embarrassed technical queries....

[pilkguns]

While working on this engraving book, I have accumalated a number of things in relation to various techniques over the years. It seems I have forgotten a couple. My deepest apologies to whoever might have given me this stuff for forgetting who you were.

Anyway, the first thing is the brass plate. This was done by some sort of etchant process. As I recall, this was done using real leaves. Something was done with wax, or some resist to the leaf, and then it was ate away with acid and then into the brass with leaf outline . It does appear that their is some actual engraving along the veins. But thats about all I know or can remember.


The film was used in some sort of transfer process, I am quite sure I jewelry engraver showed it to me.. ( there a SO many ways to do transfers, I think I could do a whole book just on various transfer and layout methods)
If you have any idea about either one of these processes or who might have given this to me, I would appreciate if you would contact me so that they get proper credit and the method gets preserved in print.

thanks
Scott

PS: the Posting Rules says I am not allowed to post attachments... don't know why, so here's the link.
http://www.pilkguns.com/2004/brassfilm.jpg

[Montejano]

Amigo Scott .

Me ha parecido entender , que pregunta sobre el tipo de grabado de esa plancha de lat?n y su t?cnica .
El nombre de la t?cnica es - T?CNICA DEL BARNIZ BLANDO.( realizada al Agua fuerte )
Es una variante del " agua fuerte ".
El barniz blando es un material resistente al ?cido que no se seca .Se trata de un barniz a la cera corriente y mezclado con materia grasa .

2 partes de bet?n
2 partes de cera de abeja
1 parte de resina ( la mejor es la colofonia )

este barniz se funde por calentamiento y se mezcla con sebo o vaselina . A partes iguales de barniz y de sebo o vaselina .
Estos barnices blandos se encuentran en el comercio de bellas artes y en forma s?lida .
Se calienta la plancha de metal ( en este caso de lat?n ) y se aplica el barniz con rodillo o mu?eca , extendi?ndolo con uniformidad .
Se retira la plancha del calor y se enfriar? el barniz progresivamente . La plancha cuando aplicamos el barniz no debe estar demasido caliente , pu?s el rodillo no rodar?a bien y se deslizar?a sobre la cera . La capa de barniz ha de ser fina y uniforme ; si fuera demasiado gruesa no se despegar?a bien del metal ( cuando ejerzamos presi?n con el t?rculo ).
Sobre la plancha con el barniz blando colocariamos las hojas ( 2 hojas que tiene la plancha de lat?n ).
La plancha con las hojas las colocamos en el t?rculo ( prensa de impresi?n )
Sobre la plancha con las hojas pegadas en su superficie colocamos papel de estampar ( papel de grabado ) y sobre este papel de estampar un cart?n grueso o similar .
Con una presi?n moderada del t?rculo , giramos los brazos del t?rculo de manera continua y uniforme .
Retiramos el papel de la plancha y comprobamos que las hojas se han quedado adheridas a la plancha y a su vez el papel se ha impregnado y ha absorbido el barniz blando retir?ndolo de la plancha ( pero solamente ha retirado el barniz externo a la hoja ).
Retiramos ahora las hojas , que han eliminado tambi?n parte del barniz , debido a su superficie y sus nervios .Dejando su forma impregnada en el barniz .
Se prepara el ?cido para atacar la plancha ( 1 parte de n?trico y 4 de agua ) e introducimos la plancha en el ?cido durante 10 o 15 minutos aproximadamente .
Trancurrido este tiempo retiramos del ?cido la plancha y la enjuagamos con abundante agua .Dejamos secar la plancha ( que no tenga agua ) .
Una vez seca la plancha cubrimos con barniz de alcohol , el fondo que atac? anteriormente el ?cido y bordeando las hojas ( los pec?olos ).
Una vez seco el barniz , sumergimos otra vez la plancha en el ?cido durante m?s tiempo ( 1 hora aproximadamente )
Extraemos la plancha del ?cido y la enjuagamos bien , para eliminar todo el ?cido .
Eliminamos el barniz de la plancha con disolvente ( alcohol , petr?leo , ) .
Despu?s viene la preparac?on de la plancha que ya est? grabada para su impresi?n .Donde se entintar? y preparar? para imprimir el dibujo de las flores sobre el papel .

Las t?cnica del barniz blando se emplea para conseguir impresionar texturas , mediante materiales texturados .

Espero que hayan sido de utilidad mis comentarios y puedo enviar fotos del proceso paso a paso , si le hace falta .

Un abrazo de Montejano .( Espa?a )

------------------------------------------------------------
Friend Scott.

He/she has looked like each other to understand that asks on the type of engraving of that brass iron and their technique.
The name of the technique is - TECHNIQUE OF THE SOFT VARNISH.( carried out to the strong Water )
It is a variant of the strong water ".
The soft varnish is a resistant material to the acid that doesn't dry off. it is a varnish to the average and blended wax with fatty matter.

