Baren Digest Wednesday, 27 February 2002 Volume 18 : Number 1741 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Jean Eger Womack" Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 05:27:30 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17228] safety As I was saying, the next time the kids came for a visit, I put all the stuff from under the kitchen sink and anything else I thought might be dangerous to them, in the basment and locked the door. Then my husband came along and unlocked it and left it open, giving some spurious reason that he didn't know where they extra key was, thus exposing those kids to danger again. I am not running a preschool in my home and I don't think I should be held to preschool standards. A locked basement door should be sufficient. I asked my husband put a lock on the basement door for that reason. Then the people in the chemistry department insinuated that I had to neutralize or get rid of the nitric acid or I would be accused of having an illegal drug lab. I was flabbergasted and can only believe that they were talking about themselves. What about the Ferric chloride in that very expensive tank that sits on the floor next to the washer? My professor John Ihle said I should use ferric at home instead of nitric because it was safer. It took years before I had enough money to get that tank. I was living on welfare and Social Security for a long time. No, I did not ask my husband for money to buy me that tank, before we were married. So I would like to know why all those people want me to stop printmaking? Why do they want me to give up my career as an artist and printmaker? Friends, I gave up my dreams of being an artist because my mother and father wanted me to go to a college where there were no studio art courses. I stopped oil painting and ceramics when my son was born because people said it made such a mess and might be harmful to the baby. Now I think they have gone too far in trying to push me down with their iron heel. Friends, I have to call the police when I hear the door opening downstairs and I call out and no one answers. Many, many times I answered the telephone and there was silence on the other end of the line until I got caller ID. I look for my receipts to give to my accountant and many are missing. Then they mysteriously show up the next day. If this is not harassment, then what do you call it? I do not go rooting around in my husband's room, in fact, I do not even clean it. The only time I go in there is to put his clean laundry on his bed. Here I am half dead from breast cancer, struggling to start a career as an art teacher and make a decent living. I am not going to give up. Jean Eger Womack Printmaker ------------------------------ From: "Jean Eger Womack" Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 05:45:48 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17229] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1740 Myron, I think your early prints are very beautiful. Now your prints have a hard, mechanical look. What happened? I too saw Carol Summers give a demonstration at his Santa Cruz home. He blew the turpentine onto the print with a gadget that he put in his mouth. I think that is indeed dangerous. In the 60's when I was painting at the Richmond Art Center, they had a vat of turpentine for washing brushes that they left open. The fumes filled the room, as you can imagine! Contra Costa College had a setup like that right before they stopped the silkscreen class. It was really a killer! They sprayed a mixture of toluene and something else from a power sprayer onto the screens. Shortly after that class I got carpal tunnel syndrome and breast cancer. Jean Eger Womack ------------------------------ From: G Wohlken Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 09:04:56 -0500 Subject: [Baren 17230] Mineral Oil and Paper Towels Regarding oily rags. If you use mineral oil and paper towels to clean up after printing, and you put those loosely in a paper bag and save them in your studio until garbage day, is this the same dangerous problem? I don't use mineral spirits anymore, but the inks are oil based. I never noticed anything heating up, but I have been concerned about this. Myron, I like your work and welcome to baren along with the other new people recently. Gayle Ohio, USA ------------------------------ From: Shireen Holman Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 09:11:04 -0500 Subject: [Baren 17231] Re: haz mat At 09:31 AM 2/25/02 -0800, Maria wrote: > I use rags once and dispose of them in a >water-filled bucket. The bucket lives outside with the feral cats and gets >taken to the Hazardous Materials dump once every six months or so. The cats >get taken to the vet once a year for shots. This is something you don't want to do if you live on the east coast. Every summer we are warned not to have any standing water around our houses because of those mosquitoes that carry whatever deadly disease they are carrying these days. Seriously, we do have those mosquitoes, so don't leave any buckets of water outside. Shireen ------------------------------ From: GraphChem@aol.com Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 09:44:46 EST Subject: [Baren 17232] Re: Hello Re: oily rag disposal etc. Always err on the side of safety. We had a rag fire once here at Graphic Chemical (about 20 years ago). Fortunately, we keep all used shop towel/rags in a 55 gallon drum with what they call a "Flame-tamer" lid. It's open to the the room, but there is some clever engineering inside it, so that as the heat of a fire rises, the lid turns the air back into the fire. Since the oxygen has been burnt already, it quickly puts the fire out for