Pasta Maker Printing Press
The tabletop pasta maker had it’s first trial as a mobile printing press today. RESULT!!!!! It worked beautifully. It’s taken ages to renovate because we had stored it in a really damp cupboard and it was badly rusted, but WD40, patience and elbow grease did the job.
Here’s how I recycled it…………….
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Cutting paper drypoint plate to size
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Drawing onto paper drypoint plate with drawing pen
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Scratching the lines into the plate surface with a drypoint tool
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Cutting Bockingford paper to size
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Soaking the paper, about an hour will do
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Wipe away the ink drawing, don’t use a wet cloth, just slightly damp!
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Cutting press blankets from felted wool to just fir into the press
First, I cut a piece of Intaglio Printmaker’s paper drypoint etching plate and then I redrew a little drawing of a hare onto it, from one of my sketchbooks, using a Faber Castell Pitt drawing pen, size S. Thirdly, I scratched over the linework with my drypoint tool, just breaking the surface of the plastic coating. Then I cut and soaked some small pieces of Bockingford before removing the pen drawing with a very lightly dampened piece of cotton wool. Finally I cut some pieces of felted wool to be used as tiny blankets for the pasta press.
Inking up the drypoint plate ………..
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Using special drypoint ink , an oil-based one from Intaglio Printmakers
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Softening the ink on a recycled marble inking slab
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Using a rubber squeegee to apply ink to plate
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Using an old business card, or recylcle a credit card, to remove excess ink
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Don’t remove too much ink, it’s easy to rub too hard
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Clean the edges with a rag and check the back too
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Drain the paper – I used ‘toaster’ tongs – repurposed what I had in the kitchen
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Blotting with kitchen roll and a cheap roller (brayer)
I put a blob of Intaglio Printmaker’s Drypoint Mix oil–based etching ink onto my inking block (a recycled bit of marble from an old fireplace) and picked some up with a mini rubber squeegee. I squeegeed the ink across the little drypoint plate then removed the excess, firstly with the edge of an old business card and then with a piece of tissue paper, taking care not to take too much off. Finally I wiped the edges with a rag, cleaned my hands and blotted a piece of the soaked Bockingford paper.
Making a blanket sandwich …….
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First layer, one of the felt blankets
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Second layer, a clean piece of tissue
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Third layer, the blotted Bockingford paper
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Fourth layer, the inked plate, face down
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Fifth layer, another piece of clean tissue
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Sixth layer, the second felt blanket
On top of one of the first blanket I laid a clean piece of tissue paper, then the blotted Bockingford and then placed the drypoint plate, inky side down, then another layer of tissue and finally the second blanket.
Taking the print ……..
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Grip the blanket sandwich firmly so none of the pieces move
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Feed it into the machine and turn the handle
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Carefully peel away the layers of the blanket sandwich and here’s your little drypoint print.
I picked up the blanket sandwich very carefully and firmly, making sure none of the layers slipped and rested the bottom edge onto the rollers in the pasta press. I turned the handle with one hand while keeping a tight grip on the blanket sandwich with the other. Once it was through, I peeled away the layers and voila! A teeny little etching.
These paper drypoint plates make an edition of 10 or so etchings before wearing out. I think I might try some hand colouring on these little hares, with my Winsor & Newton Artist’s Watercolours.
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Tags: art, drypoint, etching, hares, Intaglio Printmakers, pasta making machine, preloved, printmaking, recycling, repurposed
