Today's postings

  1. [Baren 25728] choice of barens ("Richard Farrel")
  2. [Baren 25729] Re: choice of barens (Mike Lyon)
  3. [Baren 25730] Re: Baren Digest (old) V28 #2750 ("claudia g coonen")
  4. [Baren 25731] ATTN: Patsy Wilson (Bette Norcross Wappner)
  5. [Baren 25732] Re: Two new prints... (eli griggs)
  6. [Baren 25733] Re: Two new prints... (eli griggs)
  7. [Baren 25734] Re: Two new prints... (Lana Lambert)
  8. [Baren 25735] RE: Baren Digest (old) V28 #2749 ("marilynn smih")
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Message 1
From: "Richard Farrel"
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 12:41:57 -0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Subject: [Baren 25728] choice of barens
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Hey folks! Got a question to throw out there. To those printing in the
traditional Japanese way. Other than the hon baren what type of barens
would one first purchase for detail and broad color areas. Looking at
retiring my funky homemade one. Any suggestion would be appreciated.Thanks...

Richard Farrell rafar#telus.net
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Message 2
From: Mike Lyon
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 15:56:49 -0500
Subject: [Baren 25729] Re: choice of barens
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Try the "Sosaku - Sumi" baren from the Baren Mall for $35.85 at
http://www.barenforum.org/mall/products/barens.php
or the "Murasaki Soft" baren at the same link for $122.64 Similar barens
are also available from http://www.imcclains.com/catalog/baren/index.html
for (usually) somewhat higher prices, I believe.

The 'coarse', 'medium', 'fine', 'soft', etc designations really refer to
the amount of mechanical advantage you get when using the baren... The
coarser barens have fewer 'bumps' under the cover, and so for any given
weight you place on the tool you get more lbs. per square inch of pressure
between the tool and the block. The coarser barens will also transmit more
lateral pressure to isolated fine lines in a block and therefore tend to
print those lines less clearly and also produce more wear and tear on the
block's fine details. The finer/softer barens are much 'flatter' and have
many more 'bumps' under the cover, so for the same weight placed on the
tool, you will touch a much greater area with way fewer lbs. per square
inch of pressure. Therefore, coarser barens are generally better for
printing large areas of dense color and finer barens are generally better
for printing blocks with widely separated areas of color and/or very fine
lines...

If you will begin with only a single baren, then a 'medium' baren might be
a better choice than a 'fine', 'soft', or 'coarse' baren...

Hope this helps,

Mike Lyon
Kansas City, Missouri
http://mlyon.com
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Message 3
From: "claudia g coonen"
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 11:50:04 -1000
Subject: [Baren 25730] Re: Baren Digest (old) V28 #2750
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wheat paste/starch,,,my 2 cents..
I do katazome a dying technique using rice paste, cooked with rice bran
flour, mochi rice flour, and vaious combinations using what's available plus
hydrated lime. The roaches love it!!! I hang it up on the line to dry and
when done always get it inside at nite. Now I have conversations with my
teacher printmaker friend from Japan, who uses wheat starch paste (I think
the stuff for bookbinding from Hirome Papers) he says the lack of gluten
keeps the roaches away so to speak, not rice paste glue. We used the wheat
paste in the scoll mounting class also. At this point in Hawaii I think they
(the cocroaches eat everything!, that's how they have survived on the planet
this long)
anyone still 'hungrey'?
claudia coonen
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Message 4
From: Bette Norcross Wappner
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 18:05:19 -0400
Subject: [Baren 25731] ATTN: Patsy Wilson
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Pardon the interruption...

Would Patsy Wilson please contact me OFFLIST regarding your prints for
Surimono Exchange #21.

Thank you,
Bette Wappner
Erlanger, Kentucky USA

bettewappner#fuse.net
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Message 5
From: eli griggs
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 18:46:20 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 25732] Re: Two new prints...
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Hi there:

I made whole wheat starch this way a few years back.
If you try it yourself, have several large jars for
settling out the starch as it takes awhile. A small
hose to syphon off the excess water helps, so you dont
stir up the starch by pouring.

5 lbs of flour will make several cups of starch.

Cheers,
Eli
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Message 6
From: eli griggs
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 18:46:22 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 25733] Re: Two new prints...
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Repeat of above message
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Message 7
From: Lana Lambert
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 20:29:30 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 25734] Re: Two new prints...
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Hahaha, funny you should ask. I went to the asian
market in the bustling metropolis known as
Charlottesville (insert sarcasm) and there were little
cans of "fried gluten" and other flavors of the stuff.
I'm sorry to say I didn't have the guts to try any.
I overmade my last batch of rice starch and tried to
preserve it by adding a top layer of alcohol to the
bottles. The thick stuff is holding its own but the
thin stuff got rank. My studio is not air conditioned
either and living in the VA humidity rots my paste
frequently. :(
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Message 8
From: "marilynn smih"
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 20:45:48 -0700
Subject: [Baren 25735] RE: Baren Digest (old) V28 #2749
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looking for good paper to show the grain of the wood. Oil inks, basswood
carving.
Marilynn