Part 3 (1/2)

The actual cutting proceeds as follows: Starting at some point where the surface of the key-block design has been oiled and made distinct, a shallow cut is made along one side of any form in the design, with the knife held slanting so that the cut slants away from the edge of the form. A second outer parallel cut is then made with the knife held slanting in the opposite direction from the first, so that the two cuts together make a V-shaped trench all along the line of the form. The little strip of wood cut out should detach itself as the second cut is made, and should not need any picking out or further cutting if the first two cuts are cleanly made. This shallow V-shaped trench is continued all round the ma.s.ses and along both sides of all the lines of the design. No clearing of the intervening s.p.a.ces should be attempted until this is done. It will be seen at once that the V-shaped cuts give great strength to the printing lines, so that a quite fine line between two cuts may have a strong, broad base (fig. 9). The depth of the cut would be slightly shallower than that shown in this diagram. In cutting fine line work a cut is first made a little beyond the line, then the cut is made on the line itself (fig. 10).

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 9.--Knife cuts in section.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 10.--Diagram of knife cuts.]

Where a very fine line is to be cut, especially if it is on a curve, the outer cut of the V trench should be made first, and then that which touches the line: there is thus less disturbance of the wood, and less danger of injuring the edge of the line.

When the V cut has been made outside all the lines, one proceeds to clear the intervening s.p.a.ces between the lines of the design by taking tool No. 1 (fig. 5). The large s.p.a.ces should be cleared first. The safest and quickest way is to make a small gouge cut with No. 1 round all the large s.p.a.ces close up to the first cut, then, with one of the shallower chisels, Nos. 5, 6, or 7 (fig. 5), and the mallet, clear out the wood between the gouge cuts.

For all shallow cuts where the mallet is not needed, the j.a.panese hold the chisels as shown in fig. 11. With practice this will be found a very convenient and steady grip for the right hand. It has also the advantage that the chisel can be held against the centre of the body and exactly under one's eyes.

In the diagram (fig. 12), if the wood from A to A1 is to be cleared away, gouge cuts are made at _b_ and _b_1, then the s.p.a.ce between _b_ and _b_1 may be quickly cleared without risk to the edge of the form at A. When this rough work is done the little ridge between A and _b_ may be cleared with small round or flat tools, as is most convenient. But this final clearing should not be done until all the large s.p.a.ces are roughed out.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 11.--Method of holding gouge.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 12.--Clearing of wood between knife cuts.]

The depth to which the s.p.a.ces must be cleared will depend on their width, as, in printing, the paper will sag more deeply in a wide s.p.a.ce than in a narrow one. In s.p.a.ces of half an inch the depth of the first V-cuts is sufficient, but the proportionate depth is about that of the diagram above. The small s.p.a.ces are cleared by means of small flat or round chisels without the mallet or the preliminary gouge cut: this is only needed where a large s.p.a.ce has to be cleared.

There remain now only the placing and cutting of the two register marks or notches for controlling the position of the paper in printing.

These are placed relatively to the design as shown in fig. 13.

The corner of the print fits into the notch at A, and one edge of the print lies against the straight notch at B.

The register marks may be even closer to the s.p.a.ce covered by the design, but must not actually touch it, as some margin of paper is necessary in printing: they should also be cut always on the long side of the printing block. It will be seen from the drawing on page 70 that these register marks correspond to the position of the thumb of each hand in laying the paper on the block for printing.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 13.--Position of register marks.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 14.--Register marks.]

The corner mark, ABC, is made by cutting from A to B and B to C, with the knife held perpendicularly, and its flat side against the line, then the shaded portion is cut with a flat chisel, sloping from the surface of the block at AC to a depth of about 1/16 inch along AB and BC. The straight notch, EF, is similarly cut, first with a perpendicular knife along EF, and then the shaded portion is chiselled sloping down to the line EF.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 15.--Register marks (section of).]

In section the two register marks would be as above.

The register marks must be smoothly and evenly cut so that the paper, in printing, may slide easily home to its exact place.

When the design of the key-block and the two register marks have been cut and cleared, the trace of paper and paste on the uncut parts of the wood should be carefully washed off with a piece of sponge and warm water. The block is then finished and ready for use. The key-block, however, is only one of the set of blocks required for a print in colour, but the colour blocks are simpler and require, as a rule, far less labour.

The colour blocks are planned and established by means of impressions taken from the key-block. For this purpose the register marks are inked[2] for printing as well as the design on the block, and the impressions must include both. These impressions are taken on thin j.a.panese paper, but not necessarily the thinnest tissue. If the thinnest is used, it should be pasted at the corners to a sheet of stiffer paper for convenience in handling.

[2] The preparation of the ink for printing is described on p. 54.

It is then a fairly simple matter to take one of these key-block impressions and to make a plan of the various colour-blocks that will be required. These should obviously be as few as possible.

It is not necessary to provide an entire block for each patch of colour, but only the extent of surface required for each coloured portion of the print, as well as for its pair of register marks. Patches of different colour that are not adjacent to one another on the design of the print may be cut on the same block, provided they are not too close for free colouring of the block in printing. Each block also may be cut on both sides, so that there is considerable scope for economy in the arranging and planning of the colour blocks.