Smyrna times., 1858-11-11
Engraving On Wood.
BY JOHN COLLINS.

e For this purpose the wood of the box tree
t GDur~S SemPerUirenS) is exclusively employ ed
r Ihat used for pictorial purposes is imported
= from Constantinope, e, Smyrna, Trieste, and the
Black Sea, in logs that measure from two TO six
feet long, and two and a half 10 fourteen inche.
diameter. The wool is hard, very fine grained.
ana often OF rich yellow color. II is sold in
thls country at prices ranging from $50 to 81 20
per Ton. For use, 1t ls cut across the grain in
slices OF nearly one inch in thickness, and
planed smooth on one side. When a large
block is wanted, two or more pieces are fasten-
ed together by wooden pins and glue. When
TINS has been imperfectly done, the defect will
be shown by white line in the printed engrav-
ing. The prepared blocks are sold al from two
10 iour cents per square inch, according to the
! quaIIly. Before executing design on wood
the surface is moistened and rubbed with lit
tie lake white or an enameled card, to show
the dark lines more plainly. The drawing is
made IN lead pencil and India ink, or it may be
transferred from the original by tracing. An
Impression OF any other engraving printed in
INK may, by pressure, be transferred upon the
block.
There are four kinds of tools upon wood,
namely gravers, tint tools, gouges or scoopers
and fiat tlntS or chiselS. The first named differ
but little from those used by engravers on met.
al the beVel at the point is, however, longer.
Eight or nine of these, Of different sizes, are
necessary. To cut parallel lines forming an
even and uniform tlnf, such as we often see in
the representation of a clear sky in wood cuts. !
INT tools, or very thin chisels, somewhat re- !
sembllng mortiengchsel, are used. Gouges |
from the one twenty y.fifih to oue-ftth of an inch
IN breadth are employed for scraping out the !
wood toward the center Of the block, while fat |
tools or chsels of various sizes serve for cutting
away TIE wood toward the edges. All the |
Tools are secured II handle, which is frequent
ly piece of cork
There are two modes of engraving in wood.
exactly the reverse OF each other. For DOR
traits, landscapes and book illustration in
general, the white parts qre cut away, while in
XyIography Ga Greek name for wood engravngl
the lines of the drawing are engraved go that,
Wheh printed, they are white on a black ground
This plan is we'll adapted for outlines and ma
lhematIcal figures, as the effect s more striking
ana the work is more eheaply executed A
xylogra phic office was, feH years ago. in suc
cessini operation in Philadelphia, for engraving
'usness and advertising cards printed in colors,
Bot this application o. the art has been super.
seeded by ths facilities OF lithogra phy.
In transferring daguerreotypes to wood,
lhin' transparent piece Of isinglass or fish glue
IS used to make tracing, with rcd-chalk, ink
"0 LUIS ""Cu Is theh pressed upon
the block. In working by lamp or gas light,
wood engravers sometimes use large glass
globe filled with water, by which the rays are
concentrated upon the engraving, afordinp a
strong and pleasant light. A single lamp can
by this contrivance suffice for three or four
workmen, each having his own globe The
block of wood is occasionally engraved on both
sides, but this iS tho case only when copies are
To be cut from it in type metal, the original cast
not being used. Wood cuts are worn but little
IN the operation of printing. In careful hands,
and under moderate pressure, they will yielG
from 100 600 TO 150,000 good Impressions.