From: Mike  |  Date: March 3, 2006

The image I've prepared for Mokuhankan is an Aspen Grove with quite a bit of tall grass bending among the trees -- a pretty typical landscape composition designed for 9 blocks (one of the nine is just a solid background in case we decide to begin somewhere below paper color, a 'trick' which I often use, as it automatically softens some of the lighter transitions and provides some variation in the highlights)... Otherwise, eight genuinely carved blocks -- this is by FAR the most elaborate design I've EVER attempted (emboldened now by my reliable-seeming automated carving) -- I've spent the better part of three days working on the image and colors and shapes -- finally began toolpathing this afternoon -- it appears that may take more than 24 hours (which means that the carving itself may take several days of solid 24 hours per day cutting)... Might be overly ambitious, actually, but I want the first blocks ever printed under other than my own hands to somehow justify my process... LOTS of little tiny marks in these in order to eliminate the lack from the too-small number of 'colors' (I hope, anyway)... Although the image is 'just another landscape', as a print I imagine it should turn out FABULOUSLY!

I'm considering carving these blocks on 1/4" cherry plywood -- that stuff will be light as a feather to ship to Japan and may then be glued down flat onto heavier ply locally -- each block will be just under 12 x 16 inches and the kento are placed so the image is centered in a 10x15 inch sheet. Sound about right?

From: Dave  |  Date: March 3, 2006

Do I get a chance to see it first? ...

I'm sure it'll do ... as long as it has interesting light/shadow effects, which I'm sure is a natural part of that kind of scene ...

(which means that the carving itself may take several days of solid 24 hours per day cutting)..

So should we maybe consider sending it out to a 'real' carver instead? :-)

- I've spent the better part of three days working on the image and colors and shapes -

You say 'colours' ... do you mean shades, or actually different colours? Isn't this a 'monochrome', like the other Aspen Grove?

-- each block will be just under 12 x 16 inches and the kento are placed so the image is centered in a 10x15 inch sheet. Sound about right?

I don't know much about those 'inchy' things, but yes, it sounds about on target. When you say 10x15, that size is presumably determined by your pre-determined margin - the distance from the registration marks to the image area ...?

From: Mike  |  Date: March 4, 2006

Mockup attached -- toolpathing completed miraculously! Block in image is as you would look at them, paper simulated, image reversed as it would appear on print (not blocks), "ML" mark camouflaged in lower right.

From: Dave  |  Date: March 4, 2006

Very interesting ... quite an impact when the image opens up on the screen ...

But have you started cutting this yet? There are some things I'd like to talk to you about ...

From: Mike  |  Date: March 5, 2006

The 9 blocks are about 1/2 carved as I write -- but even though I did my best to check, there was an error somewhere in my 1.6 MILLION lines of code for the V-carving run, and I see there's a shallow gouge through the center of three of the blocks -- DAMN! But it's OK, because my 1/4" plywood doesn't appear to be surviving the intense carving well enough anyway -- I will go out shopping for genuine lumber in 12" widths tomorrow morning and hope to find something (cherry or maple with luck) which will work better -- probably be better for Mokuhankan purposes anyway, as it's GOTTA hold up in printing better than the ply stuff... I'm knocking off the tiny veneer islands in too many places on the plywood, partly because I didn't have a brand-new and SHARP bit on hand, so the bit I'm using is the same one used for the blocks on both the BIG prints and wasn't quite sharp any more... No time lost, really, as I couldn't have obtained, flattened, and sanded planks before Monday anyway -- so... Back to the drawing board... Problem with plank is that I can't carve all blocks at once, so it'll take much longer and I may not finish before I leave for Connecticut Friday, so block delivery will probably be pushed back two weeks.

It's likely that I'll be able to locate some 90 degree V-bits locally, but if not mail order will require that carving wait until my return anyway... I'll have LOTS of time in the evenings for proofing and toolpating though, so might all work out for the best! After image, quality is paramount!

I'll proof the current cherry blocks when they're done anyway, and it'll at least give me an idea whether I'm on track or not...

From: Mike  |  Date: March 6, 2006

Dear Dave, The blocks are finishing up and actually don't look so bad, except for the three with the straight gouge through the middle, of course -- I may just recarve those three (will work on toolpathing tonight) -- I've dampened three whole oban size sheets for proofing tomorrow (pretty ambitious of me, eh?) and I'll see how the print before proceeding in ANY direction...

From: Dave  |  Date: March 6, 2006

Sounds like you've been having fun there ...

I'll just sit tight until I hear what's happening. Some thoughts though:

I will go out shopping for genuine lumber in 12" widths tomorrow ... I'm knocking off the tiny veneer islands in too many places on the plywood ...

For what it's worth, my own preferences for projects that will have an intended long-term life - like this one - is to stay with hardwood ply of the Matsumura-type - with a good 5mm layer of hardwood. My poets' blocks were done on solid lumber, and reprinting them nowadays is a nightmare of block adjustments. Very little of the solid wood we get these days is properly dried, and the inevitable (and inevitably uneven) shrinkage over the next few years after carving them just makes work _so_ difficult.

I know your system allows an easy 'recarve', but it would be kinda nice to get it right first time ... But anyway, go with whatever you have to use to get this one up and running ...

(Might be worth looking ahead to the next one, and getting some wood ordered and shipped over to you, well in advance of work beginning ...)

