Answer this about lithos, please.

[NLAlston]

Actually, this is a two-part question that I have.

1). Here, in Amherst, NY, I have not been able to locate any outlets for lithograph carving materials. As far as online sources are concerned, what would the opinions be on some of the best places to purchase from?

2). I have, on occasion, seen some lithos which an arc to them - and of which I thought were really nice. There's nothing wrong, at all, with lithos which rest in a straight groove running across a length of wood, and I will certainly be doing a fair number of those. But I would also love to be able to fashion a litho which would sit nicely, and perfectly within a dado which would arc across a wood footing that bore the same shape. How are those carvers (who are doing this kind of work) going about the process of getting the material pliable enough to bend, without cracking, and how are you assuring yourselves that you are meeting the exact curvature of the dado?

Advanced thanks,

Nathan

[blhutchens]

I am not sure of the best online source as I have not found a cheap source as of yet. Carvewright does sell it in the store………..

I think the curved lithos you are seeing are done on 3in pvc pipe and carved on the rotary jig.
PVC is as cheap as you can get for lithos. I buy 20ft for $11 at a plumbing supply. I just take a saw and cut it in half to transport it in my truck.

[DianMayfield]

I have read a couple of posts where they heat the corian in the oven after carving using a coffee can :)
http://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?14903-First-Litho-Whitetail-Buck/page3&highlight=oven%2C+litho

[NLAlston]

Bl, and Dian ~ thank you both, for your informational returns.

PVC material will have to be out, for me (at least for now), because of the Rotary Jig which is warranted in order to carve it. I will have to look into it to see what the cost factor is for getting it. But the link, which Dian provided, grabbed a huge portion of my interest. That OP's Lithograph was nothing short of awesome. With the oven temperature given it is now just a matter of determining the length of time the material should remain in the oven. But that's something which can be sort of easy to find out.

[myshop1044]

NLAston, a good while back there was quite a bit of talk on the forum about curve lithos and what they did was carve a regular litho put it in the oven
for a short time and then bend it around a bucket and it held it's shape when cooled and it did not distort the liho.
You may do a search on "curve litho" on the forum.
hope this helps.
Myshop1044

[blhutchens]

I found 1/8 in cast acrylic in white for 40$ for a 4' x 4' on craigslist. I have not purchased or tried it.
the price is right just not sure how it will work.

[NLAlston]

NLAston, a good while back there was quite a bit of talk on the forum about curve lithos and what they did was carve a regular litho put it in the oven
for a short time and then bend it around a bucket and it held it's shape when cooled and it did not distort the liho.
You may do a search on "curve litho" on the forum.
hope this helps.
Myshop1044

Am surely going to do (research more), and thanks.

[NLAlston]

I found 1/8 in cast acrylic in white for 40$ for a 4' x 4' on craigslist. I have not purchased or tried it.
the price is right just not sure how it will work.

Thanks for this.

Do carvers often work with acrylic this thin? I have read of 1/2" material being used, but most of what I'd perused had carvers seeming to favor 1/4" stuff. Now, maybe it's just my way of thinking (having never carved acrylic before), but it would seem that the 1/8" sheets would fail to offer the visual depth of their 1/4" counterparts, due to their reduced mass/thicknesses.

[NLAlston]

By the way, forgive me for screwing up the name of the material :D. I guess it should have been lithopanes/lithophanes, instead of lithographs.

[blhutchens]

Thanks for this.

Do carvers often work with acrylic this thin? I have read of 1/2" material being used, but most of what I'd perused had carvers seeming to favor 1/4" stuff. Now, maybe it's just my way of thinking (having never carved acrylic before), but it would seem that the 1/8" sheets would fail to offer the visual depth of their 1/4" counterparts, due to their reduced mass/thicknesses.


I have carved on 1/8 wall pvc and it worked ok. One just has to adjust carve depth accordingly.

[Mugsowner]

I heard there are sheets of pvc. I was going to look into that, but time keeps me running other ways. Round pvc pipe can be heated and flatened.

[James RS]

Hello,
I have done a few lithos using Sabian cutting boards I purchased at the big box store


Actually, this is a two-part question that I have.

1). Here, in Amherst, NY, I have not been able to locate any outlets for lithograph carving materials. As far as online sources are concerned, what would the opinions be on some of the best places to purchase from?

2). I have, on occasion, seen some lithos which an arc to them - and of which I thought were really nice. There's nothing wrong, at all, with lithos which rest in a straight groove running across a length of wood, and I will certainly be doing a fair number of those. But I would also love to be able to fashion a litho which would sit nicely, and perfectly within a dado which would arc across a wood footing that bore the same shape. How are those carvers (who are doing this kind of work) going about the process of getting the material pliable enough to bend, without cracking, and how are you assuring yourselves that you are meeting the exact curvature of the dado?

Advanced thanks,

Nathan

[CarverJerry]

I have done a few curved litho's as myshop1044 said. Did use a bucket, heated it @ 350° for 10-15 mins and used a 5 gallon bucket to get the curve I wanted. Here is my first one I did like this. Be careful and work fast, use hand protection such as welding gloves. Oh yeah, and this is heated and bent after the litho has been carved.

[NLAlston]

I have done a few curved litho's as myshop1044 said. Did use a bucket, heated it @ 350° for 10-15 mins and used a 5 gallon bucket to get the curve I wanted. Here is my first one I did like this. Be careful and work fast, use hand protection such as welding gloves. Oh yeah, and this is heated and bent after the litho has been carved.

Now, THAT (what you've attached) is EXACTLY what I'm talking about :D. Very, very nice. I am looking to do something quite similar. Thanks for sharing.