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  • #987012
    dandan
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        I have been using a cheap-o speedball brayer and I think that it is causing most of my problems. I bought a hard plastic brayer and it was worse. If I wanted to drop $50 to $75 on a good brayer how would I know what to get?
        I’d hate to spend that much and still have the same results.
        ….any other brayer related issues welcome on this thread.

        As a matter of fact is someone wants to really get into a long post on brayers with a lot of info that would be of great help to everyone.

        #1098929
        NataliaM
        Default

            I’m pretty happy with Japanese Hand Brayers from imcclains.com:

            http://www.imcclains.com/catalog/brayers/japanese28durometer.html

            #1098939

            To comment on the brayer or roller issue – I work mostly with collagraphs and etchings and find the speedball rollers ok. I wanted a really huge roller for viscosity roll ups so I had one made. I found a machinist who made me the core out of a 3/16″ stainless steel rod with 5″ handles and then shipped that off to a company in Montreal, P.Q. called Rouleaux Graphic Ltee who put a 1/2″ thickness of 25 durometer Nitrile PVC rubber on it. I now have a 6″ diameter by 15″ wide roller that will give me a roll out of 18.8″ x 15″ and my total cost was $260.00 Cdn. I absolutely love it! I am about to have some smaller ones made with a 4″ diameter. The only ones available out there to buy are too small in the diameter for me.

            I hope this info is of some help – most localities have machinists – I’m rural and I found this guy who usually is repairing farm machines and has a wonderful shop attached to his garage.

            Heather (http://www.heatherassaf.com)

            #1098934
            dandan
            Default

                I’m pretty happy with Japanese Hand Brayers from imcclains.com:

                [URL=http://www.imcclains.com/catalog/brayers/japanese28durometer.html]http://www.imcclains.com/catalog/brayers/japanese28durometer.html[/URL]

                I ordered one of these and they are givivg me free shipping (because they were not in stock and I have to wait a bit). This seems like a good company to do buisness with.

                #1098930
                NataliaM
                Default

                    I ordered one of these and they are givivg me free shipping (because they were not in stock and I have to wait a bit). This seems like a good company to do buisness with.

                    They are very reliable! And it’s a great deal you’ve got – their shipping fees seem somewhat too high to me (comparing to Dick Blick and Daniel Smith). I remember buying a brayer for $45 and paying another $18 for regular ground shipping. On the other hand, Dick Blick has brayers which look (and probably are) absolutely the same:
                    http://www.dickblick.com/zz401/16/%5B/URL%5D
                    But look at the prices – almost twice as high.

                    #1098923
                    Printmakerguy
                    Default

                        The Holbiens from McClains are great- I have a few of them myself… I also have a few that I picked up on E-Bay, older ones, but in GREAT shape.. They are huge, like 10″, and 4″ or so in Diameter! The bigger diameter ones hold a lot more ink!

                        Some day, I will have a Takach. Someday :)

                        -Andrew

                        [FONT="Arial"]

                        I always welcome critiques and criticisms of my work! That's the only way to improve!
                        My My Web Page - My Miniature Work-http://www.lessthansix.com[/center]
                        -Member of the Association Of Miniature Artists-

                        * AMA * MASF * HS * ARMS *

                        #1098932
                        slightly72
                        Default

                            Holbein brayers are made by a Japanese art supply company — so probably McClain’s “japanese brayers” are Holbein. What speedball brayer did you have? I’m using the 6″ soft brayer for relief printing, and it’s great, I prefer it to other more expensive ones. That’s not to say that I like all their brayers, they have some hard ones which are a mess.

                            Tibi

                            #1098927
                            mLee
                            Default

                                Honestly I use both the cheap speedball and the more expensive Japanese brayers and I like them both. I found that the largest speedball brayer didn’t work so well (tried two same problem) so I splurged on some large Japanese brayers. Which I love. But when I am working on something small I reach for the speedballs.

                                And as for McClain’s shipping for me it is never what they quote me. It is always about half as much when they actually ship and charge my account. It is still pretty high but I am always buying big pieces of wood and making large orders to stock up. Don’t know if I have ever gotten just one thing from them. And their customer service is fantastic. But so is Dick Blicks.

                                ~marissa lee

                                Website Etsy Shop
                                #1098931

                                I use the hell out of speedball brayers. I don’t ever get beyond 6 inches though because my work doesn’t demand it. I have used other brands that are more expensive, and liked them, but didn’t like them enough to justify the expense.

                                #1098921
                                Diane Cutter
                                Default

                                    I use the Takach or Speedball 4″ soft brayer. I do a lot of overlapping when I ink and never had a problem with them. I love the Takach but it’s a little heavier than the Speedball and, when doing really small plates, I prefer the lighter brayer.

                                    I agree about the wider Speedball brayers. I had a problem with the roller not moving freely. It was sort of warped and didn’t roll well… on all 3 I had. I finally gave them away to a school program, which delighted them.

                                    Years and years ago I had some wonderful brayers that were covered with a red rubber-like material. They worked great but didn’t hold up with time. The red gummed up and got really sticky… not sure what it was made out of. Maybe some old-timers here might remember them. I remember they weren’t cheap.

                                    Diane

                                    #1098937
                                    ploverwing
                                    Default

                                        My Speedball 4″ is my workhorse. I’ve not upgraded to anything else yet (although I would like to, one day… insert wistful sigh here). I do have some smaller ones and a larger one, but that 4″ pretty much sees me through practically all.

                                        [FONT=Century Gothic]Amie Roman, AFCA
                                        Burnishings - Blog on Printmaking * Burnishings - ploverwing on Etsy * Printmaking on Squidoo

                                        Reduction method printing - "The Russian roulette of the printmaking world"
                                        [/COLOR]
                                        #1098919
                                        sneakytails
                                        Default

                                            its my last semester at my school and my class made brayers ourselves. For 72 US dollars I made a 12″ wide brayer with a frame that is just like the takatch ones, you can flip the brayer over and set it down on the frame so the roller will not touch, very nice!

                                            It needs some tweaking and some paint. I will post pics up someday.

                                            cant wait to use it on my block thats almost carved, another 5 footer that I spent a year on.:eek:

                                            I have all 4 of the McClain’s Japanese brayers they work well on smaller blocks. I have outgrown them for larger work. The diameter it too small.

                                            making your own is a great option for larger brayers.

                                            Jason

                                            Professional Website - http://www.jasonvandeusen.com

                                            #1098924
                                            Printmakerguy
                                            Default

                                                Jason- I’d be interested in seeing the pics of the brayer- As well as a description of how it was made… I am going to be needing some BIG brayers in the near future, and would like to be able to make them :)

                                                -Andrew

                                                [FONT="Arial"]

                                                I always welcome critiques and criticisms of my work! That's the only way to improve!
                                                My My Web Page - My Miniature Work-http://www.lessthansix.com[/center]
                                                -Member of the Association Of Miniature Artists-

                                                * AMA * MASF * HS * ARMS *

                                                #1098935
                                                dandan
                                                Default

                                                    Jason- I’d be interested in seeing the pics of the brayer- As well as a description of how it was made… I am going to be needing some BIG brayers in the near future, and would like to be able to make them :)

                                                    -Andrew

                                                    I would also like that

                                                    #1098936
                                                    dandan
                                                    Default

                                                        seems to work well.

                                                        camera is acting funny so it has a pink look.

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