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Recommended Bayer or Ink Roller???

Hi,
Thanks Karl, I did do a search for "ink roller" but did not get much?

This search function is not the greatest anyway, (my opinion!)

There are hard rubber and soft rubber, just wondering what everyone is using?
 
I use a soft 1" x 4" foam to spread it and wash in when dirty of put on a new one. You can buy them here at Home Depot of BIAX / DAPRA sells them too. The Biax ones are better then a foam paint roller. Also put them in a baggy when not using them. I have been using the hard ones recently and just ordered 2 from Amazon a 4" and 6" like the one above as many students especially use them in Europe. One thing don't forget to wipe your hand on the blue after it is rolled to feel for dirt.
 
I use a soft 1" x 4" foam to spread it and wash in when dirty of put on a new one. You can buy them here at Home Depot of BIAX / DAPRA sells them too. The Biax ones are better then a foam paint roller. Also put them in a baggy when not using them. I have been using the hard ones recently and just ordered 2 from Amazon a 4" and 6" like the one above as many students especially use them in Europe. One thing don't forget to wipe your hand on the blue after it is rolled to feel for dirt.

Hi,
Thank you for the information, I was taught to use a bayer years ago and just now getting back into scraping.

As far as the hard question, when you have over 50 hits on a post and no comments...

You start to wonder???

Thanks again!
 
When you use it, if you angle the brayer about 20°-30° away from the direction you're pushing it, it moves the ink sideways a bit. This can be very handy when you are spreading the ink over a surface plate. It gets to the point that you can spread the ink out quite easily.
 
I like using a hard brayer, but the last Speedball I bought was atrocious. The axle pins were both way eccentric (1/8") and not in the same plane, so as you rolled the thing the handle went through some wide-angle helical gyrations. Almost impossible to roll out an even, thin coat of spotting ink.

For big bucks, you can buy a Japanese printmaker's brayer, but that's insanely overkill for this task. I've actually got some other inexpensive brayers on order, to see if they're any better made.
 
I like using a hard brayer, but the last Speedball I bought was atrocious. The axle pins were both way eccentric (1/8") and not in the same plane, so as you rolled the thing the handle went through some wide-angle helical gyrations. Almost impossible to roll out an even, thin coat of spotting ink.

For big bucks, you can buy a Japanese printmaker's brayer, but that's insanely overkill for this task. I've actually got some other inexpensive brayers on order, to see if they're any better made.

Hi,
I was wrong ended up with this one.

Is it better than a Speedball?

I don't know,I'll fix it proper if I have to.

We are suppose to be handy, right!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EA796NK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
There are a few little tricks for spreading transfer medium (blue) on the tool (surface plate, straight edge, whatever). You generaly scatter little dots on the surface and spread them with the roller (duh!). Biasing the roller at an angle to the rolled track forcing a side slip was mentioned earlier. If you roll briskly lifting the roller at the end of each stroke so the roller spins freely, the process is randomized yielding quicker, more uniform results.

Next question is how thick? The general rule is thick enough for a vivid color, thin enough to see the texture of the plate. This can be measured with a gage block gently placed on the rolled out film. A gage head and gage amp (previously zeroed before rolling out the film) will register 40 to 80 millionths (1 to 2 microns) but don't get lost in pursuit of ridiculous precision. You can use this film thickness in a simple calculation that determines the diameter and length of the "nerdle" of blue . (A "nerdle" is the technical name for blob of goo issued from a tube.)

Calculate the area of the surface on which blue is to be spread. Multiply the surface area by the film thickness. This yields the volume of the nerdle to be issued. A typical nerdle diameter is about 1/8 (3mm) if the tube is moved judiciously as it's squeezed. One square foot (144 square inches) of surface fully covered by a 80 millionths film of blue (thin but finite) requires a 1/8" dia nerdle 0.58" - call it 9/16" - long (metricoids perform a similar calculation.) Definitely not rocket science: volume = volume. After a number of prints the film thickness will be reduced. Refresh the blue with about 1/4 that much - depending on film's depletion.

You more experienced fellows may be impatient with my fussy calculations. This stuff should come naturally. Time and experience will bring judgement as to how much blue is required without the need for fussy calculation. The calculation illustrated above is intended to give the new guys a place to start until that experience has been developed.
 
Yes Forrest is right on the depth as I studied this in Taiwan at PMC the research center I taught at. I posted those results several years ago. I am glad Forrest remembers. I hear he had boxes full of forum print out outs in his crowded home. Thanks Forest. A simple way to think about thickness of the bluing is it is transparent so you can see tru it when scraping. There is exceptions to that rule depending on what you doing and how much it weighs. On my first few scrapes I put on a little extra on so if I missed a burr I won't scratch the part or straight edge. Also what bluing are you using. Peratex blue is so greasy and smears easy we use a small amount. more later
 








 
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