2 polish parts
2 parts of bee wax
1 part of resin (the best is the rosin )

this varnish melts for heating and he/she mixes with suet or it petrolates. To parts similar of varnish and of suet or it petrolates.
These soft varnishes are in the trade of fine arts and in solid form.
He/she warms the metal iron (in this case of brass) and the varnish is applied with roller or doll, extending it with uniformity.
He/she retires the iron of the heat and he/she will cool down the varnish progressively. The iron when we apply the varnish it should not be hot demasido, pu?s the roller it would not rotate well and he/she would slip on the wax. The varnish layer must be fine and standardize; if it was too thick he/she would not take well off the metal (when we exercise pressure with the t?rculo).
On the iron with the soft varnish would place the leaves (2 leaves that he/she has the brass iron).
The iron with the leaves places them in the t?rculo (impression press )
On the iron with the leaves hit in their surface place paper of stamping (engraving paper) and on this paper of stamping a thick or similar cardboard.
With a moderate pressure of the t?rculo, we rotate the arms of the t?rculo in a continuous and uniform way.
We retire the paper of the iron and we check that the leaves have been stuck to the iron and in turn the paper has been impregnated and it has absorbed the soft varnish retiring it of the iron (but it has only retired the external varnish to the leaf).
We retire the leaves that have also eliminated part of the varnish, now due to their surface and their nerves. Leaving their form impregnated in the varnish.
He/she gets ready the acid to attack the iron (1 part of nitric and 4 of water) and we introduce the iron in the acid during 10 or 15 minutes approximately.
Trancurrido this time retires of the acid the iron and we rinse it with abundant water. we Allow to dry the iron (that doesn't have water).
Once dry the iron covers with varnish of alcohol, the bottom that attacked the acid previously and skirting the leaves (the petioles).
Once dry the varnish, we submerge another time the iron in the acid during more time (1 hour approximately )
We extract the iron of the acid and we rinse it well, to eliminate the whole acid.
We eliminate the varnish of the iron with solvent (alcohol, petroleum,).
Then the preparac?on of the iron that is already recorded for its impression comes. Where it will be inked and he/she will prepare to print the drawing of the flowers on the paper.

The technique of the soft varnish is used to be able to impress textures, by means of material texturados.

I hope they have been of utility my comments and I can send pictures from the process step to step, if it is necessary him.

A hug of Montejano.( Spain )

[pilkguns]

thank you Montejano.

can this only be done on brass, or can you do it on steel?

[Montejano]

El proceso ser?a el mismo , pero existen diferencias importantes . Metales com el lat?n , cobre , cinc , alpaca ... tienen caracter?sticas similares en su forma de grabar .Son f?ciles de atacar mediante el ?cido ; admiten bastante relieve o bajorrelieve y se prestan muy bien para la estampaci?n del papel de impresi?n .
Lo que se suele utilizar mas para estampaci?n es la plancha de cinc .
Contestando a su pregunta de si con acero , se podr?a realizar estos trabajos de las hojas al barniz blando . Le respondo, que con acero inoxidable depender?a del tipo de acero ; es decir de su contenido en carbono .El acero corriente ( no inoxidable ) se podr?a intentar hacer una prueba ; pues su forma de grabar ( bordes del metal grabado ) se parece bastante a los metales mencionados al principio .
Pero con acero inoxidable , aunque lo grabasemos al ?cido , no tendr?a la textura que con el cinc o el lat?n .Resumiendo , se podr?a grabar , pero los resultados de la plancha para impresi?n , no ser?an los adecuados para un buen trabajo .

De hecho , yo no he visto planchas para impresi?n en acero inoxidable .Yo las que tengo son de cobre .
Realic? hace tiempo planchas en acero inoxidable , pero las utilizo como cuadros y no para impresi?n .

Montejano .
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The process would be the same one, but important differences exist. Metals com the brass, copper, zinc, German nickel... they have characteristic similar in their form of recording. they are easy to attack by means of the acid; they admit enough relief or bas-relief and they are lent very well for the stamping of the impression paper.
What is usually used but it stops stamping it is the iron of zinc.
Answering to their question of if with steel, it could be carried out these works from the leaves to the soft varnish. I respond him that would depend of the steel type with stainless steel; that is to say of their content in carbon. The average steel (not stainless) one could try to make a test; because their form of recording (you embroider of the recorded metal) he/she looks like each other enough to the aforementioned metals at the beginning.
But with stainless steel, although records it to the acid, he/she would not have the texture that with the zinc or the brass. Summarizing, you could record, but the results of the iron for impression, would not be the appropriate ones for a good work.

In fact, I have not seen irons for impression in stainless steel. Me those that I have are made of copper.
I carried out irons a while ago in stainless steel, but I use them as squares and it doesn't stop impression.

Montejano.

The translation supposes it won't be very good, but he/she can translate it with somebody that knows Spanish.