Arnold E. Grummer Read online

  casting

  Making a copy of a form or dimensional surface by applying wet pulp, then letting the pulp dry.

  couch (say it: “koosh”)

  To remove a newly formed paper sheet (wet mat of fibers) from a papermaking screen. Too weak to be lifted off by hand, the new sheet is placed against a flat surface to which it will transfer when pressure is applied.

  couch materials

  Any materials with a surface that will cause a new sheet to transfer from a papermaking screen when the new sheet is pressed against it.

  couch sheet

  In papermaking, a reusable blotter sheet made especially for couching new sheets from papermaking screens.

  cover screen

  A piece of window screen or other suitable material laid over a newly formed paper sheet to protect the sheet during water removal with a sponge.

  curl and cockle

  The result of uneven shrinkage when a sheet of paper is not dried uniformly, such as when using an iron. Uneven drying means uneven shrinkage, pulling different parts of the sheet in different directions, causing either general curl or localized cockling, or both.

  deckle

  The removable top part of a hand mold. The deckle sits on or fits around the papermaking screen and prevents pulp from running off the screen. Because it creates the outer limits to which pulp can flow on the screen, the deckle determines the sheet’s shape and size.

  drain pan

  Any tray, cookie pan, or similar container on which to lay a papermaking screen and newly formed sheet for initial water removal.

  drain rack

  Any gridlike structure placed in the drain pan upon which a screen and newly formed sheet can be placed to facilitate water drainage from the sheet. In some kits, the hand mold’s screen support also serves as the drain rack.

  dry lap

  Dry pulp in sheet form.

  fiber

  Cellulose strands produced by a plant. It will bond naturally to other cellulose fibers when it touches them in water. Also sometimes used as a synonym for pulp.

  flock

  A tendency of fibers to gather in bunches during sheet formation, instead of dispersing evenly as individuals. Flocking is visible when a sheet is held up to light.

  furnish

  Pulp that consists of fibers plus all additives (sizing, opacifiers, fillers, etc.) required to make a specific type of paper.

  hand mold

  A device for making paper by hand. It consists of a screen, screen support, and a deckle.

  pulp

  The raw material for making paper. It consists of individual fibers. Dry pulp is generally a sheet of fibers called “dry lap.” Wet pulp is fibers in water. Papermakers generally begin with fibers in dry form.

  release agent

  A substance applied to a surface or form before wet pulp is applied in making a casting. When the pulp has dried, its removal from the surface or form is eased by the release agent.

  screen

  Material woven or formed into a sievelike fabric which will let water flow through but trap papermaking fibers on its surface. Previously, strands woven or laid side-by-side were primarily metal. Today, screens are primarily specially formulated plastic.

  slurry

  In this book, water with fibers in it.

  vat

  A container into which pulp is placed when a dip mold is used, and into which water is placed when a pour mold is used. The vat must be large enough to accommodate the hand mold and the papermaker’s hands simultaneously.

  Where to Find Pulp

  Once you’ve collected your supplies, you will of course need some pulp. One of the great benefits of making recycled paper is that almost every type of pulp is instantly available at the mere whirl of a blender. There’s a treasure trove of free fiber just sitting in the recycling bin! Recycling is by far the simplest and most accessible means of obtaining pulp.

  If you wish, though, you can find other sources for pulp fibers. Today’s “start from scratch” papermakers are experimenting with fibers from many traditional and new plants. Traditional ones include Asian plants, such as gampi, mitsumata, and kozo, whose fibers require special formation aids and sheet forming techniques. Also traditional are hemp, abaca, and cotton rag. The easiest pulp to use and obtain is cotton linter (see page 125), available in convenient packages at art and craft stores and from papermaking suppliers (see Resources, page 196).

  Wood fibers are most readily available to hand papermakers by recycling. Though tested by the commercial paper industry years ago, abaca (banana plant fiber) is gaining popularity with hand papermakers. A variety of special pulps are available from papermaking suppliers (see Resources). Some are produced from discarded fabrics. White cotton rag pulp may have formerly been bed sheets, and blue denim pulp was likely blue jean material. Discarded T-shirts are sorted by hue to make brightly colored pulps. Linen pulp might have been a tablecloth or article of clothing. Specialty pulps might include some synthetic and cellulose fiber blends. These pulps will make waterleaf (blotter) paper unless sizing is added (see page 33).

  About the Additives

  When preparing the pulp, a paper mill almost always adds something to the fibers to make the end paper have desirable qualities, depending on how it’s going to be used. There are hundreds of additives that will make the paper brighter, bulkier, colorful, water-resistant, fire-retardant, able to hold ink without feathering, or whatever fits the desired use. Each additive costs money and time to insert into the pulp, and often requires special equipment, as well as specialized knowledge and expertise.

