Baren Digest            Wednesday, 27 December 2000    Volume 13 : Number 1261


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From: GraphChem@aol.com
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 09:05:29 EST
Subject: [Baren 12658] Re: [Baren   


Etching Ink for relief printing - Graphic Chemical produces the Perfection 
Palette line of inks which are unique in that they work as both etching and 
relief inks. With most etching inks, you have a few problems with viscosity 
and pigmentation. Etching inks are not as highly pigmented as relief type 
inks (because etching inks achieve the final color with a thicker film of ink 
than do relief inks). They are also built on thinner vehicle than relief inks 
(etching = #00 plate oil, relief is generally about a #3 plate oil) Check out 
the website at www.graphicchemical.com.

Dean


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From: Daniel Dew <ddew@tampabay.rr.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 10:45:18 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12660] Second time around 

HELP.
I love to "dew" my reduction prints, or suicide blocks as it were, but have
been having a specific problem that is driving me crazy.
I usually coat the woodblock with a sealant, draw the image with an marker,
carve away (the fun part), then coat again with a sealant, then print.
The problem occurs with the second and following colors.
I have the most difficult time carving into the wood once its been printed.
It chips, the tools don't flow smoothly, ugh, it's frustrating!
Am I doing something wrong?  Missed a step?  This even occurs when proofing!
Once I proof the block, it's murder to carve "clean" lines again.
HELP.

dan dew
tampa, florida



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From: Wanda <robertson@canby.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 09:13:18 -0700
Subject: [Baren 12662] Re: Second time around 

Dan, what kind of wood are you using? And what kind of ink/pigment? Was it
Speedball water based?  Since most of us Hanga addicts don't do 'suicide blocks'
you may just have invented a new way to drive yourself crazy. :-)

I have been using birch "apple core" plywood (from now on Siberian Birch from
Yuri) - not sealing it at all - printing with pigment dispersion (dry pigment
mortared with water) and having no problems at all. Not by "suicide" though. But
I often have to go in after proofing & cut out places & spots that I don't want.
So it could be the wood, the ink, the sealant, etc. etc. etc. It's almost like
chemistry- your ink could be reacting with your sealant/wood/water/air?

Give us all the facts, maybe we can figure it out.

Wanda


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From: Arafat Alnaim <ar_alnaim@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 10:35:22 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 12664] New Approach to Relief Etching 

As I have already mentioned that Prof. Robert
Franzini/ Art Department Chair at Morehead State
University in Kentucky, USA is the developer of this
approach to relief etching. 
The use of ink as an acid resist has probably been
explored at various times and in numerous print shops
around the globe. In this method the ink functions as
a drawing material and acid resist. The image is drawn
onto a copper plate with ink; the ink is hardened and
transformed into an effective acid resist, and the
image bitten into the plate by deep etching. The
result is a relief etching that can inked with hard
brayer and printed using an intaglio press. On the
contrast to other acid resists such as asphalt and
rosin varnish the printing ink does not dry quickly,
thereby providing the artist with ample time to
realize an image. Ink can be applied to the plate in
many ways. For this purpose handmade black printing
ink is the best. Three parts bone to one part vine
pigment were mixed with #3 burnt plate oil. The ink
was ground on stone slab using an ink miller, mulled
to a “stiff” consistency and then sorted in airtight
plastic containers. When actually used, the ink was
augmented with oil to produce the desired consistency.
The ink used in this process was most reliable and
workable when it was mixed to have a slight fall (a
bit short). When the ink was very long (oily), it ran
together in the delicate textural or linear areas
after application, closing them off and destroying
their potential graphic effect. When the ink was too
short, it was much less workable in terms of
application and deletion. It was tougher to push a
round on the plate, making it difficult if not
impossible to achieve desired textural qualities. 
I hope that I’ve been useful
Arafat Al-Naim
Sofia, Bulgaria


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From: Wanda <robertson@canby.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 12:36:50 -0700
Subject: [Baren 12666] Re: Second time around 

