From: Dave  |  Date: April 18, 2006

(Discussion via Skype):

(Rather than face more delays at this point, I gave Mike the go-ahead to use the maple. That's not my first choice for wood for printing, but as he felt it would do the job from the cutting point of view, and as the image has no open wide areas where the quality of the wood surface would affect the printed tone, there seems no reason not to try it for this print.)

From: Mike  |  Date: April 19, 2006

The (maple) blocks are underway and taking shape nicely -- Yesterday I prepared a wide hard maple plank by screwing it down to my machine and surfacing it flat (it was amazingly unflat) then sanding it (100 grit, 150 grit, 220 grit, 400 grit) shiny smooth, cutting the kento, and began v-carving the first side (blocks 0, 1, 3, 5, 7) about 14 hours ago... It's finishing up the last (#7) block now with about five hours to go, I think. Then I'll clear the larger areas with an end-mill (flat bottom bit) to about .07 inches, turn the plank over, screw it back down, surface the other side and sand, and this afternoon will begin v-carving of blocks 2, 4, 6, and 8 -- should be complete and ready for proofing late tomorrow afternoon -- well over 2,000,000 lines of machine code in the carving... I'm still knocking off many of the tiny islands, but the holes look great -- it's going to take a 'fine' brush to keep ink from pooling in all the tiny impressions, I think, and a very 'thin' ink, but this version of the block set is much improved it appears... Hope the image will be better communicated this time! Keeping fingers and toes all crossed! Blocks should be packed up and on the way to you (marked 'samples, no commercial value'?) Friday if all goes well.

From: Dave  |  Date: April 19, 2006

Sounds good! You don't have to worry about 'no commercial value' stuff ... just mark them 'woodblocks', and they should come through fine.

Looking forward to proofing them!

From: Mike  |  Date: April 20, 2006

Completed blocks 0,1,3,5,7 yesterday and turned the plank over, surfaced 2nd side and began v-carving blocks 2,4,6,8 (block sides are 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 0)... When I was adjusting the bit height for the 2nd side blocks, I noticed that I was a tiny bit deep -- .004 inch -- doesn't seem like much, but the 2nd side is carved much more accurately than the first side as a result -- man this is a demanding block set! I obviously do not want to recarve the 1,3,5,7 blocks -- but by carving ~.004 too deep on those blocks, my bit has cut .002 too wide on each side -- doesn't seem like a huge error, but it's enough that I can perceive a difference in the blocks -- I've likely wiped out many of the tiny islands which otherwise might have survived and printed... Actually, .002 is the accuracy limit of my machine (which makes .002 steps in each dimension)... I suspect that since the blocks are mostly correct, and every other block is accurate (I think), it should work out in the printing so that the image is reproduced fairly well... I'll proof it this afternoon when I complete carving and see what I think... Otherwise, all seems to be moving along splendidly! Still isn't going to 'look like a photograph' at all, I don't think...

From: Dave  |  Date: April 20, 2006

Actually, .002 is the accuracy limit of my machine (which makes .002 steps in each dimension)... I suspect that since the blocks are mostly correct, and every other block is accurate (I think), it should work out in the printing so that the image is reproduced fairly well... I'll proof it this afternoon when I complete carving and see what I think... Otherwise, all seems to be moving along splendidly! Still isn't going to 'look like a photograph' at all, I don't think...

Are the registration marks also cut by the machine? Given the tolerances you are working to, it would seem that they would need the same accuracy ...

From: Mike  |  Date: April 20, 2006

Registration also machine cut and exactly accurate -- these are carved with a different bit, so they're 'perfect'!

From: Mike  |  Date: April 21, 2006

Did a very quick and awful proofing job last night and this morning -- It's 'better', but imperfect -- I believe I miscalculated the width of the 60 degree v-bit and so left many small areas uncleared, so the tones are not well-reproduced and the print is way too 'dotty'... I'm afraid I'm going to have to find another suitable plank and begin again, Dave -- I think it's 'worth it', but I'm pretty disappointed after so many days of effort... I'll see how the proofs look when dry -- my proofing was so quick and wet that it may be worth trying to print these with a bit more care, but my strong suspicion at this point is that I'll need to begin all over again... :( I'm feeling pretty incompetent this morning -- the fine grasses and other details appear to have been very delicately and properly carved -- they are quite effective even in my horrible proofs, but I sure do think I've left 10,000 little uncleared areas which should have been cleared... Probably back to the old drawing board for another three to five days -- I'll go shopping for laminated cherry this morning and see what I can find.

Don't give up on me -- I'll get this thing under control yet -- 3rd try's the charm, riiiiight?

From: Dave  |  Date: April 21, 2006

... but I sure do think I've left 10,000 little uncleared areas which should have been cleared... Probably back to the old drawing board for another three to five days -- I'll go shopping for laminated cherry this morning and see what I can find.

This may be the dumb question of the week, but is there no way you can put it back under the machine and have it run over the thing again, with a different depth setting?

Don't give up on me -- I'll get this thing under control yet -- 3rd try's the charm, riiiiight?

Not sure what to say ... my 'answer' has to be of course, "Let's get it right ..." ... but I'm getting a bit embarrassed at how much time this project is taking away from your 'real' work! :-)

From: Mike  |  Date: April 22, 2006

Well, it's not the depth setting -- it's toolpath problem (my own dumb fault), really... I do have two screw holes in each block which I could use to attempt to register, but it wouldn't get me close enough to zero, I don't believe -- gotta really be DEAD on or I'll just screw up all the fine work and have to do it over anyway -- even if I hadn't already cut the plank apart into blocks -- I didn't plan to put the blocks back on the machine, so have no sure way to register blocks or machine anymore... Best to begin again, I think... I could 'try' it, but 99% sure it wouldn't work.