From: Mike  |  Date: March 7, 2006

Uh-Oh -- just returned from shopping -- with 12 feet of 3/4" x 12" hard maple -- beautiful stuff! I'll not carve it until we've discussed further -- was unable to find decent cherry at either of the two local hardwood lumber suppliers, but did find some 1/4" cherry and some beautiful 1/4" mahogany which might glue well onto plywood to make some Matsumura-like blocks -- what do you think? Mahogany will print a typical straight grain (white lines where tubes are open), cherry you already know all about. The recarve on the three blocks is underway -- the paper is damp and waiting for proofing... Should know more this afternoon or tomorrow...

Blocks for oban carving should be 12x16 inches (30.5 x 40.6 cm) (gives me ample room to hold them down, but could make due with somewhat smaller if need be).

From: Mike  |  Date: a few minutes later

OK, now I'm really starting to get irritated -- why does this happen when I'm on a tight schedule and about to leave for CT?!? My router shot craps today -- have to either repair it or get another -- it's a pretty standard machine and not too pricey as these things go, but still today of all days... I've got the toolpaths ready for 3/4 maple -- I _think_ it's stable stuff, but... Plan to machine both sides, of course... What do you think?

From: Dave  |  Date: March 7, 2006

No maple please ... it's a bitch to print - too 'hard', doesn't absorb water properly, too 'chippy' for carving ... nothing but trouble ...

Let's take this a bit more slowly ... starting to sound like I should just order some wood and have it sent over.

From: Mike  |  Date: March 8, 2006

Proofed the blocks this morning -- not at ALL what I expected after all that carving, carving, carving! My table bed or block either had some junk on it or my bed is no longer flat -- that won't be a problem with 'real' blocks, though... It'll print quite differently from recarves... But the two sheets I printed are kinda 'OK', though completely lacking any over-the-top detail which I expected... Here's a scan, let me know what you think...

I'll wait to recarve until I make up some blocks -- I think it's better NOT to send me Matsumura blocks, as they are finely surfaced and I'll likely just 'plane' them flat to the machine and sand myself prior to carving... Not worth it! I'll find some appropriate lumber and make the re-carves locally unless you're 'thrilled' with the proof (which I'm NOT) -- this was printed without paste at all -- only pigment in water...

From: Dave  |  Date: March 8, 2006

What's the 'resolution' of your cutting system? The image you sent is only 72dpi, so I can't tell for sure, but it seems that your machine doesn't 'see' below around 2mm.

Just looking at the dark black areas of the first main tree on the left, for example, your cutter isn't getting the lines 'thin' enough. If you run your eye over the whole image looking at just the parts cut into that darkest block, you can see that all the lines and blobs have that same minimum dimension. If that's the case, then we are over-reaching by using an image with so much delicate detail ... It would work at your 'normal' super-large size, but not at this small size ...

I think it's better NOT to send me Matsumura blocks, as they are finely surfaced and I'll likely just 'plane' them flat to the machine and sand myself prior to carving..

?? Sorry, I don't understand ...

... unless you're 'thrilled' with the proof (which I'm NOT)

Well, no ... I had been telling myself "Dave, don't expect a proof that looks just like the photo you have been looking at!", but I figured we would be a bit closer than this! :-) I have to try and sort out how much of the appearance is due to the blocks, and how much to the printer .... (Also, you lost the 'whiteness' of the birch trees completely, so I'm not sure if that flat beta-ban should really be part of it ...)

From: Mike  |  Date: March 8, 2006

What's the 'resolution' of your cutting system?

.002" (.05mm)

Just looking at the dark black areas of the first main tree on the left, for example, your cutter isn't getting the lines 'thin' enough. If you run your eye over the whole image looking at just the parts cut into that darkest block, you can see that all the lines and blobs have that same minimum dimension. If that's the case, then we are over-reaching by using an image with so much delicate detail ... It would work at your 'normal' super-large size, but not at this small size ...

problem was with uneven surface -- cutter working too shallow in some blocks, too deep in some others -- this will be fixed in future rev :)

I 'think' I can do it -- but maybe not? If not, I'll send block plans ready to transfer (or I can transfer block plans for carving to blocks and return)

?? Sorry, I don't understand ... 'plane' them flat to the machine?

Best if machine does the planing so surface is flat in reference to cutter head -- if I do it that way, no point in fancy underwater sanding -- I'll just be cutting it down to new surface -- in other words, just ignore this whole topic -- I will supply suitable blocks... eventually .

.. I had been telling myself "Dave, don't expect a proof that looks just like the _photo_ you have been looking at!", but I figured we would be a bit closer than this! :-) I have to try and sort out how much of the appearance is due to the blocks, and how much to the printer .... (Also, you lost the 'whiteness' of the birch trees completely, so I'm not sure if that flat beta-ban should really be part of it ...)

Print is somewhat better than the scan -- it's a very hard color for my scanner to reproduce for some reason, and the print is both lighter in color and with more color definition than the scan... Best my scanner can do, however, even with my 'help'... A better printing would help these blocks, but I think I'm abandoning them in favor the the next revision which should be quite a bit better... If not, then back to the old drawing board... Impressionism is definitely NOT what I had in mind for this one!

This thread continues in Aspen Grove [3] ...