Others do things different than me. I know Graham seals his blocks. He uses spar
varnish cut 1/2 with paint thinner/mineral spirits. I don't seal them at all -
with anything. And I don't think Dave seals his, either. Is the sanding sealant a
water based product? Those guys don't know anything at the hardware store, do
they? :-) 

Yup, a new way to drive yourself crazy. Try doing one without the sealant & see
what happens. The cherry should work fine that way, it's such a fine grain.
Poplar - doesn't that get kind of fuzzy when it gets wet? That might not work so
good without sealant. And walnut? I know it's hard, but isn't it kind of
splintery? And do you have the same probems with all of these woods & inks? Is
the sealant the only common denominator?

I have used Akua Kolor, but haven't used Speedball or Graphic Chemical water
based. So I'm not much help there. Sarah uses Akua Kolor - do you seal your
blocks, Sarah?

Actually, how many of you using the hanga method are sealing your blocks? And
what kind of wood (and sealant) do you use?

Wanda


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From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 17:09:40 -0600
Subject: [Baren 12668] Re: EXCHANGE #7 12/26/2000 05:09:32 PM 

So many nice prints and so much to look at, thanks everyone for your
contributions....looks like the "Doggies"
just barely beat out the "Lizards".. 4-3... but with such an abundance of
animals onboard the exchange perhaps
should be renamed to "Noah's Ark".  I counted 18+ animal prints and a whole
lot of monkeys!

My  favorite is Meagan Dew's monkeys print which gets my vote for best
title in the whole exchange: "block party"
Nice going!!!!!


Julio
ps..there's no doubt about it ....Amoss, Lyon and some of the others use
that nice japanese Hosho paper that  is hard
to beat...I wonder where I could get some of that ? w/o having to call
Japan ?  Does anyone know an online site where this
 quality paper can be purchased ?


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From: B Mason <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 15:08:17 -0800
Subject: [Baren 12669] to seal or not to seal 

Dan,
I think  sealing with spar varnish mixed with thinner half and half is
used to make the wood stronger, less likely to splinter and easier to
print. Graham had us sand the wood with 300, then 600 grit sand paper.
We then used the sealing mix, applied with a soft cloth and rubbed in.
Let dry for several hours or overnight. It should be smooth as glass at
this point. Carve and then apply the sealing mix again before printing.
This makes it strong. If you have trouble getting the ink (water based)
to stick, sand lightly with 600 grit emery paper. You can wet sand it if
you want. I have had good results with this, but I don't carve a lot of
very fine lines so sometimes I don't seal it at all and it seems just as
good for printing. I think your problem has to be that sanding sealer,
just don't use it and see if that makes a difference. Spar varnish is
available at home depot, the brand we get here is McCloskys, but I don't
know what is available in Florida. With all those boats there must be
some down there somewhere. It is also called marine varnish and is of
course oil based. Graham just dumped it back into the can when he was
done, saying that little bit of thinner wouldn't make any difference. A
quart was about $10. So there you go. Let us know what works, I am
interested to see if it is the sealer or the ink.
Barbara

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From: "Daniel L. Dew" <ddew0001@tampabay.rr.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 18:14:38 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12670] Re: to seal or not to seal 

Must be the sealer and not the ink 'cause it happens with water or oil based
inks.

dan dew



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From: Aqua4tis@aol.com
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 21:30:50 EST
Subject: [Baren 12671] Re: New Approach to Relief Etching 


dear arafat
    it sounds very interesting and i would like to try it sometime    you 
mentioned that the professor used copper plates   did he use ferric chloride 
for the acid?   how l long can the plate be left in the acid without 
interfering with the ink as a resist?
thank you for this info
and thank you to everyone else also
georga
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From: Arafat Alnaim <ar_alnaim@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 21:53:42 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 12672] Re: New Approach to Relief Etching 

Dear Georga,
Prof. Robert Franzini is using a 9:1 strength Dutch
mordent for biting the plate. Most plates are bitten
for at least ten hours.
Regards
Arafat



End of Baren Digest V13 #1261
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