  But the home papermaker who recycles gets all of this for free, in practically no time: the fibers (refined or unrefined), additives, cost of equipment, and cost of salaries of professional and scientific personnel required to assemble the pulp. Whether your dream is to create paper that is wild and exotic or tame and standard, single color or multicolored, smooth or textured, recycling offers the chance to fulfill this dream. Experiment and you’ll be amazed by the magical trash-to-treasure paper transformation you can make right in your kitchen.

  recycling is the simplest means of obtaining pulp

  Where to Find Pulp (the easy answer)

  1. Tear up paper and put it in a blender with water.

  2. Run the blender for 30 seconds or less, turning the paper into pulp.

  how much paper? how much water? see page 48.

  Making Paper That Will Last

  There are, of course, no circumstances under which any paper is permanent. Regardless of how permanent or archival a paper is said to be:

  a single spark can obliterate it

  a serious heat surge nearby can damage it

  light can age it

  water can dissolve it

  cars passing your open window can reduce its longevity

  insects in your house can eat it

  mold and fungi can grow on it

  All of the above paper predators don’t give two hoots as to whether paper is said to be permanent, archival, or pure groundwood (lignin-loaded). So the first thing to understand is that the frame of reference for these terms is relative.

  For keeping memories, papers offer more hope of longevity if they are acid-free (i.e., permanent or archival). Essentially, this means the pH level, which is a measurable quality, is in the immediate vicinity of 7.5. Readings lower than 7.0 are acidic; those with higher readings are alkaline. Papermaking conditions that would normally lead to an acidic reading (below 7.0 pH) can be treated by adding an acid buffer to the pulp. The buffer, usually calcium carbonate, also will provide protection from possible acid contamination after the sheet is made.

  But note this: Even if you have never heard of acid-free, permanence, archival, or lignin, the paper you make is not going to fall apart tomorrow, next week, or even probably for years. Indeed, much of such paper will outlast the people who made it.

  How to Make Memories-Safe Paper

  Can you make your
handmade paper safe for memories? Yes. It helps to have a pH testing pen or tape to keep track of the pH of your paper and the paper you are planning to recycle. Here are three methods for making your paper last.

  Method 1. Using recycled or new pulp, make paper as you always do. When the paper is dry, spray it with a commercial buffering solution. Your paper is then within the pH range usually ascribed to permanent or archival paper. Solutions are available from archival catalogs and papermaking suppliers (see Resources, page 196).

  Method 2. When using recycled paper or new pulp that is not acid-free, add calcium carbonate to the pulp, in the blender or in the vat. Make sure that your supplier includes directions with the calcium carbonate and follow them exactly. Calcium carbonate will automatically adjust your papermaking system to the correct pH level.

  Method 3. Buy acid-free pulp. But then make sure your water, couch sheets or felts, and any additives are all acid-free (ask suppliers about the pH of their products). You can use distilled water, which is generally not in the acidic pH range.

  What Is Sizing?

  Sizing helps fibers (individually or as a paper structure) resist moisture and liquids. If not sized, fibers and the paper made with them are hydrophilic, like sponges and blotters. Try to write or draw on them with ink, and the ink will run and go fuzzy. When recycling, some of the paper you use may already have sizing in it. How do you know? Try writing on it with a felt-tip pen and see if the ink spreads. Or place a small drop of water on the surface of a sheet; the longer it takes the drop to absorb into the sheet, the better the sizing.

  Fibers can be sized individually as part of the pulp before the sheet is made (internal sizing), or en masse as a formed sheet (external sizing). Sizing can be soft (adding just a bit of moisture resistance), hard, or somewhere between. In the commercial paper industry, sizing is costly and is therefore introduced into paper in just the amount the paper’s use demands. It is not a simple process, because when put into pulp, most of it washes off the fibers during water drainage. To prevent this, scientists add a second agent that chemically bonds the sizing to the fibers.

  Fortunately, there are simpler ways for you to size your paper (see How to Size Your Handmade Paper, below). Sources for commercial sizing are listed in Resources.

  How to Size Your Handmade Paper

  There are a number of products you can use to size your paper, available through paper suppliers. The most commonly found sizing materials are wax, starch, and gelatin. No matter which you use, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the labels.

  Wax makes excellent sizing and is easy to use, effective, and easy to get for free. To make your own, collect some waxed paper sacks (they look and feel waxy), like the ones bakeries use to send pastries home with customers. To reuse the wax for sizing, here’s what you do:

  1. Tear up the waxed sack and soak it in hot water for 15 minutes. You also can use waxed paper, but it’s a little harder to pulp in the blender.

  2. Run the soaked pieces in a blender with hot water. For a waxed sack equal to ¾ of an 8½″ × 11″ sheet of paper, use 2½ to 3 cups of water. Run the blender until there are no paper chunks visible.

  Now you have about 3 cups of excellent liquid sizing. Using it is easy. Put some into the pulp (when using a pour mold) or into the vat (when using a dip mold) and mix well. You can use a little or a lot.

  • For soft sizing, add one part waxed sack pulp to five parts general recycled pulp.

  • For hard sizing, add equal parts waxed sack pulp and general recycled pulp.

  • For even harder sizing, add three parts waxed sack pulp to one part general recycled pulp.

  • For new pulp, and especially cotton pulp (rag or linters), sizing will be a bit softer. The more pure a fiber, the harder it is to size.

