Mimeograph Puns

When I was a child in the 80’s my mother worked in a print shop and I spent a lot of time there. One of the machines in near constant operation was a big black mimeograph machine. If you’ve ever been around one or handled mimeograph material, it has a very distinctive smell.

It’s a weird thing to have nostalgic feelings and memories for, but I remember my mother operating that big powerful machine and being in awe of the power and noise it made and intoxicated by the smells.

A few years ago, someone handed me something mimeographed and it brought back a flood of memories. I’d give so much just to stand in the same room with an operating mimeograph machine. I can’t imagine there are any in operation because it’s an outdated and bad way to make prints, but maybe?

Is there anyone who can help?

Recently I have been really curious about mimeography* / stencil duplication, but it seems that there is little information about it online (as it is mostly forgotten medium). I was wondering if anyone on here has experience with it so I could pick their brain.

I am looking for a way to make stencils with readily available materials. I have found some people using thermal stencils (the ones used in tattooing) to make mimeo stencils, but I am more curious about hand made stencils, as it is more my style and also sooo much cheaper (the thermal duplicators start around $100, and the stencils cost a premium too).

I have found a Japanese artist 10-48 who using coated Japanese paper to make stencils by hand. Sadly those are not available outside of Japan - is there anything comparable I could get in the US?

I am pretty interested in any techniques that would produce a stencil/screen that I could use with a mimeograph (currently have a small, post-card sized rotary cyclostyle machine, and am also thinking of building some frames like 10-48 has). For example, there are really cool, lo-fi screen printing kits available in Japan (see here kinda quarter way down under Easy Screen Print for an article in English, or here for seeing it in action in Japanese) that use a marker and a fluid to make the screen. It seems similar to drawing fluid, but even simpler? Would love to know what chemicals are in those kits.

Anyway - I welcome any and all advice. Both on mimeo stencils and any cheap/lo-fi alternatives of producing screen/stencils/masters.

Thanks in advance :) *Mimeography is a kind of proto-screen print - you can find out a bit more about it here

I am interested in learning and operating old style mimeographs. I have a small home business and I think an old style mimeograph would work perfect for my package printing.

Surfing the interwebs there are almost no resources showing whether or not is feasible, no real info on supplies such as inks etc.

I would really like to see one in person and talk with someone who is willing to share their knowledge to learn whether it is feasible to use one these days.

I remember working through a barely-legible math worksheet in the classroom, fresh out of the machine still moist and with the strong smell. I was once asked to operate the machine as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqZEq9gTbfA

Hey all: a question for the letterpress community, but adjacent to actual letterpress.

Can anyone start me off in my research of mimeograph machines, or other, comparable duplicators?

I like the process of mimeograph, and especially some of the early arts journals done using the machines. Yet I worry working with a mimeograph now would simply be price (and logistically) prohibitive. Is this true? Are there good models for use in the present?

Hey all,

I recently came across an old AB Dick 437 Mimeograph machine which I have been trying to collect enough information on to restore. That said, there seems to be a serious lack of info regarding this specific mimeo online! Can anyone help point me in the right direction?? My questions are:

1. Does anyone have access to a manual (pdf preferable)??
2. Has anyone ever worked with this specific model and have any tips??
3. Where can I acquire stencils/ink/other supplies (are there alternatives??)
4. More questions will emerge (lol)

I'll attach some photos to give an idea of what I'm working with! Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer.

Back of the Machine

Model #

Crank side

ink barrel (?)

Sorry if this seems somewhat off-topic but this sub seems to be the best place to ask this question.

I'm about to start an art project that uses a very vintage mimeograph. This is an old duplicator that uses a stencil created in a typewriter. The stencil is basically a very thin sheet of waxed mulberry paper (basically bit like tissue paper, but the pulp is a long fibre pulp so the paper is stronger) this is paired with a much thicker softer sheet of paper that sits behind it in the typewriter. The ribbon is removed and the striking of the keys breaks the fibres, thus creating the stencil. Using a silk-screen and inking plates, the stencil is then used to make copies with an oil-based ink.

So, that is the background. Now the issue - how to fix the centres of the circular letters such as O, E, Q, B etc? I'm assuming this is done with a very fine fibre and hot needle/wax blob, but i have no idea of the method/technique to do this. Since mimeographic reduction was once very common, I'm assuming there must be a simple way to do this.

Thank you in advance for any guidance that you are able to offer,

Andy

Hey all,

Could anyone start me off in my research of mimeograph machines, or other, comparable duplicators?

I like the process of mimeograph, and especially some of the early arts journals done using the machines. Yet I worry working with a mimeograph now would simply be price (and logistically) prohibitive. Is this true? Are there good models for use in the present?