lack of air. Very clever. Your inky tarlatan etc. is generally covered in oil based ink - most of which is made from burnt plate oil (or litho varnish) - this oil has already been burnt once (hence the name), and therefore has an incalculable flash point. Never assume, however, that it's o.k. Always dispose of or clean oily rags asap. End of speech.. Dean ------------------------------ From: Graham Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 06:47:50 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17233] Re: Mineral Oil and Paper Towels Hi Gayle I would be very careful about that practice. I asked in a recent post about oils other than petroleum and if any one had any experience in them being combustible. I don't believe they are but would not want to make a statement that was't accurate on such an important issue. Until you find out about mineral oil, it may be wise not to enclose them in paper bag. Leave them loose in a metal container so lots of air get around them. Graham >Regarding oily rags. If you use mineral oil and paper towels to >clean up after printing, and you put >those loosely in a paper bag and save them in your studio until >garbage day, is this the same dangerous problem? >I don't use mineral spirits anymore, but the inks are oil based. I >never noticed anything heating up, but >I have been concerned about this. > >Myron, I like your work and welcome to baren along with the other >new people recently. > >Gayle >Ohio, USA ------------------------------ From: GraphChem@aol.com Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 10:03:02 EST Subject: [Baren 17234] Re: haz mat The best thing to do when checking into waste cans etc. is call Graphic Chemical. In addition to what is listed in the catalog (oily waste cans, safety cans etc.), we are a full line Justrite dealer, and can get any type of cabinets , cans etc that they carry. Our philosophy regarding safety supplies is to sell them at almost no mark up. We want our customers to work in safe studios, so we want these supplies to be affordable. Call us. Dean ------------------------------ From: GraphChem@aol.com Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 10:13:39 EST Subject: [Baren 17235] Re: dangerous inks Barbara - The comment about the ink not self-combusting, but that it will burn like crazy if there is a fire is - mercifully - wrong. Remember these inks are not petroleum based. They are linseed, and not even the boiled linseed that Graham was referring to. They are Burnt linseed oils - in the process of production of the oil, a torch is applied to the varnish kettle and the light ends (the solvents remaining in the oil) are literally burnt off. As I mentoned earlier, these inks (oil based printmaking inks) are not going to burn. You'll melt the can before the ink will come close to igniting., Dean ------------------------------ From: "Bill H Ritchie Jr" Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 07:28:20 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17236] Re: Carol Summers Regarding Myron's description of his Pelican print, that is the process Summers used when he visited Seattle and we videotaped him at Cornish School. He demonstrated for the NWPC, and one of my former students and I made a tape. He also lectured on his work, showed slides, etc. Davidson Galleries is Summers' dealer in Seattle. You can see Summers' work at http://www.davidsongalleries.com/artists/summers/summers.html The benefit of the Baren forum is it makes one stop and reflect on the many health and environment issues that come from a seemingly small part of the art, crafts and design worlds. When I think of the potential problems that could come from watching the Summers video--especially in otherwise safety conscious printmaking classrooms--it makes me think of pulling the Summers video off my list of offerings. I realize I need to create more disclaimers and warnings, or completely re-think the educational philosophy of teaching printmaking. This is important now, as the Net becomes a bigger source of information for printmaking teachers and learners--the people who are going to create the images in this art for the next decade or two. As you watch Summers at work, you can see he didn't care about the fumes. I think he dismisses the hazards. The feeling is, "I've been making my living doing this for years, and I'm not dead yet!" You also see people getting up and heading for the door the moment they see what he's about to do--send a mist of paint thinner out into the room, spraying the backs of his sheets of Suzuki paper. Methinks I won't be converting THAT video to DVD real soon, or else turn it into an example of what NOT to do. I just finished converting Claire Van Vliet's 60-minute video into a three-disc DVD set, but she, too, is using oil-based ink and ALSO nitric acid. No wonder schools are having a hard time continuing to offer printmaking classes and stay inside OSHA's rules. Bill H. Ritchie, Jr 500 Aloha #105 Seattle WA 98109 (206) 285-0658 mailto:ritchie@seanet.com Web sites: Professional: www.seanet.com/~ritchie Virtual Gallery and E-Store: www.myartpatron.com First Game Portal: www.artsport.com ------------------------------ From: Mike Lyon Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 09:46:00 -0600 Subject: [Baren 17237] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1740 At 10:00 PM 2/26/2002 +0900, Sharri wrote: >The oil on my rags is not much more hazardous than the fat from the bacon >on the >paper towels after they've come from the microwave. The precautions Sharri (and others) described for handling and disposal of oily rags are good ones. Still, one important caution: even though bacon grease seems