[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Saturday, 7 February 1998 Volume 02 : Number 062 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Phil Bivins Date: Fri, 06 Feb 1998 09:54:55 -0500 Subject: [Baren 339] Re: Archive delay ... Dave: Have a good and safe trip. I saw some news on CNN yesterday about the festival. I believe it's the same one. The incredible ice carvings, is it the same? One of these days.... Phil ------------------------------ From: Phil Bivins Date: Fri, 06 Feb 1998 09:55:51 -0500 Subject: [Baren 340] Re: Supplies from Canada Graham Scholes wrote: > Phil Bivins has requested information about the Supplier of woodblock > equipment I know in Vancouver (My Teacher) Noboru Sawai. Thanks Graham for the info. I'll let you know. Take care, Phil ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Fri, 6 Feb 1998 09:44:22 -0800 Subject: [Baren 341] Re: Drying Matt wrote: >Graham, > Am curious to ask a bit more of your drying. Do you do anything to >remove moisture before putting prints into that 3-day stack Nope. They are slightly damp, that is to say starting to curl around the edges very slightly - to - damp and flat. > i.e. do they get stacked more than once? Nope > Do you ever have them move (wrinkle and warp) after the 3 days? Nope > then a few days later the prints develop a gentle 'wave' here or >there in the pile. This must be because their moisture content is not the same >as the ambient air moisture I don't know. I only print about 10 to 20 sheets at a time, depending on the number of colours. (12 colours or more 10 sheets). I wonder if this is why I don't have a problem. Although I know Noboru does all 75 and he dries the same way. >the question being how to improve my technique to >get the stack dry (totally dry) What thickness of chip or mill board are you using to dry. Mine is 60 pt. Thicker the better as it absorbs a lot more moisture. Bet this is your problem. > Sounds like he's not using a great deal of >pressure on the stack whereas you are. You need enough pressure as the mill board warps and this will leave you with warped prints. > (Mind I am speaking of drying rag papers, I print primarily on a Rives >Heavyweight; the washi seems to dry more easily, but >the principles one would assume are the same.) Ah ah,....Rives Heavyweight .....you say. Well for sure it is going to take more drying time as this material hold a lot more moisture. I have used it for on small prints. I wonder during the moisture laden time of year you should dry them twice. Remove after a few days.... dry in the room...including the mil board and dry again under pressure. That Rives is probably the problem. What kind of Rives are you using. I have used BFK and requires huge pressure to get smooth coverage. I know you can get it run through a press when damp and it will flatten the sucker out. >For the record: any solid wood less than 3/4" thick (unless it is a >tiny block), is going to warp a great deal under the uneven moisture of >printing. And, though re-sawing seems a way to conserve wood, the planing and >flattening involved means there is bound to be a lot more lost than just the >thickness of a saw blade. I have used 5/8" and it was not a problem. Above I mention I only print a limited number of sheets. Well this is also to prevent getting the wood so moisture laden that it starts to swell to a point that it will cause a permanent warp to occur. Using shina solves this. It certainly has its place......but.... I don't like the high tech look of it. Hope this helps. Have a good day Graham ------------------------------ From: Jean Eger Date: Fri, 06 Feb 1998 14:59:06 -0800 Subject: [Baren 342] Re: Baren Digest V2 #61 Dear Baren, I am still at the time-consuming job of publicizing the California Society of Printmakers show...but wanted to mention something about birch plywood. I have not systematically investigated all the woods. However birch ply is recommended for beginniners in at least one California university. I like birch plywood because it is inexpensive and appropriate for the prints I've been making lately, which are journalistically inspired, but with crude imprecise cutting, leaving many reversal mistakes in the print. The wood accepts both oil-based inks and water based inks, although I paint it with shellac for the oil-based ink. Empty pockets between the glued sheets is a problem. My mentor recommends the thick birch ply--3/4 inches thick. The thin ply will warp before you get it home. The thick stuff is much more stable, although it's heavy to carry around a four foot by eight foot piece. Well, my prints are not THAT big. I admire Sandy Walker's woodcuts and his ARE that big. His are made on cheap plywood. (I have to call him and ask him if I can show one of his prints on my page.) I think cheap plywood is a special kind that is only available in this area to top artists. What do you think? Jean Eger ------------------------------ From: Ray Esposito Date: Fri, 06 Feb 1998 04:24:02 -0500 Subject: [Baren 343] The Color White What is the general practice of the color white, as in clouds, in wood block? Do you cut a block for the color white or is the general practice to use the paper color as white? Ray Esposito ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V2 #62 **************************