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Message 1
From: GWohlken
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 08:50:28 -0500
Subject: [Baren 23548] Monkeys and Maple
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> Well I hope all the build-up doesn't become a let
> down. Hope you enjoy it!
>
> frank

Frank, I just want you to know, I was feeling swamped with other work
and wasn't going to sign up for the monkey exchange, but then when I
heard about your barrel of monkeys and then started playing with ideas
of my own, well I signed up. Thanks for the inspiration. Hope I get a
monkey from you now.

My Christmas list has got at the top of it -- woooood. Lots of
wooooood.

People who use maple, would you recommend it and why? Is it difficult
to carve? I'm thinking of ordering maple instead of cherry from my
man down the hill.

~Gayle

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Message 2
From: "Maria Arango"
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 07:50:24 -0800
Subject: [Baren 23549] RE: Monkeys and Maple
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Gayle asked:

> People who use maple, would you recommend it and why? Is it
> difficult
> to carve? I'm thinking of ordering maple instead of cherry from my
> man down the hill.

In my experience, the right maple is nearly identical to cherry.
My fav is "hard maple", which is more difficult to carve, keeps the
"stringy" background despite much sanding giving backgrounds a life of
their own, and allows as much detail as a wood engraving.
Soft maple is easier to carve than cherry and still doesn't splinter or
buckle under pressure. Also more readily available, cheaper and more
abundant.
Also in my experience, maple gives a cleaner print, although my
technique (or lack thereof) of over-inking is also suspect on that
regard.
If you travel with blocks, maple is heavier.
And finally, messing with a knot on hard maple will result in the steel
blade from your favorite Japanese tool looking like a tiny shark bit a
chunk clean off...guess that's why they call it "hard" maple.

I guess on final assessment, I don't know why I use cherry instead of
maple...tradition I guess (and that delicious pile sitting on my shelf).

Maria

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Message 3
From: FurryPressII # aol.com
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 11:13:10 EST
Subject: [Baren 23550] maple or cherry
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cherry or maple that is a question? Depends on what you are doing with it.
Generally cherry is easier to carve BUT it depends on what you are
useing it for. If you have a thin line that is isolated from any thing else you
should use hard maple because it does not splinter or split. When i am cutting
a block with detailed text (letters esp small point sized fonts)i esp want to
use maple. Because letters are all isolated that is they have white space
around all sided you esp need a strong hard wood. For most wood cuts cherry
is a very good choice.

Another BUT if you want as much detail as possible i would use maple. And
if you intend to print it a lot of times i would also use maple. Wood type
was made from end grain maple.

Then there is end grain maple and corian for those of us who are madd in
there desire for detail.

john (of the furry press and the 1mm v gouge) center

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Message 4
From: FurryPressII # aol.com
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 11:14:14 EST
Subject: [Baren 23551] Re: Monkeys and Maple
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P.S furry has a folding hand truck for hauling his maple

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Message 5
From: Jsf73 # aol.com
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 11:23:19 EST
Subject: [Baren 23552] Re: Monkeys and Maple
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FurryPressII@aol.com writes:


> P.S furry has a folding hand truck for hauling his maple

So John it held up well with all that heavy type on it all the way across
Canada?

I myself have a four wheeled power cart for hauling my wood... ;-)

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Message 6
From: Cucamongie # aol.com
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 11:36:37 EST
Subject: [Baren 23553] frank's print
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Hi all - Frank, I received your monkey print today, and it is truly
delightful - and a sock monkey too - one of my favorite childhood toys - it was fun
reading the history as well
happy printing,
Sarah

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Message 7
From: Dan Sabo
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 08:37:08 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 23554] Re-surfacing boxwood or end grain Maple...
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Hi,

I was wondering what method should be used if I wanted
to attempt to re surface my Boxwood and end grain
maple blocks.

Is resurfacing done by machine, such as with a belt
sander with a 2000 grit samdpaper or very fine
powdered abrsiive?

Or is this a manual process using either a very flat
surface and powdered abrasive or paper?

Thanks for any info anyone would care to share.

Troy


__________________________________

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Message 8
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 09:20:19 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 23555] carving question
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Last night at our "class" (you know, the one where I pretend I know what I am doing) we were talking about the right way to hold the knife......I had been doig it with the bevel away from the line, that is the flat side of the knife against the line. Kent agreed that this was right as he asked in Kansas City......