innocuous, under the right conditions it will spontaneously heat up, ignite, and burn like crazy. Spontaneous combustion is not a rare occurrence which only happens to other people. Several years ago, my then studio mate had oil finished a wood display base for one of her ceramic sculptures, and didn't like it. She sanded the thing, and then vacuumed up the dust. A day or two later, I lost virtually everything in the fire which burned up our studio! Couple months later, I came in to our now remodeled studio to discover a metal trash can filling the studio with thick smoke -- it had happened again! Oily rags her husband had used finishing a piece of furniture covered by sawdust and chips swept up from his wood shop had ignited overnight! Luckily there wasn't any damage other than the smell the second time, but I moved out and (of course), I try to be very careful. I use a lot of oil in finishing my woodworking, and generate large amounts of sawdust and chips -- I hang oily finishing rags to dry for a week or so before soaking in water and discarding. The water is standard recommended practice, but spontaneous combustion of oily material requires a relatively high moisture content in order to heat up, I think... At least that's true with compost. - -- Mike Mike Lyon mailto:mikelyon@mlyon.com http://www.mlyon.com ------------------------------ From: "Maria Arango" Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 08:46:06 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17238] registration I am in need of some suggestions on registration. I am currently working on a large (24" x 36") print for the Boy Scouts building in Vegas. Since they wanted to show process as well as the print (wonder who talked them into THAT), they are purchasing the block as well as a print of the key block and a print of the completed project. This thing will be placed on a stairway, so detail was not important as much as colors and bold lines. Anyway, key block is cut and I am in the process of transferring the design to the color block, which will be a simple 3-cut puzzle separation. No problems on the transfer, I build my usual corner jig with two thin nails sticking up, place the block against the corner, the transfer paper poked through the nails. Ink, print, lift paper, replace block, print... I also convinced the Boys that they wanted deckle edges and float frame, so for the actual printing (on Arches tan or BFK heavy buff) I would like to keep the deckle edges intact and, if possible, avoid the holes in the paper. This will be printed by hand as my little press is--little. So! am looking for suggestions on registering this large thing without harm to the paper. Any suggestions and or ideas will be welcomed, as we say in Espa–ol: dos heads are better than una. TIA, Maria ------------------------------ From: FurryPressII@aol.com Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 12:38:32 EST Subject: [Baren 17239] Re: registration You could make the block and the paper the same size and register it to itself. If it is a large print the amount of the deckle should not be noticed you could rent a lawn roller for a press lol seen that done but never work that big. lol rofl john ------------------------------ From: "Lee and Barbara Mason" Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 09:37:50 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17240] Re: dangerous inks Dean, This was interesting....we are in plastics in my real non printmaking life and of course do all the haz mat stuff and fill our all the forms and so on. I am the queen of plastic, so if you ever need a plastic part, I am your girl. What I meant is if there is a fire, ink will burn, along with the can. No one can imagine the damage a fire can do if they have never been exposed to one. Even the smoke will damage beyond repair. Anything we can do to keep it from ever happening to one or our printmaking buddies is worth the effort. So friends, store anything you think might be oily or solvent rags or towels in a metal can and get anything that is flammable in a metal cabinet. Be safe rather than sorry! Best to all, Barbara As I mentoned earlier, these inks (oil based printmaking inks) are not going to burn. You'll melt the can before the ink will come close to igniting., Dean ------------------------------ From: G Wohlken Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 12:52:47 -0500 Subject: [Baren 17241] Registration Regarding registration of large paper in color printing, Maria asked for ideas. What I do, Maria, is to tape it with some easily removable tape onto a predrawn line on a registration board. However, I do the whole print at once, so when it's time to slide in another block, I just lift the paper like a page and loosely turn it back. This is the only way I've been able to register as I cut bad kento marks. Sorry, but I'm not a good geometric carver. When I was at Boot Camp, Graham had to fix my kento marks because they were wayyyy off. For the Large Print Exchange, I taped an extension board onto the height of my registration board in order to accommodate the height of the paper (my image is taller than wide). I don't work with damp paper, so the tape isn't a problem. I use either masking tape or removable cellophane (Scotch) tape, lightly applied in several places down the pencil drawn line that the paper is lined up to. Gayle ------------------------------ From: "Lee and Barbara Mason" Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 09:56:03 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17242] registration Maria, Build a matboard registration block and make a kento registration out of cardboard. To register the paper, use rewetting water