Question:

I'm making books out of my paper and the pages are too brittle. What can I do? Is the problem in the "Porridge"? Do you have suggestions on chemistry?

Answer:

The problem is the "porridge" (called "paper pulp"), you are quite correct. The variables are: What are you using for pulp? and, How long are you beating? The longer you beat the pulp (if you are using a Holander beater), the more brittle and crisp the final paper will be. If the paper is too brittle, do not beat as long. Ordinary folks do not have access to a Holander beater (they cost about $4,000) If you are using the blender method, the blender cuts the fibers which makes the paper more brittle and less flexible. You could try pounding rather than cutting. Have you ever seen newspapers left out on the street during the rain? If they get run over by cars or walked on for a long time by many people, they turn into mush. That mush is "porridge" (or pulp). The kind of fibers you begin with will make a difference in brittleness. "Abaca" is a name for a kind of paper fiber that makes wonderfully beautiful paper. You can order it from art supply stores. Search on the internet on the word "Abaca" and see what comes up. My recommendation would be to first take the paper you are currently recycling, hose it down so that it is good and soaked and walk on it for a while to turn it into mush. If you know some children, you can invite them to come and play and make mush out of the paper. They would enjoy themselves (especially in the summer time outside). Once the paper is broken down into mush, put that into your paper vat and make some test sheets. If they are still too brittle, then you need to add long fibers to the mix. (Abaca would be one kind to try). You could also try very fine threads in the vat of porridge and see if that helps. Also, you could look into fibers used in making Japanese rice papers. The issue, in final, regarding brittleness is length of fibers in the original porridge vat. Do not cut (as with a blender) Instead, use lots of water and pound or walk on the recycling paper until it turns into mush (this keeps the fibers longer than the cutting method and may solve the problem). If still too brittle, then the recycling paper you have begun with has too short fibers even with pounding and you will need to add some longer fiber (abaca, cotton linter, thread, or some other idea that you can think of).

Question:

I want to make molds and do paper casting but I don't know how. What do you suggest?

Answer:

One method of making a mold is to carve a positive image out of clay. Broad and simple designs are easier to cast than elaborate intricate ones. Lay the clay piece down onto a piece of cardboard or board covered with newspaper and slather it with a goodly spread of Vaseline or petroleum jelly (but be sure you don't fill in your designs). Mix up some plaster of Paris and spread the plaster all over the clay. Make sure it's at least an inch thick. The thicker the better but 6 inches would probably be way too much. 2-3 inches would be a good ball park for a large piece. One inch is sufficient for a small one. When the plaster dries peel out the clay model and clean the plaster mold with mild soap and water. Set it to dry. If you don't want to make a clay image, you can use object you have found that seem to be interesting. The process is the same as with clay. Cover the object with Vaseline (petroleum jelly) and then lay it onto a board. If the object is dimensional (round, etc.) you cannot cover the entire thing with plaster and then expect to get the plaster off. You have to do one side at a time. For a rock or box shape you would need two, three or four plaster castings of the various sides. When dried and used to cast paper, the paper could then be assembled to recreate the original object. TO CAST: Make some pulp. Scoop some out of the vat in a cup, poor this through a sieve with a piece of organdy (very sheer fabric - they know what it is at a fabric store) inside the sieve to catch the pulp. Squeeze about 1/2 of the water out of the pulp and then press into the mold. Allow to dry completely before removing. If you remove before completely dry, the design will be obscured. Some people dry things in a 100 degree oven. Others just let it set for a few days. You can also get molds in hobby and craft stores already made. These are made out of fired ceramic that has not been glazed.

If you have questions, special tips or hints that you would like to share, or, other answers to the questions above, please email to Ppreble2@aol.com

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