What do you use to sharpen your Lino cutters/gouges - specially #1, which is the one that I use most of the time?

I would definitely consider those spoilers, but I do appreciate a comment about changes in landmarks in the clue, such as a tree being down, a trail being rerouted, signs missing, etc.

Speedball #1? That little thing can be difficult to keep sharp. What I have used is a honing strop made by Lee Valley https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/sharpening/75189-flexcut-carvers-strop

But now I just don't have the time or patience, so I find it easier to just buy a 12 pack of the cutters, which might be hard to find depending on where you live. https://www.dickblick.com/items/speedball-linoleum-cutter-pkg-of-12-no-1-small-v/

Amazon sells a box of #1 cutters

Do you have the link? I looked but I didn't find it. Just the complete set, which I don't need. I prefer just the #1. Thanks!

Thanks! Will check the link

I love the Maritimes also. My husband's ancestors came from Marshalltown, just outside of Digby, Nova Scotia.

"Thanks for the bonus box"......spoiler.

Oh gosh yes. I almost never delete comments, but that spoiler is almost always deleted. Bonus boxes are usually supposed to be a surprise! Because this is hopefully something fun for the finder to experience.

Agree! I enjoyed finding their letterboxes while I lived in NC.

I found out about the two men arrested soon after the assassination. Even though one article was from a few days ago, I just found it today. I don't know who or even if the news actually reported they were suspects, but I said "persons of interest" because that is what I heard from some report.

One was arrested because he crossed the crime tape and entered the closed area. He ran when he was challenged. "The man was booked into the Utah County Jail and faces charges of felony obstruction and trespassing."

The second was a 71 year old man who claimed to be the shooter so that the actual shooter could escape. "[...] images of a man being led away in handcuffs sparked instant confusion, with many believing that a shooting suspect had already been taken into custody. [...] It wasn't until about an hour after the shooting that officials said the man, identified as George Zinn, 71, had been arrested for Obstruction of Justice, but was not implicated in the actual shooting. [...] Zinn approached an officer and yelled, 'I shot him now shoot me.'"

I figured that people following this thread would want to know.

Jabber is making me nostalgic for the good ole' days when postal boxing was prolific. Just about went extinct other than a few annual ones. I personally hate the micro postal movement but totally understand it from a cost and convenience standpoint. My biggest difficulty is cutting down the thickness and of course carving shallower than normal.

There are a few annuals still going such as the Springbok Puzzle ring I have hosted for many years but did not create. Mailing is once a month, so it is a yearlong experience with 11-12 new puzzles to solve. These can go in a flat rate priority padded envelope for around $11 which is still cheaper than buying a new puzzle every month. Pieces go in a large baggie and just a single sheet of paper with the image. The back of the completed puzzle serves as the logbook. When I retire it is likely this annual tradition may need to pass to a younger boxer. I also continue to run a USPS commemorative postage stamp each year since 2009. This is now a micro and there are still spots open for 2025 stamps if you want to join.

Some other interesting postal rings were musical and books. For the musical one you burned a CD (yeah obsolete technology) of songs related to a topic. My favorite CD was one with songs including cowbells. A takeoff of the SNL skit of Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken called "More Cowbell". The book one was a monthly mailing throughout the year. It involved mailing a paperback with a stamp image related to the book.

There is also a hybrid yearly one called Box of the Month. Unique in that it is a postal and a traditional rolled into one experience. It is a postal ring, but the stamp is planted as a traditional for three weeks at each stop before heading back into the mail. The traditional box is the same location with a series of 12 stamps that cycle through being activated and retired as they are received and mailed on. Since this requires a monthly visit in hot and cold weather, I typically make this a driveby. I have been in and out of this one in both Martinsburg and Culloden. I rejoined for 2026 since they were looking to fill out this one. Looks like there is a spot for one more person.

Kirbert lol

I need a little help and am sorry if this has been asked before, but with AQ being here 20+ years give or take it’s bound to happen!
So I use wintergreen on pink with a toner b&w printer. But it seems to take forever for the image to be ready to carve, and if I do too soon the image will smudge under the gouge. Any suggestions, tips, or tricks? I know some have used a staz-on inkpad to seal images, but remember that being used with pencil transfers and not too sure chemical on chemical before cured is gonna help me in the right direction!

I'm one of the staz-on over wintergreen transfer people, and it works fine. I use the staz-on a few minutes after I transfer the image, stamp off the excess, and can start carving within an hour or so. Haven't had any smearing with this method.

I did a search for "speedball #1" on ebay several years ago and bought a 20-pack. Maybe I'm used to dull blades, but I can carve dozens of stamps from each blade and even when I was at my most active I'd get months out of each one. Now I'm not sure I've changed the blade in almost two years.

Yes we have. Always fun too.

I know that I've made a few of my ltcs that were "true" to size, however, if you took them out of the sleeve, you might discover that they unfolded into a larger multi sided card. Usually with more stamps. Some of my cards had pices that slid out with more stamps. Even some of my coins had more than meet the eye.

Same!!👍😊

Essentially my experience. I have never used wintergreen oil because I can get acetone much cheaper and, honestly, I don't see how anything could transfer cleaner. After transferring, I blot it with Staz-on (Sunflower, I think) and gently blot that with a dry paper towel and then it's good to go. I usually have no wait time between these steps and I don't have a problem with smearing the image.

I used to use acetone and LOVED it! But when I moved I just haven't been able to find a printer or copier that transfers for the life of me. I haven't tried in a while, I think I will again.
Thanks!

Thanks, Wise. I'll try that if I can find a good shade that I can still see thru. What color do you use?

My favorite color for contrast in an ancient orange pad that has very little ink left. I usually let my wintergreen transfers sit overnight, then give them a dab of orange, smear it around with my fingertip - gently - and cut. I like the orange because it is not only different than the carving material, it is a contrast to it. I carve on the thick Japanese beige from Stampeaz, which is sort of yellow, so yellow ink didn't show.

I use acetone. I go to one of those UPS mailing/return packages places. They use a xerox machine that uses toner. I print out copies on my printer and take them there to get copied. A local library has an old xerox toner machine that charges 10 cents a copy.

Totally agree. I get the acetone that comes in cans at the hardware store. One can lasts a very long time and the image transfer is always outstanding.

I'm not Wise, but I use this.
ETA: on pink stuff


Yup, Home Depot.

I've been using sunflower. It might depend on what material you're carving on - transfer shows up best on white firmkut, but on the tanZ there's slightly less contrast. Still can see it well enough, though. Not sure how it looks on pink stuff, if that's what you use.

Yes, they are great and less than a mile from me. So I can do pickup and save on shipping 👍🏻

I'm sorry, I am not visualizing what you do.

Can you give a step by step for me?

Thanks

I lightly sand the surface and wash it with warm water and soap. Using a few drops of wintergreen oil, I wipe the surface, place the image face down, wipe the back with a few more drops of wintergreen oil, and press down firmly. After a few seconds, I peel off the paper transfer, and set the material aside for a few minutes. Then I will tap my staz-on yellow over the image and immediately press the inked side onto plain paper, sometimes twice, to remove the excess ink ("stamping off"). You'll still have a pretty solid yellow color, but lighter than if you let it dry without removing the excess. Then I let the material sit for an hour or so before I start carving, to be sure the staz-on has thoroughly dried.