Tan Material Sample Results - Round #3

Are you ready? It's time for another round of sample results. As with every other batch of these I've compiled, I'm really impressed with the creativity, thoughtfulness, thoroughness and talent of the Merry Band of Testers. You guys are awesome! 

Once again, thanks to nosox, Wise Wanderer and Open Space for their very helpful suggestions with respect to questions to help all the testers in their analysis and evaluation of this new material (while helping everybody else to get an idea of what's going on behind the curtain, in the bargain).

And even if you aren't interested in reading through the answers I've compiled in all these posts, the tester carves are fabulous, so that's worth the price of admission right there!! So, with no further ado...

What, if anything, did you to do prep the block before transferring your image?

One sanded half the block, one sanded the whole block, one did an acetone wipe. 

What type of transfer did you use?

One parchment transfer, one pencil transfer, one acetone transfer.

Did it take a transfer well?

Is the transfer clear and high contrast, showing detail well?

Does the transfer stay on the material without smearing or sliding?

All transfer methods worked well, showing good detail and contrast. The pencil transfer stayed on pretty well but did smear after a while, though it could easily be traced over again. The carver who used parchment transfer said it smudged a little on the image that took her more than several hours to carve (the one with the pixie and text), but she did not use StazOn yellow ink to fix the transfer and usually does).

Many thanks to FORAYCH who carved the penny with his unsharpened Staedtler #1 reversed and the dime with a new, sharp Staedtler #1 reversed. Yes, he carved them actual size and the scanned image here doesn't really do them justice. He thought that with a little less elasticity, more crisp detail would be possible. 

What tool(s) did you use?

Old and new Staedtler #1 reversed, sharp and dull x-acto, Speedball modified #1, Speedball #5, Staedtler mini #1 and dissecting pin. 

Using properly sharpened tools, does the cut path have clean edges?
Is the consistency of the block smooth or grainy?

Edges were clean for two of these testers, and mostly clean for one who had to go back and clean up minor residual pieces with small details.

Does the gouge or knife slip during shallow cuts or when ending cuts?

Two had no slipping, one had a little slipping. 

Does the material release easily from the block as you finish each cut?
One said yes, even in corners. One said yes and thought it was much less elastic than OZ Kut. One said pretty well, though it was a little tougher with tiny details.

How would you rate the level of pressure it takes to move the tool through the material? 

One said good, that it was firm, but not as firm as OZ Kut and firmer than SQL. One described it as medium hard. One thought it was easy to move through the material.

Many thanks to Porras Posse who carved this delightful frog (a perfect springtime image!). She sanded the left side of the block and left the right side alone before doing a pencil transfer. Her prints show best coverage with StazOn, but not much difference between the sanded and unsanded sides of the block and the material was firm enough that she had no stray carve marks in her print. She used gouges only. 

Rate the ability to make fine straight lines.

This came in with one 'excellent', one 'very good' and one 'really well'. 

Can you imagine this block at about .25 inches thick? If so, do you think it would be firm enough to hold fine details, or squishy such that stray background marks would show if the stamp were not mounted?

This was not a concern for anyone. All thought it would hold fine details and not squish when printing, even unmounted.

Did you try tools with different levels of sharpness and did it make a difference if you did? 

One thought maybe a little more slipping with the sharper gouge. One said her sharp x-acto worked more smoothly than the less sharp tool and her duller #5 gouge didn't cut as well as a sharp gouge. One said that tiny pieces in small detail areas worked slightly better with a fresh, sharp reversed gouge.

Many thanks to dancing pecan who also tested the detail limits with her magical, fairyland carves. She found the transfer smudged a little after several hours with the book pixie, but noted she hadn't used her usual StazOn yellow ink as a fixative. She liked the material and found it gave her no hand or wrist fatigue. She used the widest range of tools, listing sharp and dull x-acto knives, a Speedball #5 gouge, miniaturized Staedtler #1 and a dissecting pin. Oh, and I know someone will want to know. The pixie with the book is about 2 x 2.75 inches and the mushroom faerie is about 2.5 x 2.25 inches.

What type of ink(s) did you try?

All three of these testers tried lots of different inks. 

Does the carving hold the ink smoothly and evenly?
Do large positive spaces hold and transfer ink well?

On the whole ink held and transferred pretty well, with one noticing some beading and the one who sanded only half the block didn't feel it made any difference in the final print. 


Other observations and comments: 

One noted that black StazOn ink didn't seem to dry as quickly on this material after printing. 

One said that with slightly less elasticity, both sides smooth (the back has a pebble grain to it) and more thickness it would be about perfect for his gouge carving. 

One said the lighter color was a big improvement, release was excellent and elasticity much less than OZ Kut. She also said she could go back and cut closer to a line to get finer detail and she had no problem with hand or wrist fatigue. She liked it 'a great deal'.