Sigwalt Chicago

Last night was filled with lots of experimentation and printing on the new baby press, Sig. New and interesting things learned: how to adjust the bed of the press so that it prints properly. Not sure that it's totally right yet, but it's getting closer.

So. Baby Sig has had it's first ink up, and also it's first cleaning. It's a sweet little press. Now... to start printing! Valentines are first on the list.

And the iPod in that photo? Totally there so that you know how big (or little) this baby press is.

New Press!

This week at BCP... a lovely little Sigwalt Chicago #11 is on it's way! It should arrive about midweek. I can hardly wait!

Other things that are happening:

Save the Dates are headed to Canada on Monday

Designing Shipping Labels

Finished binding a book, but can't post a photo of it quite yet because it has a higher purpose as a gift.

Lots of designing. Once the designing is done, lots of printing.

And working on the blog page... as you might have noticed.

Wish List

Should anyone care to buy me this darling little press, you may feel free.

Right after you hit the lottery, that is, since this particular press is going for more than what I got my press for. (Paint it, and apparently it's worth a lot more.)

But it is cute, and someday I want one similar. Add that to the list of type faces I want, the board shear, the vandercook, and the other ink colors.

Wish lists are so much fun!

In other news, I've been folding, pulling proofs, and printing up new business cards, (for myself) so it's been a pretty productive time in the print shop.

Gold

“Faces of type are like men’s faces. They have their own expression; their complexion and peculiar twists and turns of line identify them immediately to friends, to whom each is full of identity.”
— J.L. Frazier

I painted some of the gold detailing on last night; I've been working on it and kept promising a photo, so here it is!

Shot the Serif

So I'm not much for the "I shot the sheriff" song, but I thought that the "I shot the serif" was just too funny. Type humor at it's finest.

And in other news, I finished the TJ's Cakes business cards (I'll show them here once I've delivered them) this morning. Then I played around with an arrow typecut; it looks very Alice in Wonderland. It may be a slower longer project, because I think I want to layer multiple colors into it for an even more cheshire effect.

Oh! I started painting the press. So fantastic. I'll show you when it's more complete; right now I've only done two sections of about three thousand. (Slight exaggeration?)

Flywheel

So. Today, the flywheel tried to fly off.

No, really. I think it was only holding on by about an eighth of an inch. And when we're talking a piece of cast iron that weighs (I'm not sure how much, but a lot) that's not much. So I wiggled it back on, we're all good now.

And I'm trying to make a screen print of a C&P old style. Right now it looks really good, but still has some holes that would let ink through in unfortunate places. Trial and error; but it looks awesome. I took the pattern from a line drawing I did of the C&P.

Baby Presses

I was having fun surfing BriarPress.org; which lead me on an ebay quest to see if they actually had Baltimorean No 10's for sale. Go figure, they do. I'm not buying it...yet.

Anyway. Along my Google and Ebay adventures, I found this little thing; oh how I wish you could still get a press for $5.00!

Learning the Chase

Okay. So maybe a Vandercook gives you a little more wiggle room than a platen when you are setting type. I'm missing the days of sliding a nicely tied up block of type into the press bed, and then sliding it back off. This whole lifting business is a bit more challenging.

Also, when I picked up the most recent bunch of stuff, I grabbed some quoins and a key, thinking they would go together... not my luck. I have two quoins and a key, but they don't play well together. Rats.

However, I did get that wooden tray attached properly; it looks beautiful. And now I'm varnishing the second part of it--next on the list of things to bring in the house and work on are the type cases, I think. Lots of type to sort through. I'm trying to find someone who will buy the old type for melt value.

So... Soon. Soon I will be printing. Or at least learning to print on a platen.

Refinishing

Today brought home another type case; this one had some 72 pt. font that I'm excited to print. And I started refinishing the wooden parts of the press. Had one of those, "Wow, I'm glad I took a before and after photo." See:

New Year

Happy New Year!

Sadly, I haven't been able to do much in the printing realm, mostly because the entire print shop is hovering at about 20 degrees. In case you are interested, cast iron at 20 degrees F is mighty chilly, and it sucks all the heat out of your hands in about two seconds flat. So instead, I've been watching the snow fall, skiing, and knitting mittens.

And I've included a photo I took yesterday of the snow in the woods near the print shop!

Arrival

The press is here! It moved in the early afternoon. So excited! Not so stellar photos of the people in the photos, but you get the idea.

Preparations

Press search successful!

Now just need to build a floor to house the press. An entire press shop! I'm so excited.

Here on the left is an example of the cards I printed recently on a Vandercook. I found a great metal plate mounted on a wooden base in the collection of the Wells Book Arts Center, and printed when I had the opportunity to a few weeks ago.

Hopefully all will go well with getting the press here--fingers crossed! Moving a press is no small task.

Press Shopping

Bedford Creek is shopping for a press!

Exciting, because if I have a press, I can get new cards out just in time for the holidays! Photos coming soon of past work, new ideas, and of course, new cards.