based glue, like YES paste and paste a piece of paper in the corner and at the side registration on the back of the paper for the kento registration. Use heavy paper for these corners so they will not distort in use. When you are done printing, gently soak this paper off and you will still have perfect deckel edges. I have used a registration board like this for EVERYTHING I have done in the last couple of years. (well, not intaglio) It works slick as a whistle. I learned to drop paper perfectly from Dave. You hold the paper with the thumb and the two first fingers of each hand. The right hand drops the corner into the kento corner, you lock it with the right thumb holding the paper up from the block with the two fingers of the right hand, you drop the left kento registration into place, locking this with the left thumb, keeping the paper elevated with the two fingers of the left hand. Now the paper is locked in with your thumbs but still raised up from the block. Release the right fingers, then release the left fingers. Then release your thumbs after the paper is safely on the block. It works perfectly every time. The trick is to lock it in with your thumbs so nothing moves. It is amazing. I can drop a piece of paper 50 times in the exact same spot. THANK YOU DAVE!!!!! I think this will solve your problems and works with or without a press. I have used it both ways. Best to you, Barbara ------------------------------ From: "Lee and Barbara Mason" Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 10:07:25 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17243] Re: Office of Strategic Influence Jack, Just get out your red dress and come on down.....we have been a fairly quiet group this winter. Maybe we are just busy or have said it all 50 times. I miss everyone, though. As soon as Maria got too busy for the conga line things just quieted right down! Barbara > Baren After Five is still functioning, isn't it? > > Jack R > > ------------------------------ From: Daniel Dew Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 13:53:56 -0500 Subject: [Baren 17244] Re: registration The best method I have found (the one I used to use when I did serigraph printing, sorta modified) that does not leave any tell tale marks is the tape and postcard card method. 1. Create a 90 degree angle using 1"x2" wood to place the carved block in. 2. On the wood angle created, create a vertical barrier one inch in from the interior( I go to Home Depot and get the skinny aluminum "L" shaped stuff, then nail or glue it down with the "L" facing outward). This will give you a true 90 degree angle to line the paper up with. 3. While you are at Home Depot, get the least adhesive tape they have (I find it in the painting dept.). 4. Tape the 3" x 5" postcards to the back of the paper using the light adhesive tape, two postcards to each side being lined up. This allows you to use the 90 degree angle created with the postcards, making each print perfectly (?) aligned for each color, but no damage done to the deckled paper. I wish there was a way to draw on these e-mails, it's so much easier to illustrate than describe. dan dew > From: "Maria Arango" > Subject: [Baren 17238] registration > > I am in need of some suggestions on registration. > > TIA, > Maria ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne N. Chase" Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 20:37:18 -0500 Subject: [Baren 17245] Re: Exchange 13 Hi Barbara My mailing address , until my studio is restored is; 6244 Crestwood Ave Sarasota, Fl 34231 If my studio gets the ok to be restored , then I will mail you the studio address, but the way everyone is moving it will probably be longer than I anticipated. The County has to ok the restoration and you know how much red tape things like that involve. Meantime I am working in a my husbands one car garage, but at least I can do a woodcut now that the shock has worn off. Luv Jeanne Norman Chase ------------------------------ From: "Maria Arango" Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 18:26:33 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17246] registration ideas Thanks all for a virtual full-course of registration ideas! I actually used a variation of a couple of them, I purchased two $1 clipboards and attached them (with screws) to my usual registration jig. I had to trim them down a wee bit. Man, oh man, does this work like the proverbial tin whistle...the clips hold the paper beautifully in place through my abusive printing. To get the margins perfect I used the glue-a-piece-of paper to the corner method and cardboard kentos, giving me perfect margins every time. I have to modify my printing method so that I print both blocks in succession without moving the paper. Usually I would print all one color and then all the other color, but for something this big and only 10 prints, leaving the paper in place and switching blocks will be far more accurate than trying to place a 30" x 44" sheet of paper exactly in the same place twice. I lack the wing-span! Anyhow, pictures upcoming and y'all are going to help me name this thing. Incidentally, a report on a little jewel that Matsumura-san sent me. It's a smallish baren and I really have no idea which one it is, but it is my very first "real" baren. Wow! what a powerful little thing! It did a better job on western paper (BFK heavyweight) than my ball-bearing baren. This one fits my hand perfectly and I can actually "feel" the block right through it; it also did a better job with a couple of low spots in the block. I'm in love, sigh... Health and fortune cookies to all, Maria ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V18 #1741 *****************************