Re: gum preservatves

[Erie Patsellis <erie@shelbyvilledesign.com>]

Judy,
Varn (a supplier to the printing industry) still makes 14 baume Gum 
Arabic, it's used as a desensitizer on printing presses with chrome 
cylinders (keeps the ink from adhering beyond the area of the printing 
plate). Any offset printing supplier can get it for you.

erie


Judy Seigel wrote:
> On Thu, 4 Sep 2008, Mark MacKenzie wrote:
>
> > What you describe is often used as a "classic" catalyst for polyester 
> > monomers in order to create a solid reacted resin.  The dimethyl 
> > pthalate is a plasticizer for many resins.  As you suspected, neither 
> > of these are preservatives.  The MEK peroxide is closer to rocket 
> > fuel as a matter of fact.
> You guys sure know how to terrify a simple civilian... Now I'll 
> probably just leave it there until it explodes and blows up the whole 
> block !!!
>
> I'll add, however, that I myself don't at this point use any 
> preservatives, because I prefer "lithographer's gum" -- or whatever 
> it's called, premixed, with the poison already in it... In fact I'm 
> surprised at how many folks do mix their own.... For a long time I 
> could pick up a gallon at a commercial printers' supply house on 22nd 
> Street... That area is of course now the Chelsea gallery district, so 
> nothing of the sort remains. I still have a supply from Daniel Smith, 
> and after that, who knows? (I suspect many of the best commercial gum 
> arabics, made for high speed printing presses, are no longer made, 
> since it's probably all digital, or anyway something or other else. 
> But I didn't get to that bridge yet...)
>
> Those commercial gums, by the way, seem to keep forever. I've kept 
> some favorites for years and they still work. (They do darken, or 
> "oxidize", but that seems not to affect the print.)
>
> Meanwhile, and needless to say, thanks for the warning....
>
> Judy
>
> > As for a preservative, if you like the thought of essential oils have 
> > you tried clove oil?  This was used and is used for preserving things 
> > like hot hide glue so that it doesn't "go off" quite so quickly.  As 
> > I am not a gum printer (yet) I can't say that it would work for you.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Mark MacKenzie