In this video I create a carved image on basswood. I first turned the piece on my lathe in order to prepare my circular surface.
First of all I cut my material to size on the bandsaw. It’s diameter is about 24cm which is the maximum my lathe can handle.
I then turned my piece true between centres using mostly the bowl gouge. I also made the tenon to mount it on my chuck.
I then shaped the disc to my likeness and sanded it.
While the piece was still on the chuck I moved it around so I can secure it on my visa and work on it.
Then I prepared my surface with black water based printing ink.
Then I started drawing and carving my shapes. Fy flex cut tools worked great in this situation.
Once I finished my art work I cleaned the tenon on the back and finished it with mineral oil.
And my piece turned out quite nice. I have always thought that printing blocks look so beautiful to me. Sometimes I might like them more than the print outs.
But that was it, see you soon with a new project video.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
In this video I explore a couple of methods on how to make linoleum stamps. Some more DIY and some involving more advanced techniques.
Linoleum is an awesome material to use in block printing. It comes in a few variations. Some are harder than others. The difference between carving wood and linoleum, is that wood is harder and you have to pay attention to the grain direction as you carve.
First of all you must transfer your design on linoleum. I print it out and use a pencil to add graphite on it’s back side. I use a soft 2B pencil. Then I secure the printout on the linoleum and trace over it with another pencil. This leaves the trace on the linoleum. Please note that stamps print their mirrored image. So your design must be flipped.
To carve linoleum you can use cheap linoleum chisels. The skew and the V are used for the outlines. While the gouges remove material fast. Keep your sharpening strop close, because you need to keep your tools really sharp.
You can also carve linoleum with a CNC machine. V carving bits work great for stamps, especially if you have complicated designs.
If you have a lathe, you can obviously turn a handle for your stamp. This is mostly spindle work. Once you turn the handle you can use wood glue to glue the linoleum on it.
If you don’t have a lathe, you can use a block plane and a chisel to make the handle as shown in the video. To make the base use a hole saw. Join the base and the handle together using an 8mm dowel.
With your stamps ready you can begin printing. Spread your ink on a flat surface with a spatula. I used plexiglass. Then fill you roller with ink and ink your stamp, you are ready to go. Experiment with different colors and materials. I use water based inks, because they are easy to clean and are more eco friendly. You can also create gradient effects. Add two colors side by side. Fill your roller by moving it back and forth only at one direction. The results are pretty interesting.
This is a really fun technique and can give you hours of creative fun. In the CNC files I have included a few vector designs so you can play around.
I hope you liked this one. See you soon with a new project!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Block printing is an ancient art and craft. In this video I give you an introduction on woodblock printing, with a few basic tools and techniques you need to get started.
Before you begin, it’s a good idea to make a bench hook out of 12mm plywood.
Use your circular saw and your table saw to cut your material to size. Then glue and nail all your pieces together. When you push your chisel against the block, it hooks on the bench.
As printing block, you can use box wood. It’s a nice soft wood for carving. But I would suggest to use plywood. It has less chances to warp and it provides a flat surface to work with.
It’s a good idea to coat your block with ink. This way when you start removing material you will reveal the light areas of your print.
You can use linoleum gouges or wood carving chisels.
Have your sharpening station near by, because you will need to keep your tools razor sharp.
My primary tool is the skew chisel. You carve from one side at an angle and then you carve from the exact mirrored side. This way you create a V groove. You can also hollow small tight spots this way. Remember not to force the tools or the wood. It’s better to complete your job with multiple passes.
The V chisel does a similar job faster. But I find the skew more accurate, especially in small carving jobs.
You can also take advantage of the shape of the gouges to carve circles. The gouges also help you remove material fast.
I begun by drawing my forms. Then I carved the outline with the skew and then I hollowed with a gouge.
Sometimes your thumb can act as a brake. This way you have better control and safety when using your tools. Especially with the skew or V. Try to carve with the blades facing away from you or your hands.
For printing you must use a special paper than can absorb the ink nicely. I used water based ink. In that case you can moist your paper a bit, to help it open it’s pores.
You will also need a spatula, a roller, a baren and a flat surface to spread the ink. As a flat surface you can use plexiglass or glass.
Next spread your ink with the roller and ink your block. Take your moist paper and place it over the block. Add another piece of paper on top and start pressing with your baren. After a while gently remove your printout.
This is basically it. You can experiment with moisture and your pressing technique. This is something on which you get better and better overtime with practice.
As a printer you should number your prints. Once you are happy with a printout, you add it’s number out of the whole. For example printout 23/50 and you sign it.
The beautiful thing about block printing is that every printout is different and has a different texture. That’s why it’s so artistic.
Block printing is awesome. I really enjoyed it, and I hope you have enjoyed it too.
But that was it, see you soon, with a new project video!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
