California Surveyors Forums

Does anyone know where to purchase blue or blackline print paper for the old ammonia machines ?

Seems like the supply is low and the price is high..

We were just about to purchase the modern copier system when this economy hit a skid, so we're keeping the olde print machine for a while.


Signed
"Caveman Dave"

Back in the day I would order from Concord Reprographics, I would order quantities at a decent price. If I remember correctly I got the price down to $0.09/Square for 2X3 sheets. However it has been half a decade since then.

Scarab Graphics is a source but not sure how good they are. I think they want $0.15/Square

RM

Thanks ;'-)

I'll try them out. Not too much printing going on anyway but a dollar saved is a dollar saved
=^)

Good,

A suggestion. I never tried it, but will your macine allow you to run the first print back through and print sheet 2 on the back side (thinkin' green). As a public agency guy, I would not have a problem with it. It would cut down on my file space also. Another way to cut your paper use in half to offset the increase per square cost. ;-)

only has emulsion on one side. It's impossible to copy on to the back side. It's not a copy machine. It projects a shadow image of the line work from your tracing/drawing on to the blueline print paper. Where the shadow exists from the line work the emulsion stays on the paper. The second phase of the process is to subject the blueline paper to a heavy concentration of ammonia gas which develops the bluelines for your print. Can't say I miss the old blueprint room!

Now if you want to know about real blue prints, you have to ask someone older than me. That's a whole different process that I'm not familiar with.

Thanks for the suggestions,

One compensation our PA guys are doing is to allow us to submit check sets on 18"x24" paper.
We have found that the only blue print paper available is 24"x36"

We leave the dwg on scale. The PA checker realizes that we will plot Mylar with the required 1" border.

I also could just plot 2-3 check plots on bond roll stock I suppose.

Its those 24-set tentative packages that get crazy.

`:-}

We have been printing straight from the print and triming the 24" wide roll to width. Check prints, TM everything, when our maps record the Co sends us a TIF file of the orginal so we can run prints for the clients. Yes we have to sign and stamp all copy's of the TM but bond by the roll is much cheaper than blueprint paper. Hardly use the Blue printer anymore.

Good luck in your quest, because the blueline machines produce a hazardous working condition due to the ammonia gasses, and how the chemicals are handled. Times have changed and so too are the regulations on what can be sold, and what employees are exposed to.

Sorry for the Bad news, Good (now thats an inuendo, lol)

I just bought an HP T520 24" wide format printer. Has anyone used 18" wide rolls of paper instead of the standard 24" width? I see it is available, a little cheaper and it would save time on trimming the 18"x26" sheets from a 24" width or plotting without the top/bottom 1" borders. I would like to hear what your experience has been if you have. Thx in advance.

http://www.possupply.com/18-x-150-20-in ... e-4-rolls/

I have an HP 500 and use nothing but 18" rolls for paper and mylar. Works great and no paper trimming.

Caveman Dave . . . you brought back memories for this sixty-six year old.

When I began in 1971 . . . for years I breathed that wonderful gas. (YUCK!) Went on my own in '88 and ammonia machine was a purchase. (Still have it)

When I worked for Engineering Field Services in San Rafael, they had an old engineer's (John Oglesby LS 1135/RE 3230) blueprint frame. It was a 24"x36" wood box. The sides being 1x4 redwood. The top was a sheet of glass with a 1x1 frame. Inside was a carpeted floor. You'd place a sheet of blue-print paper, then the inked linen atop the emulsified paper, sandwich the two with the glass frame . . . lights-on/lights off (or walked outside in the sun for a flash?) . . . tore the sandwich apart.

Rolled up the blueprint paper and stuck it into a vertical tube that was capped at the top. Poured your liquid ammonia on the dish at the base of the tube then place the tube over the dish. Go back to drawing for about 15 minutes. Come back and unroll then re-roll in opposite direction, flip the blueprint upside down (opposite what was placed before), then reinsert in tube and place over dish of ammonia. (You did this because the ammonia would develop in streaks so you have to "gas" the thing as evenly as possible.)

I remember having to "borrow" our 1973 president, Eugene Lockton (LS 2535) "tube system" when the blueprint machine was down and had to run a print by hand. (You know how we surveyors are - wouldn't want to spend a nickel running four blocks up to Cuthbert's Blueprinting for one print! LOL)

So there you have it Caveman Dave. You can draft, run the long/lats on your traverse sheets . . . all the while multi-tasking blueprints!

Simpler times. Fun times. And more importantly - everyone got along.

Thanks for the memory.

Caveman Phil - Sonoma

It's Lats and Deps . . . not long/lat. Sheesh!

Um Dave... I think it's time to put the blueline in the same place that the old HP3810 is! :)

Phil-

That is the process my Dad described to me. He worked in Marin County in the 1950s before leaving for a job, Operations Engineer, with the Fresno County road department.

LS7773 wrote:I have an HP 500 and use nothing but 18" rolls for paper and mylar. Works great and no paper trimming.

LS7773, do you use mylar in a roll or individual sheets? Where do you buy it from? Thx

I use 18" mylar rolls. I am able to buy it from a local company in Fresno. RMS Company - (559) 292-2700. Maybe you can call them and they can refer someone in your area to provide them to you.