Today's postings

  1. [Baren 37319] floating kento (Raymond Hudson)
  2. [Baren 37320] Re: Alternative Kento (Graham Scholes)
  3. [Baren 37321] Re: floating kento (Barbara Mason)
  4. [Baren 37322] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V45 #4580 (Oct 20, 2008) (Marilynn Smith)
  5. [Baren 37323] Re: floating kento (Graham Scholes)
  6. [Baren 37324] floating kento (Eileen Corder)
  7. [Baren 37325] Re: floating kento (Dave Bull)
  8. [Baren 37326] Re: floating kento (Graham Scholes)
  9. [Baren 37327] Re: floating kento (Dave Bull)
  10. [Baren 37328] Re: floating kento (Graham Scholes)
  11. [Baren 37329] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)
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Message 1
From: Raymond Hudson
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:21:14 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37319] floating kento
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Sarah,
Could you go into more detail about the "floating kento." I'm having
trouble visualizing it. thanks!
Ray
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Message 2
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:42:14 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37320] Re: Alternative Kento
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Hi Sarah

You have lost me on this.... if it floats and therefore moveable ....
how can you be assured of registration of two or more colours.
I cannot imagine doing “We Delight in Hymn” with a floater type kento.
www.woodblockart.ca/about-we-delight.html

Is there something out there that I don’t know....
Naaaaaaa... not possible. Ask Marnie she will tell you )o

>Just wanted to throw into the mix, I took a hanga class from Kathy
> Caraccio many years ago and she used what we called a "floating
> kento", which is an l-shaped piece of wood with a groove in an l-
> shape carved into the inside of the "L". This is very useful if you
> want to use the whole block, and you can use it on many different
> sizes of blocks.
>
> Sarah
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Message 3
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:06:57 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37321] Re: floating kento
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Ray,
I have used one of these for years, but to make it really work you need to attach the L to a board and drop the block down into it, sliding it into the corner of the L. I usually do the kento with two layers of artists tape so that I can move it if I need to and do so easily.
One could cut the kento into the L and just go with a standard margin but you know how we have to adjust occasionally and the tape is easier to move. I also covered the L with plastic 2" wide packaging tape under the kento tape, the arms of my L are exactly 2" wide. This means it is real easy to clean off if you get pigment on it. The other good advantage of this is you can use it in a press if you chose to do so.

I call it a registration board and think many relief printers use them. It helps if the L is the same height as your wood or fractionally lower. I actually have the top inside edge of the L relieved a bit to keep pigment from getting on the edge of the L.
I don't have any problem getting the block and paper to register, but it is one more step and you do have to be exact in moving the block into the registration L after you ink it. I will see if I can get a photo of mine and pop it onto the baren blog site. I do admit to the occasional miss registration, but usually because I am tired or just not paying attention. It is pretty safe to my way of thinking, I have printed up to 7 drops of paper using one with no problems.

I have actually been working with McClains Printmaking Supply to produce them here in the USA for sale and think we are close to offering them. I am taking a dozen of them to Seattle for a class I am teaching there in November and will report on how everyone likes them. It does allow you to use smaller blocks. I will get photos of the class.
My best to all,
Barbara
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Message 4
From: Marilynn Smith
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:22:53 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37322] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V45 #4580 (Oct 20, 2008)
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I dropped out of the all moku hanga exchange because I use an L shaped
jig instead of carving the kento marks onto the wood. If that had
been allowed I would have stayed as I had nice Japanese paper, a baren
and new water pigments to use. I even had a design and had started
carving it early as time is a pressure for me.
Marilynn
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Message 5
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:24:09 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37323] Re: floating kento
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I gotta see this Barbara.... I can’t fathom how have a
separate L registration unit has any advantage for Moku Hanga.

I can cut the two kentos on a plate in 3 or 4 minutes each and
it is 100% positive.

