Preparing workspace and equipment.

The workbench remains the same with the glass sheets to mix colours and roll ink but an additional area has been prepared for cutting the lino.

Above left to right:
This first set of 6 cutting tools was very inexpensive.  They are marked as wooden carve knives but were sold to me for lino cutting.  Having tried them a couple of times last year I have found them to be unsatisfactory.  They have a good grip handle but the cutting edges seem not to be great (is it the angle or the sharpness?) and cutting with them is very difficult.  I was advised by a printing professional to buy a better quality set.
The set of 4 tools in the case are better quality but there are no straight cutters only 2 curved and 2 v shaped tools.  I’ll be using the straight cutters from the original set if I need them.
The next 2 I ordered individually.  They are both curved cutters and cut 1mm and 0.5mm respectively.  The bulbous handles are very easy to hold.
30x30cm lino sheets.

Above:
This is my homemade bench hook.  The flat cutting area measures around 34x34cm and is made from masonite.  The wooden end-stops were glued in place, using wood glue, and clamped until fully set.