Engraving and Linotype metal

I don’t know about hand engraving, but the late Jim Rimmer cast plates of typemetal to use for the intermediate patterns in his matrix engraving process. These were engraved using a Taylor-Hobson pantograph engraver (with a rotary pyramid-shaped cutter); the American Gorton P1-2 is a similar (derivative) machine.

Rimmer cast these using a small stereotype casting box. This process is shown in one of the “extras” on the DVD of the film about him, “Making Faces.” I wouldn’t think it would be too difficult to improvise an alternative casting arrangement if one lacked a casting box, at least for the size plates he was using.

See for example the trailer for “Making Faces” at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph0ooDzD4ZQ

or its home page at P22:

http://www.p22.com/products/makingfaces.html

The difference between this and what you probably wish to accomplish, of course, is that Rimmer used only the sides of what he cut into these patterns, while I presume you’d wish to use the surface.

Regards,
David M.
www.CircuitousRoot.com

The Mexican artist Posada did relief engravings in lead, and though I have seen and printed from his original blocks, I am not sure what exact metal they were. Typemetal, stereotype, straight lead. Of the lead blocks I proofed the largest was by another Mexican artist, and the metal was relatively brittle and had many cracks in it. I would think typemetal would stress that way in such a large block. This might be a good use for old stereotypes, which metal should not be used for typecasting.