| Making Paper from scratch
ï Harvest green material (leaves
from palm, banana, fig and other broad leaved trees, bullrushes, reeds,
grasses etc). Store away from sun to dry or use fresh. (don't use 'dead')
Cut up one type of material into
4cm lengths. You will need at least half a bucket to make 15 to 30 sheets
of A4 paper, depending on how thick you make it. If you wish to mix plant
materials it is best to do it after they are cooked or pulped.
ï Soak the plant material overnite
in enough water to cover.
ï In a large stainless steel,
enamel or galvanised iron container (DON'T USE ALUMINIUM) cook in caustic
soda solution to soften the fibre and wash out unwanted starches etc. (Solution:
1 normal plastic bucket [8 litres] add 4 flat tablespoons caustic soda)
NB: Never pour water onto caustic soda - fill bucket with water then add
soda. Work outside, wear rubber gloves and protect eyes from splashes.
Stir with a wooden stick. Needs to simmer for about 2 hours after it comes
to the boil. When ready, material feels slippery and will part easily when
rubbed with gloved hands.
ï Wash cooked material carefully
and thoroughly, washing out soda and plant residue. Wash thru a terylene
bag or a garden seive until water is clear. Pour solution onto garden,
not in drain.
ï Beat material to separate fibres.
Use a wooden stick, a baseball bat or a cricket bat - beat one quater of
a bucket of cooked fibre to mush - this will take about an hour depending
on the plant's toughness. You can do this in a plastic bucket but make
sure it has a flat base.
Keep material wet by adding water
as you beat. A household blender may be used but don't overload it. (this
is what I do - and have wrecked a couple of blenders so buy an old one
to use!).
ï Blend a fistful of fibre at
a time, using plenty of water and 4 bursts of 30 seconds each, letting
the motor rest in between. Fibre has become pulp when a teaspoon full in
a glass of water becomes evenly dispersed when shaken and is slow to settle.
ï In your papermaking tub or vat
mix up most of the pulp with water until it is like thick soup. To make
it easier to write on, you can size it. A simple size can be made by a
paste of 2 heaped tablespoons of laundry starch with cold water. Pour 2
litres of boiling water over this until the mixture looks clear. Add this
to the pulp, mixing in well.
ï For scooping the pulp you will
need a mould and deckle to form the sheets of paper. and follow the normal
procedure for paper making (with felts and boards etc). These instructions
can be found on the net or may be worth buying a book on basic papermaking.
ï The surface of the finished
paper can be made more receptive to writing by rubbing with a smooth stone.
|
