[Baren] the mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking Baren Digest Thursday, 3 August 2000 Volume 12 : Number1101 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2000 09:35:02 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10789] Re: Baren Digest V12 #1100 tying barens > Perhaps something a little more sophisticated than my simple 'wooden > foot'? > Dave, that's a neat device--is that a baren tying machine? I guess you'd be the machine, but I'd like to hear more about the "wooden foot" and how it works. I can probably guess, but a description would be nice. * * * Graham, why is John being so silent about his new barens. How is the one he has invented different from the one you tried of mine at Boot Camp? I don't have the big expensive one, but if you remember you liked how it worked. I had bought it from Dave's man at Woodlike. Gayle ------------------------------ From: Blouin Danielle Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2000 09:56:35 -0500 Subject: [Baren 10790] Re: Revolution Thank you David for the picture of the baren, I've tyed on the sheath last week and saying true is wasn't esthetic but worked pretty well, it's mostly the handle that is looking a little weird but have a pleasant feeling, I worked with the Yoshida instructions found in your library site. So this will give an additionnal hand for me when i'll make it. Thanks again Danielle ------------------------------ From: Lynita Shimizu Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2000 10:26:18 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10792] Re: Baren Digest V12 #1100 tying barens > Perhaps something a little more sophisticated than my simple 'wooden > foot'? > I'm another follower of the "foot method" for covering barens. Another bad habit I developed is using masking tape to hold the first twist of the sheath while making the second twist. I wouldn't recommend doing this as the lacquer is starting to lift from the ategawa after so many years of cheating. Speaking of ategawa, my husband takes off tomorrow for a business trip to Japan and I am hoping he can make a stop at the Woodlike place to check out their ategawa. I have two; the one I am using came with my original good baren, and the other one I made in a class in Tokyo. The one I made (with the 30 layers of paper glued over a period of 30 days onto a wooden mold) is now warped and basically useless. Guess it's best to stick with the pros. Lynita ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Thu, 03 Aug 2000 07:29:27 +0900 Subject: [Baren 10799] Re: tying barens Gayle wrote: > Dave, that's a neat device--is that a baren tying machine? No, nothing special at all. It simply holds down one end of the cover while I tie and twist the other end. I considered making a more complex jig, with little 'catches' that would hold each of the four corners as I tied them, but haven't gone that far. If I do _that_, then I'd obviously lose completely whatever hand skills I have here ... Don't want to turn myself into a 'machine' you know! *** Lynita wrote: > Speaking of ategawa, my husband takes off tomorrow for a business trip > to Japan and I am hoping he can make a stop at the Woodlike place He should remember that Matsumura-san's place is also open Sunday afternoons; it's the best time to go - when all their normal lumberyard business is quiet, and it's open only for the printmakers. *** Danielle wrote: > it's mostly the handle that is looking a little weird > but have a pleasant feeling Weird is OK ... what it has to be is _tight_! *** April wrote: > Gampi is used for hanshita, the first drawing, right? Think it will work > for kyogo--printing the key block for transfer to the color blocks? I think > kyogo is usually printed on a thin, lightly sized, kozo paper? Gampi is pretty thin and delicate for kyogo ... If you can get away with it, without getting any distortion or twisting as you paste it down, then my hat is off to you! > a thin, lightly sized, kozo paper For this purpose, it is usually _heavily_ sized, and then 'killed' by rubbing it with the baren on a blank block. You mentioned the 'crispy' feel - this comes from the strong sizing ... the idea is to make it as stable as possible. Dave ------------------------------ From: "Jean Eger" Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2000 16:26:33 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10800] baren covering Please allow me to contribute my original baren covering construction technique, using cable ties. It is on my web site at http://users.lanminds.com/~jeaneger/jean/baren.jpg Sincerely, Jean Eger http://users.lanminds.com/~jeaneger ------------------------------ From: Mike Lyon Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2000 22:41:01 -0500 Subject: [Baren 10801] Re: Baren Digest V12 #1100 >I would be interested in know how many have: >a. tied on a bamboo sheat. >b. would like to tied one on..... Ok, Graham, count me as one more... Does it count if I have made four? Mine are 1/4" plywood disc, braided kite twine (finest one), braided heavier twine (another fine one), small bead chain hot melt glued in tight spiral to heavy paper disc (cooked in oven under weight to make beads sink in evenly) -- this one is coarse, and large bead chain (1/8" beads) similarly glued -- very coarse -- leaves nice baren bokashi, but hard on sheath. My bamboo sheaths only get four or five pleats on each side of twist, as I'm not too patient, but they are tight and give me good results. Not quite like using my teacher's beautiful lacquered paper baren, but I have pride of manufacture... Mike Lyon ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2000 22:25:41 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10803] Re: Baren Digest V12 #1100 > My bamboo sheaths only get four or five pleats on each side of >twist, as I'm not too patient, but they are tight and give me good Sound most interesting. You have done something I have not take time to do. Now, that John has come around I probably will never get to it. It is truely enjoyable to work with, on, and generally fool around with tools. If they work who cares what they look like. Skin is only beauty deep. Graham ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Thu, 03 Aug 2000 18:29:41 +0900 Subject: [Baren 10804] Re: Baren tying, etc. Mike wrote: > Oh, I am so embarrassed by my crude, crude barens !! > Beautiful job, Dave! Two points here Mike ... 1) my tying is slowly getting better (three steps forward, two back ...), but if you want to see a _good_ job, check out these: A baren just received from Gosho-san, with of course, his own tying job: http://woodblock.com/temporary/barens/gosho01.jpg A 'Murasaki' baren as it comes out of the box, tied by the maker: http://woodblock.com/temporary/barens/murasaki.jpg _These_ are worth getting excited about! 2) Going by your description of your baren-making experiments, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. These beautiful traditional tools were developed over many decades (centuries) by people doing exactly what you have done - tried this and tried that and tried this again ... It's the only way forward. When I get a chance to try some new kind of baren, I do so with an open mind and eager expectations. I haven't really seen anything yet that matches what I'm used to with the 'hon' baren, but I'm ready and waiting! I look forward to hearing more about your experiments (and so does John Root if I'm not mistaken!) Dave ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V12 #1101 *****************************