  Building a Paper Press

  In this home-built press, the platforms are held in place on rods with washers and nuts. Pressure is applied by pumping the hydraulic jack up against the top platform, which holds wet sheets absolutely flat while they dry. The press built in this project is big enough for up to 8″ × 12″ sheets of paper. If you are not accustomed to working with power tools, ask someone experienced to help you.

  Instructions

  1. Glue 2 of the plywood pieces together, making a platform 1½″ thick. Clamp the pieces together or put weights on them until the glue has dried. Do the same with the other 2 plywood pieces. (The platforms will last longer if you put a waterproof paint or varnish on them.)

  Materials

  Wood glue

  Four pieces of ¾″ plywood, 1 foot square

  Two wood clamps or weights

  Waterproof paint or varnish (optional)

  Pencil

  Drill and 3/8″, 13⁄32″, 7⁄16″, and 1″ bits

  Two threaded rods, 3/8″ diameter and 36″ long

  Hacksaw

  16 nuts, 3/8″

  16 washers, 1½″ wide with 3/8″ hole

  2-ton hydraulic jack

  One 6″ length of 2″ × 4″ lumber Two 8″ × 12″ boards

  Ruler

  Upsizing

  You can use this press for any 5½″ × 8½″ sheets made with the molds featured in this book, as well as any papers you make with the Tin Can Papermaking method. If you make paper sheets larger than 8″ × 12″, however, you will need a larger press. Adapt the design by using plywood pieces that are at least 4″ larger than the paper you want to press.

  Opposite: Place paper and couch sheets between the 8″ × 12″ boards to press papers flat.

  2. Draw a line across each platform 1½″ in from each edge. Where the lines cross at each corner, drill a 3/8″ hole.

  3. Cut the 2 threaded rods in half, making 4 threaded rods, each 18″ long.

  4. Assemble the platforms on both ends of the 4 rods with a nut and washer above and below each of the 4 rods as shown. If it is difficult to thread the rods through the holes, drill the holes again with a 13⁄32″ or 7⁄16″ drill bit.

  5. The top of the jack’s piston is small, and the pressure it puts against the press’s top platform must be distributed over a greater area. To address this, measure to find the center of the 6″ length of 2″ × 4″ lumber, and drill a 1″ hole that is about ⅜″ deep. Insert the tip of the piston into the hole. This will put the block of wood between piston top and the bottom of the press’s top platform.

  Using the Paper Press

  1. When a sheet has been couched from the screen, remove enough water so it can be lifted from the couch sheet. Place the wet sheet between dry couch sheets and put them between two 8″ × 12″ boards.

  2. Place the boards on the bottom platform of the press and set the jack on top of the boards.

  3. Pump the jack’s piston up against the bottom of the top platform. If the piston does not reach the top platform, put more boards under the jack. Apply pressure for 10 to 15 minutes. To keep water from running back into the sheet when the pressure is released, brush the edges of the pressing boards with a damp sponge.

  4. Release the jack. Replace the damp couch sheets with dry ones, and put the papers back into the press. Apply pressure for 1 to 2 hours.

  5. Change the couch sheets. Apply pressure for about 3 hours (overnight is good).

  6. Continue changing couch sheets until the paper is dry. The thicker the paper, the more changes will be required.

  Chapter 3 Easy Papermaking Techniques

  If you’re ready to jump in and make paper, using items you already have in your kitchen, tin can papermaking is for you! Simply rescue a few tin cans, plastic bottles, and other containers from the trash, pull out a blender, and you’ve got what you need to start making your own recycled paper. Also covered in this chapter is a super-easy way to make paper with a pour mold. All you need are curiosity and a willingness to experiment. You’ll have a stack of handmade paper in no time!

  Pour vs. Dip

  The first sheet of paper was likely made with a pour hand mold. In this method of
papermaking, a mold is placed in a vat of water and pulp is poured into the mold only, not into the vat. Another way to make paper is by using the dip method, which involves dipping a mold into a vat that contains pulp. The dip method was the only method used by European and American papermakers of the past and is considered the more traditional way to make paper.

  For home papermaking, I’ve found the pour method to be the better way to go. The pour mold generally has higher deckle walls than a dip mold and can move easily from one type or color of sheet to another. A pour mold requires less preparation and cleanup than a dip mold and can make sheets not practical for a dip mold. Consequently, this method tends to be more versatile. I believe that anyone capable of lifting a pour mold out of water and holding it level while water drains will make a near-perfect sheet the first time he or she tries, regardless of age, handicap, intellectual level, or aptitude for “art.” For these reasons, the primary focus of this book is the pour method. However, since many readers may already be using the dip method, I’ve included information for that method as well.

  If Using a Dip Hand Mold

  In a traditional dip mold, the top deckle is only about ¾″ high, to allow pulp to more easily flow into the mold from the vat. The bottom support screen has a finer mesh, which serves as the papermaking screen. For my dip hand molds, I use the same support screen and papermaking screen as is used for the pour hand mold.

  The procedure is basically the same as for pour hand molds (see page 52), but here are a couple of extra tips. After assembling your mold and preparing your pulp, here are the next steps: