A technical dictionary of printmaking, André
Béguin.
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"Printmaking dictionary"
Carborundum
[1] Silicon carbide, an extremely hard substance which is used as an abrasive
when in powdered form. [*abrasives,
polishing,
pumicing].
[2] Carborundurn engraving. A type of engraving done on metal plates using
carborundum (as a powder or on a sheet) to bring about the required granulated*
surface. In the past glass-paper, emery cloth, and sand paper have been used to
grain a plate either by rubbing it or by passing the plate and these abrasives
through the press (the abrasive side touching a plate with or without a ground on
it). It was the engraver Henri Goetz who first systematized and described what can
be called a fullfledged technique for using carborundum in printmaking:
"La gravure au carborundum" (Carborundum Engraving) was published in 1968 by
Maeght with a foreword by Miro. Five years later Goetz wrote an article in the
French review "Les Nouvelles de l'Estampe" which was a kind of postscript to his
booklet. The article, entitled "Une nouvelle technique de gravure" (A new
Engraving Technique) appeared in the March-April issue of the "Nouvelles" (n°8, 1973).
The principle of this technique is to use carborundum particles in order to obtain
a more or less strong graining of parts of an image previously drawn onto a plate.
The carborundum used (insofar as sizes are concerned see
abrasives) can be either spread on the
plate, incorporated in synthetic resin or vinyl glue, or mixed with acrylic paints
for colour. Another way of putting carborundum onto the plate is to mix it with a
special ink and then apply it onto the relevant parts of a
duraluminium plated
plate (the layer of duraluminium being about 2 microns thick). This application is
done indirectly as the carborundum is first dusted onto an ink made up of a very
viscous linseed oil, a few drops of trichloroethytene and some colour (such as the
ink used in felt tip pens). The plate must be cleaned with whitening before the
above mentioned mixture is put on the plate. The plate should then be tapped, when
standing on its side, so that the excess carborundum falls off.
The prepared plate is then placed with its image side touching a stainless steel
plate and the two are passed through a press. The pressure will push the
carborundum particles through the duraluminium plating and expose the plate below.
Clean the plate with trichloroethylene and then bite it with hydrochloric acid
[* attacking agents].
The plate may be rebitten, after testing the results, without having to clean it.
Furthermore the graining achieved by such means can be intensified or even changed
if one wishes to. Since the duraluminium layer is resistant to the mordant one can
also make lines with a steel tipped tool with results that look much like the
classical etching. In order to end up with an image that is not in reverse lay the
powder on the stainless steel plate rather than on the one to be used for printing.
The pressure of the press will push the carborundum through the layer of
duraluminium.
Henri Goetz also points out that this method can be used for cut-outs, in which
case do not use ink but rather a mixture of vinyl glue mixed with acrylic paint and
the carborundum powder. Then put the plate through the press in the same way as
above. Even cloth, paper, and other materials can be used for impregnating them
with glue, dusting carborundum on them, and then passing them through an intaglio
press.
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