But I Already Carved

A number of people asked about sanding images they had already carved in order to get better ink coverage. There are a couple of approaches that can be taken to improve how the block takes ink if it didn’t get sanded before carving.

The simplest method is to take a solvent based permanent ink like StazOn and cover the surface of the carving material with it and leave it to dry completely.

If the simple inking option doesn’t do the trick and there is still an inking problem, try taking a very fine sandpaper (the sheet above is 600 grit) and putting it grit side up on a very flat surface.

Then, keeping the block flat against the sanding surface, gently run the face of the carving around the sandpaper a few times. Make sure the surface is flat and check often to make sure it’s coming off evenly. Remember, not much needs to be removed – just the barest bit off the top to remove the extrusion residue. Also, be careful not to press too hard in any single spot, since the block is flexible and it’s possible to end up with uneven bits where fingers pressed the block into the sandpaper.

Some carvers also use the little manicure blocks that have grit on them. And, if the carving is particularly intricate and likely to wear away rapidly, holding a small piece of sandpaper in your fingers and very, very gently touching up the block’s surface can also work. Be particularly careful with this approach, as it’s easy to accidentally take an edge down too far, but if ink isn’t adhering to the block well enough to get a good print, it’s probably worth the risk.

I hope this helps a little – and feel free to ask questions! After all, that will help me know what might be useful to talk about here on this blog.

Also, it’s the anniversary of the day I began running Stampeaz many long years ago. So, I’m celebrating with 10% off Tan-Z Kut today. If you place an order, don’t forget to ask for some of the bits and bobs I mentioned in a previous blog post – I still have some to share, if you want.