Not sure what to say ... my 'answer' has to be of course, "Let's get it right ..." ... but I'm getting a bit embarrassed at how much time this project is taking away from your 'real' work! :-)

Embarrassed and longing to get back to real work? ME TOO, YOU BET! ouch! And.... "Oh -- that's nothing, a computer did it!" Yeah... Riiiiiiiight! :)

From: Mike  |  Date: April 22, 2006

OK, just had a look at the mostly dry proofs -- I think I'm mistaken about the clearing error -- I've properly cleared the blocks -- just not printed well at all -- the blocks are the way they're supposed to be, I now think (isn't this a hoot? when the artist is uncertain exactly WHAT he intended?)... My scanner is DEAD of course, along with my main computer, but I can photograph a couple of the proofs and see what you think, but after seeing the dry prints, I think it's gonna work after all -- especially under more gifted (and patient) printing hands than my own...

OK, I've zipped up a photo of each block and two proofs and attached them to this email -- one is blocks 5 through 8 only [image below] and the other is blocks 1-8 (not block 0) -- I did a poor job of printing and didn't properly step through the tones -- this would be much more effective with block 0 printed first at about 30% of the way to blue, then even steps from next shade through very dark...

What do you think?

From: Mike  |  Two hours later ...

Nope -- it ain't gonna work -- I've looked carefully and I can see many, MANY areas which were not properly cleared - this pretty much ruins the illusion -- I've decided that I'm gonna have to recarve.

From: Mike  |  One hour later ...

Have you ever printed from poplar? I have not, but it's cheap and I found an excellent clear plank 5/4 inch thick, 16 inch wide, 10 foot long piece for under $30 and bought it. Could NOT find any suitable cherry -- either much too narrow or glued up with sap wood all over the place and many knots. From the look of it, the poplar should print quite well, but may not carve so well as it's softer and more fibrous than cherry or maple. The maple, by the way, carved excellently -- better than cherry with very clean cuts, virtually no burr, and no tearout. Hard as a rock, though!

It's going to take me at least a full day to do the toolpathing, so no cutting until tomorrow -- so I have a little time -- let me know your experience with poplar if any? If you're reluctant, I can run back over to my hardwood supplier and pick up something more exotic, I suppose.

From: Dave  |  Date: April 22, 2006

What's the halo effect I see everywhere? Many (most?) of the dark areas/spots have a 'halo' cut out of the underlying lighter blocks, leaving a white ring around them.

Is this something from Photoshop - did you apply an Unsharp mask or something to some of the layers? I don't get it.

Have you ever printed from poplar?

Please no 'whitewood' ... Surely you are going to find the same problem that you did with the plywood - it just won't hold the detail.

And then at printing time, hit it with water, and two minutes later it's a soggy saturated mess. The small islands will absorb and swell up, the whole thing will be too soft to apply any firm pressure, and of course, it'll wear out in ten minutes ...

Other than the usual suspects we've been working with - cherry, maple, etc. - the only 'softwood' alternative that seems to work at all is magnolia. Smooth wide planks are easy to get (over here, anyway), it cuts like butter and prints beautifully smoothly. You have to let it rest frequently, because it gets saturated, but it will do the job ...

From: Mike  |  Date: April 23, 2006

But poplar isn't a softwood (conifer) -- it's a hardwood but I see what you mean -- appears it would be much more absorbent than cherry (which is much more absorbent than maple)... I'll take another run over to the yard right now and see what I can find in maple -- maybe bite the bullet and pick up a glued-up cherry plank (those are plentiful but contain sapwood and knots which will complicate both cutting and printing a bit)... Magnolia is unavailable in KC right now and I've only seen small pieces a few times here (50 species in Asia, 8 in North America and only 4 of those commercially cut, mostly in the Southeast. But there are some pricey wide planks of beech ($13+ per square foot 1" thick), birch ($6 to $8/ft, cherry ($8+/ft), and some others...

From: Dave  |  Date: April 23, 2006

(Discussion via Skype):

Mike called this morning (evening for him). He brought me up to date on the problems he has been having with getting his machinery to work to the tolerances this project needs. Seems that 'halo' effect on the proof he sent me was an artifact of the way he had programmed/set the cutting procedure, and that it wasn't repairable; this set of blocks will have to be junked.

We talked about the wood choices for the next attempt. Seems the best way to move forward with this is for him to hit up some of the local lumber suppliers, to see if he can find something suitable. It's got to be hard enough to hold the detail, yet not so hard that it won't 'take' the water while printing ...

With so much of his time invested in this one now, I really want to make sure we get a good set of blocks - one from which we can pull many impressions, over many years. I know that he isn't thinking in terms of '$ per hour' on this stuff, but the only way that projects like this can be viable, is if each of the people involved does get a worthwhile return on their efforts ...

From: Mike  |  Date: May 2, 2006

Dave, sorry for not writing sooner "“ but want to let you know that the blocks came out OK and printed OK"¦ I'll get them boxed up and sent off to you before the end of the week, I hope.

From: Dave  |  Date: May 2, 2006

Good good good ... very much looking forward to getting a photographable proof, and then getting the place opened up!

This thread continues in Aspen Grove [4] ...