Drafting linen

[GreenTwin]

This is where I have purchased "vellum" in the past.
They call it "plasticized cotton", "modern vellum", or "paper vellum".

It is good stuff; takes a lot of abuse, and is not affected by moisture/sweat/etc. very much.
You can get it wet and it will not degrade.

You can iron it if it gets wrinkled.

Paper vellum is translucent, so good for tracing over other drawings.
The translucence was important because you ran the vellum through the blue-line reproduction machine on top of photo-sensitive paper.
Normal paper is not translucent enough to work in the blue-line machine.

The trick was to turn on the blue line machine, and then hold your breath long enough to make a print, so the amonia fumes did not destroy your lungs. Generally your eyes would burner pretty good if you had to make more than one print.


https://www.engineersupply.com/vellums-for-wide-format-inkjet-printers.aspx
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[ChazzC]

Hi,
You mention 'pounce' is that similar to ground pumice that we used in our drawing office in the UK.

We never called it 'vellum' just linen. Real vellum is made from part of an animal skin.

TerryD

Pounce​

​

noun​

• 1.a fine resinous powder formerly used to prevent ink from spreading on unglazed paper or to prepare parchment to receive writing.

From the same source:

Vellum​

​

noun​

• 1.fine parchment made originally from the skin of a calf.
• 2.smooth writing paper imitating vellum.

The "vellum" I have used is basically a heavy gauge tracing paper (about the thickness/weight of baking "parchment," usually yellow-ish tan, which may be why folks called it vellum. Many architects call it Bum Wad, and if you do a search for "Bum Wad" one of the results is this:

Bienfang Bumwad (sketch tracing rolls)​

It appears that all Vellum is Parchment, but not all Parchment is Vellum. If you really want more discussion: The New Antiquarian.

 

[Zeb]

I've used mylar similar to this. It's very stable for J size at very long lengths.

What was the thread count on the linen? Nevermind, looks like a pulp process that I was unaware of.

For those of you who have used drafting linen, is it similar to Arches cold press paper (smooth kind)? It's 100% cotton instead of linen and they use gelatin instead of starch. I spend a buck per sheet for it. Not cheap but really nice to work with.

 

[michael_knight]

I have most of a full roll at home in a cupboard, I picked it up in the late 80's after cleaning out an old drafting office. Its Alliance Brand Tracing Cloth British made Hall and Harding

Hi Steve,
Would I be able to see a picture of the roll and, if its suitable for my needs, buy some from you?
Looking to draw old ship plans and get them printed on this old medium if possible. Im in Australia.

Email is: [email protected]

 

[michael_knight]

I

I’ve got a partial roll of drafting linen should anyone want it.

I would love to see it and if its big enough can I have it? Happy to pay postage!
Please message me pics at: [email protected]

 

[william_b_noble]

I abandoned about 300 pounds of vellum at a friend's estate, nobody wanted anything to do with it. I'd expect you will be able to find as much as you want at a very low price. 100 years from now when the supply from the 1960s finally runs out, then it will become expensive.

 

[terryd]

Hi Steve,
Would I be able to see a picture of the roll and, if its suitable for my needs, buy some from you?
Looking to draw old ship plans and get them printed on this old medium if possible. Im in Australia.

Email is: [email protected]

Hi michael,

If I understand you are intending to print onto drafting linen, is that right? In my drawing office experienceas as an engineering we used to draft our drawings using pencils for ease of modification, they would then be traced onto drafting linen by 'tracer's (usually female) inwith Rotring pens and indian ink for permanence. Being translucent they would then be used as masters for dyeline printing. The material wasn't used for actually printing on.

TerryD

 

[terryd]

I abandoned about 300 pounds of vellum at a friend's estate, nobody wanted anything to do with it. I'd expect you will be able to find as much as you want at a very low price. 100 years from now when the supply from the 1960s finally runs out, then it will become expensive.

Hi William,

At the risk of being thought pedantic, real vellum is a material made from goat, calf or sheepskin processed to have a very smooth surface. It is a fine type of parchment which is also made from animal skins. As it is extremely durable, traditionally, important documents and books, especially Bibles would be written on vellum using a type of permanent ink similar to Indian ink and illustrated with permanent paints usually made from metallic elements and ores. Such documents and books have lasted for hundreds of years, sometimes centuries with very little degredation.

I think the vellum you refer to is a thin, strong paper which was finished to have a smooth surface similar to real vellum and should be described as 'vellum style paper'. Of course you may have disposed of real vellum but that would be incredibly expensive

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parchment
The beautiful Book of Kells was written on vellum and finished in around 800 AD and is a gorgeous now as when it was painstakinkly made, to quote a description - "It was stolen in the 11th century, at which time its cover was torn off and it was thrown into a ditch. The cover, which most likely included gold and gems, has never been found, and the book suffered some water damage; but otherwise, it is extraordinarily well-preserved.":
I don't think that paper vellum would have survived the ordeal. Take a look here at incredible craftsmanship.

TerryD

 

[william_b_noble]

okay, how about this..... about 300 pounds of Clearprint brand drafting paper, including several approx 18 inch diameter by 36 inch or so rolls no midaeval manuscripts were damaged (I do have a single page of a psalter from the 12th century, it is holding up quite well)

 

[terryd]

okay, how about this..... about 300 pounds of Clearprint brand drafting paper, including several approx 18 inch diameter by 36 inch or so rolls no midaeval manuscripts were damaged (I do have a single page of a psalter from the 12th century, it is holding up quite well)

Hi William,

Would that be the translucent 'plastic pape' that came in around the late 1960s in place of tracing linen and drafting paper? It was introduced in our drawing office and we had to use special pencils for it. I disliked it but it was easy to correct when inked. It was easy to scrape the ink away with a carefully applied corner of a razor blade without damaging the surface too much.

TerryD

 

[Charles Lamont]

British acts of parliament are still printed on real vellum - for good practical reasons rather than adherence to tradition.

 

[ChazzC]

Hi William,

Would that be the translucent 'plastic pape' that came in around the late 1960s in place of tracing linen and drafting paper? It was introduced in our drawing office and we had to use special pencils for it. I disliked it but it was easy to correct when inked. It was easy to scrape the ink away with a carefully applied corner of a razor blade without damaging the surface too much.

TerryD

I still have a tube of “plastic” leads: very handy for making erasable fine lines on light colored plastic sheets and blocks.

 

[william_b_noble]

Hi William,

Would that be the translucent 'plastic pape' that came in around the late 1960s in place of tracing linen and drafting paper? It was introduced in our drawing office and we had to use special pencils for it. I disliked it but it was easy to correct when inked. It was easy to scrape the ink away with a carefully applied corner of a razor blade without damaging the surface too much.

TerryD

clearprint is this stuff: Art Supplies | Clearprint Vellum | United States

 

[terryd]

British acts of parliament are still printed on real vellum - for good practical reasons rather than adherence to tradition.

Hi Charles,You are correct. I have the original deeds for my property dating from teh 1700s which are written on parchment rather than vellu (cheaper) and they are as clear and legible as if they had been writen last week.. Indian ink on vellum or parchment will keep for centuries,there are vellum documents almost 2000 years old and ae still preserved.

Regards
TerryD