December 9, 2005, from Lloyd Erlick,

... and on my hard drive I find I have a
folder called Hectography ...

------------------------------
here are some links:

Hecto Links/Sources/References

Literary source: Stephen Kingís On Writing:
A Memoir of the Craft (Scribner, 2000)
relates a saga starring Kingís brother, Dave,
and Daveís hectographic adventures (pp.
43-44). Unfortunately, my request to
Scribnerís to reprint three paragraphs from
Kingís work was denied. (Thanks to M. Brown
for the tip.)

Literary source: First sci-fi fanzine
http://www.comic-art.com/bios-1/siegel01.htm

Literary source: H.P. Lovecraft
http://www.yankeeclassic.com/miskatonic/englishl/hpl/hplbio/chaptr02.htm

World War II materials: Abo Library,
Estlander Collection
http://www.abo.fi/library/pres/samlspee.htm

Recent hectographic art work (by Mae
Strelkow):
http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/quatermass/87/mae

Dead Media (moribund, but fascinating
source/site):  http://www.deadmedia.org

Russian hectography (book by Rozanova &
Kulbin)
http://www.schicklerart.com/exh/12_rare_books/HTML/3_rozanova.html

Russian hecotgraphy (book by Lenin)
http://www.stel.ru/museum/Leninc2e.htm

Russian hectography (book by A. Kruchenykh):
http://www.rarebook.ru/ei001.html

Turn of the century "Hektograph," text and
illustrations (clicking on search, refining
your search using Boolean options and listing
"hectograph" and "new" as search terms):
http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/index.html

Alaskan Newspaper  

http://www.helios-carbex.com.br/usa.html (Go
to Products--> General Purpose section)

Additional ink recipes (from Steve Glover):
http://www.fell.demon.co.uk/steve/inks.html
Anti-Nazi Hectographer
Spirit Duplicating/Mimeo Supplies
REPEAT-O-TYPE Mfg. Corp.
665 State Rt. 23
Wayne, NJ 07470 U.S.A.
http://www.repeatotype.com

------------------------------------------------
http://english.boisestate.edu/ttrusky/hecto.html
GELATIN RECIPES
The Hectographic ìPressî,  Bed or Pad
A recipe from the web, used by yours truly
and his students:

Turkish Delight Duplicator Recipe

Copyleft Steve & Jenny Glover, 1993,1995

We still use a "Turkish Delight" duplicator
for small print run stuff (apa contribs,
small con newsletters of the informal
persuasion) and security printing (Postscript
output -> ghostscript -> 9 pin printer ->
coloured Banda paper --> unduplicatable
tickets for whisky tastings, etc).

Anyway, here's Jenny's recipe (as obtained
from a friend of a friend of a "freedom
fighter" who apparently used to run across
the veldt duplicating leaflets with one hand
and scattering them with another...)

You will need:
1 large roasting tray, big enough for a sheet
of paper. This is going to be the 'bed'.

Preparing the "'bed"':
(This recipe uses gelatin, which *can* be
produced from non-animal sources, but which
usually isn't. Somewhere we have an
equivalent recipe that uses carrageenin gel
or agar agar, but you will have to work these
ones out for yourself by trial and error, as
we're not so practised with these ones)
In a large saucepan dissolve 100g gelatin in
375ml water

then begin to warm it gently while adding
385g of sugar. When it has dissolved,

add 715g glycerol and slowly bring the
mixture to the boil. Stir gently for one
minute while boiling to avert the wrath of
the Foam Ghods.

Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it
slowly into your tray (care! this mixture
boils at a higher temperature than water --
for the purposes of rug rats and house apes,
treat it as molten fat).

Make sure that the tray is on a flat surface
where it can be left for a few hours until
the gel sets.

While the gel is cooling, the Foam Gods can
be further appeased by using tissue paper to
remove bubbles, foam and 'bits' from the
surface.

