Noosh! Studios’ Equipment
Want to Know What Noosh! Uses?
I get asked a lot about the supplies I use, so I decided to put up this page to help everyone find the answers a little easier. This is what I use; I’m sure there are other products that printmakers use with success, but here are the products that I rely on in my day-to-day work!
I mainly carve birch. Years ago, I switched from MDF (medium-density fiberboard) to birch because I can get a little more detail out of it when compared to MDF. MDF is still a great carving surface—I was just ready for a change!
There are many different suitable surfaces to use for relief printing. I use different surfaces for different pieces, depending on the needs of the project. Some examples include linoleum, MDF, baltic birch, maple, and shina. I generally recommend linoleum for beginners.
Birch is great for me. It is actual wood, so it has a grain that affects your design. It’s just something extra to think about. When you carve with the grain, the wood peels away; when you carve against the grain, the wood chips away. Both are lovely, but very different. It can be sourced at your local lumber yard.
I use oil-based inks exclusively. My favorite brand is Gamblin.
I personally use Power Grip carving tools. They fit comfortably in my hands, and I recommend them to anyone looking for some solid tools!
It depends! I use a number of different presses that are each useful in their own way. My everyday press is a Conrad E-15 etching press; it’s awesome. I’ve had it since 2011, and it’s perfect—small, lightweight, and can take a beating. The Takach 1836 is also one of my favorites! It’s beautiful, precise, and pulls perfect prints, but it is a major investment. Some of my other presses include:
- Antique Kelsey Mercury Model 5×8 Excelsior Tabletop Platen Press
- Antique Adana “Eight-Five” Tabletop Platen Press
- Antique Challenger Miles’ Nervine Galley Proofing Press
- Antique AB Taylor Tabletop Hat Press (Very Rare)
I use a lot of different paint for a lot of different projects. But some of my favorite paints are the Golden Fluid Acrylics.
I use a few different products depending on how much love and attention they need. I’ll post them in the order of most attention to least attention:
- Flexcut Slipstrop: For use while carving to keep your tools sharp as you work.
- Sharpening Stone: For use between carvings when your tools need a little love.
- Work Sharp (The wood tool sharpener): For use every now and then when your tools need a lot of love.
Sometimes, I seal my blocks before I carve them. Sometimes, I seal the blocks after I carve them. But I always use Bullseye Shellac.
I use oil-based inks exclusively, so I need to use mineral spirits to clean up. Vegetable oil and degreaser can work too if you don’t want to use mineral spirits. But Gamblin makes a great studio-safe product. Be sure to grab some gloves too just to be safe. Although Gamsol is advertised not to be absorbed through healthy skin, I always wear gloves during clean-up.
I hope this answers your question!
