DNA-linework: "Auto Mono" Print Tests

My "Auto Mono" prints:

This has been something that has made me curious for a while. So, after making a group of linoleum cuts with some rhombus shaped concepts, this seemed like a good time to try and make a way to print at home without a press.

After a bunch of conceptual drawings of how this could work, and then some searches through my garage for scraps of wood that could be utilized, I made a small "print-set-up" template. The important aspects of this design are the sizes of the wooden base, the cross pieces and their placement to allow a type of "ramp" up to height. Then the top board, which registers with the outer cross boards so it won't shift. By not shifting it allows the direct downward-printing action. I did not expect to have a ton of success with the foam that I found, but the cushioning seemed to be enough to really help the transition of the tire across the printed surface.

This is built to work with an 11x17 dry sheet of paper using an inked linoleum cut. I tried soaking some of the paper, but it seemed to be to fragile, since I wasn't using my best printing paper for these initial tests. The setup worked in one pass, but I also experimented with two passes (by slowly driving the front of the car over forward and backward) without noticing a big difference in the print quality.

1x12 plank, 2x2 redwood scrap, 1x2 fir scrap.
A layer of mat board with acetate for registration.
place linocut and paper, then put another layer of
mat board, then the foam, then the top 1x12
to fit it all together.

The bottom board allows the tire to be completely
on the top, and then each cross bar allows a 1/2" step up
to the next level. Once the tire is over the highest
part, the weight drops down to print the image.