But as I had planned to ask the list before I got confirmation from Kent, I decided to go ahead and ask. I thought if you used the bevel against the line, as you carved down you would compress the edge of the line...this seems correct.

Any discussion here???? We have a couple of beginners and I do not want to give them any bad habits they will have to unlearn at a later date if I can help it. Also found that the leather glued to the block and the honing green hard stuff is wonderful for bringing back an edge while carving.....I guess it is true that if you do something long enough it gets easier, I almost looked like I knew what I was doing...of course Kent is carving Cherry and the rest of us are working on plywood.....what can I say.
Best to all,
Barbara


---------------------------------

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Message 9
From: Charles Morgan
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 09:36:57 -0800
Subject: [Baren 23556] Re: carving question
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Keeping the bevel against the line means you will not be in much danger of
undercutting the line. With the flat against the line, it is harder to have
the cut sloping away from the line to be printed. You want the flat on the
side that is to be cleared, the bevel on the side that is to be kept.

Cheers ..... Charles

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Message 10
From: Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 12:20:29 -0600
Subject: [Baren 23557] Re: Re-surfacing boxwood or end grain Maple...
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Troy writes:
"Is resurfacing done by machine, such as with a belt sander with a 2000
grit samdpaper or very fine powdered abrsiive?"

Troy....since you mentioned boxwood and end-grain maple you must be
talking about small
sized blocks and wood engravings...not woodcuts. I would think a belt
sander with different grades of sandpaper should do the trick but 2000
sounds too high to start off with.

I have seen a setup used for larger woodcut pieces that utilizes a router
and a wide bit to resurface a block. You need to setup a gig that will
allow you clamp down your block and then using a template to move the
router around at an even cutting depth. By making several passes at the
wood you end up resurfacing the entire block. The key is to use a good bit
(diamond tip) and not to try to take too much wood at one pass...but
rather work in increments of 1/8" or so....From there you finish up with
an orbital or a palm sander as needed.

thanks...Julio

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Message 11
From: "Maria Arango"
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 11:00:06 -0800
Subject: [Baren 23558] Re: Re-surfacing boxwood or end grain Maple...
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This has worked for me in the past:

Hand or power sand, starting with 150, progress to 220-320-400-600-1200
is plenty but you can go to 2000 if you want. I use wet/dry sanding
paper.

Or, glue the above mentioned papers with spray glue to a flat slab such
as a tile or glass and rub block against sandpaper; same grits as above.
This is a bit more time consuming but yields a flatter block.

Last method, plane block smooth with a hand-plane. This method takes a
bit (took me a LOT) of practice but definitely yields the best and
quickest results. Oh...to see those shavings come off...Scour the Baren
archives for David Bull's explanation on why planing yields a "better"
block than sanding, which makes a lot of sense.

Of course, you can always cancel and sell your blocks for megabucks and
buy freshly prepared ones.

Maria

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Message 12
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 11:28:28 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 23559] Re: carving question
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Charles,
Thanks but now I am more confused...how can the bevel keep you carving at an angle, isn't it the way you hold your hand that does this? If you carve straight down with the bevel, won't it compress the line? Even if you carve at an angle, won't the bevel compress the line as you push down? I hate to think I have been doing this wrong...

Dave, give me an answer here once and for all so I get it right! (not that I doubt you Charles, I just want confirmaiton)

Barbara

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Message 13
From: "Robert Canaga"
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 11:30:57 -0800
Subject: [Baren 23560] Re: carving question
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I was taught and have been teaching, that you always cut with the slant TO the line. This forms a angled cut like the side of a pyramid. Very stable and no chance of breaking like you have with a straight side. I always start away from the line first to allow the pressure to be diminished before I cut on the line. Fewer mistakes and the wood moves away from the line more readily. RC

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Message 14
From: Troy Harris
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 12:15:11 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 23561] Re: Re-surfacing boxwood or end grain Maple...
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Thanks for the info Maria.

I checked the archives cound not find it. Is it
better because planing does not leave any grit on the
surface of the block?

What is used to clamp blocks onto a table for planing?
And just a basic woodworking plane will do?

I was considering getting a performax drum sander to
re surface but they are expensive.

Troy

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