all your questions, but this'll get you
started in the right direction. I'm sure others will reply with their own
suggestions as well.

BOKASHI (GRADATION):

Build wide gradations in several printings, from narrower to wider. Use one
brush oriented the same way for each printing. Take your time and do it
subtly and you'll like the results!

Good luck!

Mike

Mike Lyon
Kansas City, MO
http://mlyon.com/blog
http://mlyon.com

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Message 8
From: "steffan ziegler"
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 08:41:00 -0800
Subject: [Baren 32908] Re: heavy metal press
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While I was at the University of Washington, one of the MFAs, Roger Bogers,
printed a six foot wide woodblock of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the
Garden of Eden, using a lawn roller. It turned out pretty well. He doesn't
seem to have a web presence, but if you know anyone in seattle, he can be
found in Pikes Place Market on the weekends selling his prints. He's a nice
guy, and I'm sure he'd talk about his technique.

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Message 9
From: Charles Morgan
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 10:50:54 -0800
Subject: [Baren 32909] Re: heavy metal press
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>Searching the archives I read that you use a felt tablecloth >paper > block > perspex 'sandwich'. Will the felt help even out a
>tiny misalignment between plates? I have a couple of small sheets of
>felt on order just in case.

The top plate should be somewhat "loose". On nipping presses it is
usually attached at the center by a sort of ball joint. This wobble
effect allows the two plates to align perfectly. Check the top plate
of your press ... it may have pits from corrosion. If so, just use
tape to attach a piece of plexiglass to the top plate, and you will
be back to a smooth surface.

The purpose of the felt is to compensate for small variations in the
flatness of the block and small variations in the thickness of the
paper. Some use matboard or something quite stiff. I have not had
good success with stiff material; the felt works well for me. I
sometime print foilographs, which are a sort of collagraph. These
plates are not really flat, but are slightly 3 dimensional. The felt
helps force the paper into the valleys in the surface. I also use my
bottle jack press to print petroglyphs ... I use natural stone,
without polishing, so the surface can be quite 3 dimensional. In that
case I use heavy auto insulation felts and/or thick foam.

Cheers .... Charles

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Message 10
From: David Harrison
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 23:09:48 +0000
Subject: [Baren 32910] Re: heavy metal press
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On closer inspection you're absolutely right -- it's within the range of
movement allowed by a socket. I'll try the plexiglass -- way less pricey
than building a hydraulic press!

Do you have a link to any petroglyph work? It sounds fascinating.

cheers,

David

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Message 11
From: Charles Morgan
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 17:06:34 -0800
Subject: [Baren 32911] Re: heavy metal press
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Hi David,

I have sent you some of my petroglyph images by private email.

Cheers ..... Charles

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