Category Archives: Technology

The Linotype and Intertype catalogs

Posted on July 11, 2024 by Brian Lawler

In the previous post I described how I published these out-of-print booklets. These are links to the PDF versions of those publications. Please feel free to download them.

Posted in Gadgets, History, Printing and Printing Processes, Restoring antique printing machines, Technology, Typography | Tagged Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, Cal Poly, Intertype matrix, Intertype matrix catalog, Linotype matrix, Linotype matrix catalog, Shakespeare Press Museum, The Blognosticator | Leave a comment

Of molten lead and ChatGPT

Posted on July 7, 2024 by Brian Lawler

At the core of The Blognosticator are posts about the graphic arts, printing processes, solutions to printing processes, and related items. The blog was originally an arm of Graphic Arts Monthly magazine, who hired me in 2000 to write blogs, … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Software, Technology, Typography | Tagged AI in the graphic arts, Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, Cal Poly, ChatGPT in graphic arts, Intertype machine, Linotype machine, Shakespeare Press Museum, The Blognosticator | Leave a comment

Turning my new lathe into a really nice lathe

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Brian Lawler

My plan was to write about some graphic arts subjects. I attended two terrific events related to printing recently, and I will write about my experiences – soon. But instead, I want to write about my new lathe. I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventures, Building things, Gadgets, Technology, Woodworking | Tagged Brian Lawler, Delta lathe, digital tachometer, The Blognosticator, woodworking lathe | 2 Comments

Musings on pinhole photography

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Brian Lawler

If you’ve been reading this blog, you know that last week I returned from the 2023 Burning Man festival in northern Nevada. It was a terrific event, full of excitement and artistic energy – until it rained. Then it became … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventures, Art, People, Photography, Technology | Tagged Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, Burning Man, Pinhole camera, Pinhole photo optics, pinhole photography, Pinhole Project, The Blognosticator | 8 Comments

Designing and building a trailer for Burning Man

Posted on June 24, 2023 by Brian Lawler

I will be attending Burning Man again this year, my fifth. The event was canceled in 2020 and 2021, and I was in Germany in 2022, so I have missed three years. I will be going out onto the Black … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventures, Art, Gadgets, Photography, Technology | Tagged Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, Burning Man, generators, pinhole photography, power generation., The Pinhole Project | Leave a comment

Dancing in the laser light fantastic

Posted on February 16, 2023 by Brian Lawler

This is part 2 of my article about building a fixed positioning laser on the CNC machine. To read the first part, click here. I had decided to make the final fixed laser with a bracket made of aluminum. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Gadgets, New technology, Technology | Tagged Avid CNC, Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, CNC laser positioning, fixed laser for CNC, laser positioning tool, San Luis Obispo, The Blognosticator | Leave a comment

Affixing a laser to the CNC machine

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Brian Lawler

My friend Bryn and I own a CNC router. We have had it for years, and it has undergone a couple of upgrades. It started life as a CNC Machine with a DeWalt router motor mounted on it, providing adequate, … Continue reading →

Posted in Gadgets, Restoring antique printing machines, Technology | Tagged Avid CNC, Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, CNC machine, fixed laser pointer, positioning laser, spindle motor laser, The Blognosticator | Leave a comment

Gliding into a saw restoration

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Brian Lawler

This is Part 2 of my story about restoring an antique Hammond Glider “TrimOsaw” for the Shakespeare Press Museum at Cal Poly. To read the first part, click here. I got to the point of removing the aluminum nameplate from … Continue reading →

Posted in Graphic Arts people, History, Printing and Printing Processes, Restoring antique printing machines, Technology | Tagged Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, Cal Poly, Restoring antique printing machines, Shakespeare Press Museum | Leave a comment

Restoring that ol’ saw – a Hammond Glider

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Brian Lawler

Now that the Smyth machine is working, I decided to take on a new project. Last fall I offered to restore a 1960s era Hammond Glider TrimOsaw for the Shakespeare Press Museum at Cal Poly. This machine is best described … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Printing and Printing Processes, Technology, Typography | Tagged Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, Cal Poly, Hammond Glider, Hammond TrimOsaw, Precision table saw, Shakespeare Press Museum, Typographical table saw | Leave a comment

Running the Landa Nanopress

Posted on June 5, 2022 by Brian Lawler

Part III [Part II] [Part I] After numerous visits to the printing plant where the Landa Nanopress is running, I have a pretty good idea of how that machine works. I am assisted by a very nice diagram on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bookbinding, Imposition and Pagination, Printing and Printing Processes, Software, Technology | Tagged Blueprint AG, Brian Lawler, digital book printing, Landa Nanopress, Munich, Production ink-jet, The Blognosticator | Leave a comment