Homemade woodblock printing press part 2

Well after breakfast this morning I went and checked the glued in plug and found the glued dry. Time to mix up some concrete!

So I got my sawhorses clear and then laid some 2x4's over them and then put the threaded rod with washers and nut into the plug. I then used some silicone sealant to make sure no concrete leaked out the bottom.

Then I stood up both tubes on the 2x4's and then used some clamps to keep the threaded rod from falling through to the floor.

I got out a five gallon plastic bucket and started mixing up small batches of concrete by hand so that I could control the "stiffness" of the concrete. I did not want it too sloppy because that would be too much water and it would take forever to cure.

Tubes ready to be filled.

 
Here I am getting ready to dump concrete into the first tube. I used a small gardening shovel to get small amounts of the concrete into the tubes.

As the concrete is added I used a small stick to make sure that there were no voids in the concrete and that it was well mixed together. Once the tube was 1/3 filled with concrete I took the clamp off the top of the threaded rod.

Once the tube was filled I trial fitted the remaining end plug and removed a little concrete until the plug fit without any leakage. Then using the remaining washer and 5/8 inch nut I screw it down until it would not go any farther and was quite snug. I then got the square out and using a hammer adjusted the plug until it was square to the sides.  I then did the same to the other tube.

And now we wait till tomorrow when I will start on the gear section of my work.

Homemade woodblock printing press part 1

So I could not find a old proof press or anything else to do my woodblock prints. Time to make my own press,

Here is the idea that I'm going to work from. Here someone used a length of PVC sewer pipe, make wooden caps for the ends. They attached one of the caps added the 5/8ths threaded rod to hold the ends on. They then stood it on end and filled it with concrete for weight, and added the remaining cap and used the threaded rod and nuts and washers to force the remaining cap into place.

I was going to do the same till I realized that I need a printing bed of 2 feet wide and 4 feet long. That will make this design hard to use since you need to use both hands to push the heavy roller back and forth.

My prints need to be much bigger and I will not be able to use both arms. So... I will do a different design using the same principles, but using gears.

First I must create the heavy cylinder. A neighbor hood friend had some 2 plus feet of 6 inch PVC sewer pipe that he gave me in exchange for a print or two when its all done. Using the band-saw I trimmed them up as square as I could. Table saw was useless at this task.

Then using the ends of the tubes I traced out the plugs that will seal the tubes and keep the concrete all in place. With the band-saw set for a 10 degree angle I cut out the plugs.

Trial fit the plugs on both tubes and matched and numbered the ones that fit the best for both tubes.

Purchased 5/8 inch treaded rod with washers and nuts for this project so now time to find the middle of the plugs and then drill a 5/8 inch hole in each of the plugs.

5/8 inch threaded rod

Drilled holes with my cheap drill press

Then using an industrial glue I started to apply glue to one plug for the first tube and then inserted it.

Tapped it down with a hammer till it was snug and then using a carpenters square I made sure that the plug was 90 degrees flush with the long side of the tube.

You have to use a hammer to set the plug snug and make sure everything is square. Now that that was done I needed to dress the glue clean up and wait till the glue hardens for the next step.

Hot rod pickup trucks in Austin. How Texan can you get?

I think I have a new series of woodcut prints for guys coming out when I get home.

Update on some of the prints.

I decided to add some color to two of the plane prints. What do you think?

San Jose Mission in San Antonio

Mission shot at San Jose Mission in San Antonio. 

I'm feeling a woodblock print coming on.

Gone for three weeks down south.

Well I needed to refresh and get away from all the snow. So down south we went!

Did the Whiskey tour. That was fun.

Then down to New Orleans for Easter.

Makers Mark Whiskey tour.

Easter Parade in New Orleans

Our Boo all bling'ed out.