Baren Digest              Friday, 15 December 2000      Volume 13 : Number 1245


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From: "jerelee" <jerelee@main.nc.us>
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 09:02:39 -0600
Subject: [Baren 12482] Re: Speedball Printing/lino cuts 

DAN DEW - Really enjoyed seeing your colorful lino prints. Could you explain
your methodology? Are these prints called reduction cutting? What do you add
to your Speedball inks for a thinner consistency?

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From: "Kinzua" <Kinzua@email.msn.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 09:55:00 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12483] Re:   Baren Digest V13 #1244 

Hi,
When I started doing woodcuts over 10 years ago someone gave me a gift
certificate to Garrett Wade and I bought a bunch of tools that I've used
ever since.  Especially the micro-carving set.  Check them out at
http://garrettwade.com/.   Look under carving tools, then cutting tools for
carving.  I still use Speedball too but I love my little micro tools!
Karen

http://homepages.msn.com/timessquare/kfberkenfeld/

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From: Daniel Dew <ddew@tampabay.rr.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 14:04:36 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12484] Re: Speedball Printing/lino cuts 

Thank you for the compliment!
Methodology sounds so formal.  They are reduction block prints, or as some
would call them, "suicide blocks".  Start off by thinking in terms of the
white space, carve that and print the lightest color in your design.  Then
continue to work backwards (light to dark).  I very rarely ever cut or thin
the colors, using them straight out of the tubes.  I like the buildup of ink
by the 8th or 9th color, reminds me of an oil painting about then.  It also
seems to wrinkle my dry paper if I thin the ink too much.  I have at times
thinned my Speedball ink using the Speedball Extender.  I also roll my inks.

Hope this helps.

I hope to have an explanation with pictures up on my site (www.dandew.com)
in the near future.

dan dew

> DAN DEW - Really enjoyed seeing your colorful lino prints. Could you explain
> your methodology? Are these prints called reduction cutting? What do you add
> to your Speedball inks for a thinner consistency?----- Original

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From: Daniel Dew <ddew@tampabay.rr.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 14:53:31 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12485] In The Nick Of Time 

Just when I thought, "I'm not going to waste any more money on juried
shows", I got one of my pieces accepted!
http://www.dandew.com/proverbs16_30.htm

Oh well, thanks for the encouragement Maria et al, or I never would have
tried again.

Not only that I got a piece in, but an actual "woodblock", which until
joining Baren I had never even heard of one ( i had used only lino up to
that point).

Oh well, back to my dreary job.


dan dew

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From: "Jeanne Norman Chase" <studiojnc@prodigy.net>
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 15:19:51 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12486] Japanese Drier 

When I am working on an oil painting on canvas, I sometimes use a Japanese
drier to hasten the process along, especially when working on a commision.
 Question is; how does a Japanese drier interact with the relief inks on
paper?
Anyone know the answer?

Mike, your snake is fantastic. All of the slithering critters are great, but
you certainly had a different "twist" on the subject.

I put all of my Dragons in a neat scrapbook, I will do the same with these
snakes.

What is the year 2002 ?  I am getting ahead of myself here.

Jean, I think the reason that you are getting 2 snakes is because you are
listed twice.

Jeanne N.

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From: "jerelee" <jerelee@main.nc.us>
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 16:50:23 -0600
Subject: [Baren 12487] Re: japanese woodblocks 

Wanda, I carve thru the mylar to the woodblock.Jerelee----- Original
Message -----

>
> Jerelee - Did you carve through the mylar pasted down on your blocks? The

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From: "eli griggs" <eli.griggs@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 17:33:59 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12488] speedball tools 

Hi there:

Speedball, x-acto and 'regular' tools can be easily and quickly brought back
to a near razors edge by the use of honing compound and wooden strops.

These things are so cheap to make that you can have a form fitting hone for
every tool you carve with.  Keep these to the side as you work and when your
tool needs a bit of touch up, there they are.

Honing compound is a mix of very fine abrasive particulars into a binder
that allows the application of the compound to leather, wood, felt, cloth or
paper.  The abrasives remove metal and will bring up an edge better,
depending on which compound you use, than what can be had with a very fine
waterstone.

By the way, I do not recommend the use of powered hones for fine carving
tools. Some people swear by them but I think they eat away too much of the
tool and round over edges.  Better results will be had with wood hones.

Use the same angles that you carve with for making and using the hone!

All you need to do to use a honing compound is to take some basswood or soft
pine (either in a board or as a 'slip-stone') and carve in line with the
grain of the wood, with each gouge, a form fitting slot long enough to be of
use.

 3 or so inches of travel will be fine for most small gouges.  For 'regular'
gouges, turn the tool upside down and gradually work a slot into the wood
that is a close form fit as well.  The travel length will be shorter.

Speedball gouges, and some carving tools (V's and U's,) because of the way
they are made or need to be sharpened, will not be able to make the reverse
slot.  Never mind because you can apply honing compound to wood dowels or
slips and get the same results.

To use your new strop, work the compound in slowly and use your tool to in a
'drawing down' action to help spread the compound.

DO NOT cake the compound onto your hone.  If, when you draw the tool down
the hone (NEVER PUSH), excessive compound cakes up onto the tool, then you
have applied too much.

A well made and prepared hone will turn black as the tool is being used.
That is the indication that metal is really being removed. So if you do not
see blacked compound then you have applied too little or too much.

Maintain your strop by rubbing in a LITTLE compound every now and again and
when the hone wears out, toss it and make a new one.

Make a wood strop for knifes, chisels and flats.  Leather is often used but
even with the stiffest leather on wood, there is a small but telling
rounding over of the edge of the tool.  Why buy the best edge tool made if
you never bring it up to its' potential?

U gouges should be sharpened by laying them on the sides and honing the
sides like you would a chisel or knife.  Make a shallow slot for the curve
of the gouge and sharpen that part as if a gouge.  Use a small wooden slip
or dowel to touch up the inside, honing first one side, then the other and
finally the curved area.

V tools should also be sharpened like this but make a small groove in a flat
of wood and draw the 'v' of the tool down this.  Use a wood slip on the
inside of the tool for the wings and the intersection.

Slips can be easily made by many cutting methods but if you know someone
with a framers mitre sawbox then it is a simple thing to make a range of
slips in different sizes.  Make several in the shape of Japanese water
slips.  Be careful of the woods grain direction.

If you know a wood turner, have him/her turn you an assortment of tapered
dowels and use these on the insides of gouges.

The only honing compounds that I recommend are the "Yellow Stone" sold by
Woodcraft and chromium oxide, which can be had most everywhere.  For some
tools I will use both.

Yellow Stone is peach in colour and cuts very quickly.  Apply it dry to your
strop.  It is less fine than the chromium oxide.

Chromium oxide is green like the paint (it's the same stuff, different
binder) and give the sharpest edge.  It cuts quickly and is more wax like
than the yellow hone.  You can rate this stuff like an 8000 grit stone and
if you use it after an 8000 grit waterstone you should gain maximum in edge
sharpness for your tool.

If  you can't find the green compound, you can take good quality chromium
oxide oil paint and paint it onto a strop or dowel.  When it dries you can
use it like a normal hone, though it may cut a bit slower than the above, it
will give fine results.

Seasons best,

Eli Griggs
Charlotte N.C.
USA

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From: "eli griggs" <eli.griggs@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 17:38:34 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12489] Re: snakes! 

Hi there:

I, Eli Griggs, do hereby admit to being a late sign-up.

My address is:

1444 Winston Drive
Charlotte, N.C.
28205-2058
USA

Seasons Best


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End of Baren Digest V13 #1245
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