I stand to be corrected.... as you said at a Bootcamp one time....
“Once i thought I was wrong.... but I was mistaken”

>Ray,
> I have used one of these for years, but to make it really work you
> need to attach the L to a board and drop the block down into it,
> sliding it into the corner of the L. I usually do the kento with two
> layers of artists tape so that I can move it if I need to and do so
> easily.
> One could cut the kento into the L and just go with a standard
> margin but you know how we have to adjust

etc etc etc etc..........
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Message 6
From: Eileen Corder
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:26:59 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37324] floating kento
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Sarah,

How did she (do you) attach the floating kento to your block?

Peace,
Eileen
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Message 7
From: Dave Bull
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:07:30 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37325] Re: floating kento
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> How did she (do you) attach the floating kento to your block?

It's called 'soto kento' ('outside' registration) in Japanese.
Matsumura-san has an explanation:
http://www.woodlike.co.jp/kentou_setumei.html

... and a little Flash animation on his page that shows the concept:
http://www.woodlike.co.jp/kentou_ugoki01.html

Dave
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Message 8
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:03:45 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37326] Re: floating kento
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Figured as much.....
One think to be said about this method....
Sure saves on wood. My margins are never less than 1 ¼ and often 1
½. To make use of the best wood I will join a margin on the bottom
of the block.... So my 10 board can become a 11 ½“ or 12” plate for
the max on a print size.... The advantage of this is I can buy narrow
boards and glue (join) the margin on.... and that piece of wood does
not have to be the best quality. Save Save Save.

Still all in all.... I’m darned if I would entertain a floating
kento..... It must be hell to line up 5 or 10 plates with such
accuracy of image in relationship to the outside edge of the plate so
the kento is perfect for all plates.... I have a full compliment of
wood working tools and have made high end wood stuff and this does not
sit well.

Graham
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Message 9
From: Dave Bull
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:21:58 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37327] Re: floating kento
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> ... all in all.... I’m darned if I would entertain a floating
> kento.....
> It must be hell to line up 5 or 10 plates with such accuracy of
> image in relationship to the outside edge of the plate so the kento
> is perfect for all plates..

Hmm ... I don't want to be seen to be arguing about this, but actually,
using an off-block kento system makes adjustments much simpler.

- Your set of blank blocks must of course all have a nice perfect 90
degree corner at the lower right.
- You then prepare your 'L' piece, with registration marks on it.
Placed in such a way that your paper will have the margins you want.
- place each block in the 'L' in turn, and paste down the colour
separations (no different from the 'kento on-block' system)
- carve as usual
- at printing time, each block is snugly nestled into the 'L', and
printed as usual.

The _huge_ advantage comes if you want to make more copies of your
print - but on a different dimension of paper (for larger/narrower
margins, etc.). Just prepare another 'L', with the registration marks
on it _anywhere_ you want. None of the individual blocks will need any
further adjustment. Everything can be changed with just the one change
on the 'L' piece.

Dave
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Message 10
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:33:28 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37328] Re: floating kento
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It is just a discussion....
I would never make any more images once the editions is finished.
I sure can’t get my head around the method and it being simpler.... so
be it.
In all the work I have done.... I can recall only having to adjust 1
plate kento out of 600 plates...
so adjustment is not an issue for me.

Cheers,
Graham
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Message 11
From: Blog Manager
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:54:42 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37329] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification
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This is an automatic update message being sent to [Baren] by the forum blog software.

The following new entries were found on the listed printmaker's websites during the past 24 hours. (54 sites checked, five minutes before 9:00 AM Eastern time)

*****************

Site Name: Printmakingblog

Author: Dean Clark
Item: THE LAST WORD - for now
http://printmakersmaterials.blogspot.com/2008/10/last-word-for-now.html

*****************

Site Name: The Itinerant Artist

Author: Diane Cutter
Item:
http://theitinerantartist.blogspot.com/2008/10/naturaleza-taina-woodcut-grabado-en.html

*****************

A list of the sites/blogs currently being checked is available at this address:
http://barenforum.org/blog/rss/blog_main_urls.txt