What Kind Of Press Do I Need?

[morg2491]

Hey everyone,
I'm very new to printmaking, but I took a class in high school where we used plexiglass as a substitute for a copper plate to make drypoint prints. I understand that this requires a great deal of pressure to achieve. This was one of my favorite projects from high school and I'd really like to be able to make drypoint prints more often. My question is:

What type of press can I achieve this with? I really don't have a lot of money at my disposal, so I'd prefer something on the cheaper side.

I found plans to build a bottle jack press that sounds like it could do it, but I don't want to waste my time. What do you think? Would it work? It won't let me post a link because this is my first post, but if you google "bottle jack press plans" it should be the top one.

Let me know what you guys think. Thanks everyone!

[charlesgmorgan]

Originally Posted by morg2491

Hey everyone,
I'm very new to printmaking, but I took a class in high school where we used plexiglass as a substitute for a copper plate to make drypoint prints. I understand that this requires a great deal of pressure to achieve. This was one of my favorite projects from high school and I'd really like to be able to make drypoint prints more often. My question is:

What type of press can I achieve this with? I really don't have a lot of money at my disposal, so I'd prefer something on the cheaper side.

I found plans to build a bottle jack press that sounds like it could do it, but I don't want to waste my time. What do you think? Would it work? It won't let me post a link because this is my first post, but if you google "bottle jack press plans" it should be the top one.

Let me know what you guys think. Thanks everyone!

Well, I am the character that designed the bottle jack press to which you refer. I am pleased to tell you that it will print plexiglass "dry point" quite well. I taught a workshop this past summer in Colorado, and as part of that workshop, the students did a plexi drypoint and printed it with my bottle jack press. Also, have a look at the following video on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCI7I...eature=related

The press used in that video is just a bookbinding press, sometimes called a nipping press. The bottle jack press will exert considerably more pressure than the bookbinding press.

The bj press I designed will not print mezzotints satisfactorily. It will print etchings and engravings up to about 3x3 inches, but beyond that the quality falls off because of lack of sufficient pressure. However, it will do a good job on just about any other sort of printmaking, including lithographs. If you are going to build one, be sure to use the updated plans, which may be found here:

http://www.monoprints.com/info/resou...ejackpress.pdf

You can email me off list if you have any further questions.

Cheers ..... Charles CharlesGMorgan@yahoo.com

[morg2491]

Thank you so much Charles! I'm so glad that I can use your design!

[boundstaffpress]

If you are going to work with a bottle jack design, I would suggest that the plans from Charles combined with a hydraulic press from Harbor Freight makes a very nice press.


http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog...ydraulic+press

[winking cat press]

for drypoint or itaglio processes, a bottlejack type of press will work quite well if you keep the image area within the limitss of your machine. For relief printing, like woodcuts, a roller-style proof press tends to work better. Both can be built quite reasonably.

[charlesgmorgan]

Originally Posted by winking cat press

for drypoint or itaglio processes, a bottlejack type of press will work quite well if you keep the image area within the limitss of your machine. For relief printing, like woodcuts, a roller-style proof press tends to work better. Both can be built quite reasonably.

We will just have to agree to disagree on this one. In my opinion, a bottle jack press will work better than a roller-style proof press for all relief work.

Cheers ....... Charles

[winking cat press]

LOL .... Charles, haven't we had this debated before?

Morg.... even though Charles and I debate the Cylinder Press vs bottle jack press, the real point is that building your own press can indeed be great thing. Once it's built and you are printing with it, you'll wonder why you didn't build one sooner.

I think my buddy Aaron said it best "...... it's the not the freakin' press, man. It's the ART that matters! The press just makes it easier..."

If you need any help, just let me, Charles, or the forum at large know. We'd be glad to share what we know.

[charlesgmorgan]

Originally Posted by winking cat press

LOL .... Charles, haven't we had this debated before?

Morg.... even though Charles and I debate the Cylinder Press vs bottle jack press, the real point is that building your own press can indeed be great thing. Once it's built and you are printing with it, you'll wonder why you didn't build one sooner.

I think my buddy Aaron said it best "...... it's the not the freakin' press, man. It's the ART that matters! The press just makes it easier..."

If you need any help, just let me, Charles, or the forum at large know. We'd be glad to share what we know.

I agree completely!!!

Cheers ....... Charles

[dee14meee]

I thought the bottle jack press was only good for very small plexi- etching plates. Is there a machine that makes it work for larger plates?

[Jeremy Bryant]

I would say that you go with drypoint. I used to work with PETG plastic plates and it worked well since it flexible and easily adjustable.