This file is sort of shareware: if you use
this recipe, we'd like to see a copy of the
zine, flyer or artwork you produce. Our
address is: Steve & Jenny Glover, 3f2 (t/r) 2
Trinity Court, Trinity, Edinburgh EH5 3LE,
Scotland, UK.

 
Another press/bed recipe (untested):

Recipes for Art and Craft Materials, by Helen
Roney Sattler
(New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shephard Company,
1973)

Thanks to Matthew B. for bringing this text
to my attention.

Hectograph Pad

You Will Need:

2 cups water
4 packets (1 ounce) unflavored gelatin
A baking pan, 8 x 11 inches
2 teaspoons boric acid solution

How to Make It:

1.  Pour water over gelatin and let stand for
2 to 3 hours.

2.  Pour softened gelatin into baking pan.

3. Slowly bring to a boil, then reduce heat
and let simmer over a low flame for 20
minutes. Add boric acid solution.

4.  Set aside overnight.
-----------------------------------------

INK RECIPES
from Fortunes in Formulas for Home, Farm and
Workshop. The Modern Authority for Amateur
and Professional. Containing Up-To-Date
Selected Scientific Formulas, Trade Secrets,
Processes, and Money-Saving Ideas, edited by
Gardner D. Hiscox and T. O'Connor Sloane (New
York: Books, Inc., 1907; rev. ed., 1956).
(citation supplied by Earl Noe)

Purple
Methyl violet, 2 parts
Alcohol, 2 parts
Sugar, 1 part
Glycerine, 4 parts
Water, 24 parts

Dissolve the violet in the alcohol mixed w/
glycerine, dissolve sugar in water, mix both
solutions.

Ingredients for purple hecto ink.

Black
Methyl violet, 10 parts
Nigrosin, 20 parts
Glycerine 30 parts
Gum arabic 5 parts
Alcohol, 60 parts

Ingredients for black hecto ink.

Red
Fuchsin, 10 parts
Alcohol, 10 parts
Glycerin, 10 parts
Water 50 parts

Ingredients for red hecto ink

Earl Noe also notes two intriguing hecto
facts:
I saw a Nova program about WWII escape
attempts from Colditz Castle, and one
survivor demonstrated how the prisoners used
their gelatin desserts to make a hectograph,
used for making maps. Good luck!

The Fancyclopedia, by Richard Eney, 1959,
(mimeographed) has the following entry (right
before HELICOPTER BEANIE): HEKTOGRAPHER'S
HANDS is a strange malady afflicting users of
the above process. Handle hekto carbons,
inks, pencils, ribbons ever so carefully, yet
smudges of purple will appear on the ends of
the fingers, and by some mysterious process
spread to the backs of the hands and up the
inner side of the forearm. Then, tho the
hektoer never touch his face with arms or
hands, purple splotches will break out on the
nose and one cheek, and on the nape of the
neck, tho he can't see it there. What is
more, the dye will spread to all
light-colored woodwork in the room, and
deposit in an uneven film over the lavatory
when he tries to wash. The Ditto company puts
out a soap which is supposed to ease the
condition, but really it comes off only when
the skin does.

Hectograph Ink

Another recipe (untested):

Recipes for Art and Craft Materials, by Helen
Roney Sattler
(New York:  Lothrop, Lee & Shephard Company,
1973)

You Will Need:

1 1/2  teaspoons water-based pigment, such as
Prussian blue, iodine-green, methyl violet,
and so on. (Do not use and oil paint pigment.
Aniline dye is best but poisonous.)

1 teaspoon glycerine

4 teaspoons distilled water

2/3 teaspoon peppermint or lemon extract

How to Make It:

1. Mix the pigment with glycerine until
smooth and well blended.
2. Add water and extract.  Stir or shake
until thoroughly mixed.

Makes about 2 tablespoons-enough for several
projects.

How to Use It:
Store in a tightly capped bottle. Shake
bottle well before using. Draw or write with
a lettering pen or a fine brush on typing
paper.
-----------------------------------------

anyway, I've never done anything like this so
I know nothing.
regards,
--le