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papermaking FAQs |
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1. Why do you put this information up here? 2. How do you make paper from plants? 3. How can I learn to make paper? Are there good beginner’s sites? 4. Why do you make paper from plants rather than from recycle paper? 5. What is sizing? How do you use it? 6. What is a “Critter”? Who makes them? 7. What plants do you use to make paper? 8. I live in a city. Where can I get plants to make paper? 9. Are there any plants that will not make paper? 10. What are the best plants for someone just beginning to work with natural fiber? 11. Can paper be made with silk? nylon? wool? 12. Do you have to use green plants or can you use dried? 13. What chemicals do you use for cooking the plant material? 15. What is bast? 16. Where can I find other people who are interested in papermaking from plants? 17. What is gunk? 19. What do you use to bleach pulp? 20. How long will plant pulp last? 21. Can you freeze or dry pulp? 22. What are good books on making paper from plants? 23. What is "hmp"? 24. How do you make paper from horse (cow, llama, etc.) dung? 25. How do you know when to use lye and when to use soda ash? 26. Where can I find Argo Gloss Laundry Starch? ---------- 1. Why do you put this information up here? To share information with others. ---------- 2. How do you make paper from plants? Quick answer: Plant material is cut or chopped and cooked with a chemical to soften the fibers and to remove undesirable material. It is then washed and beaten to break down and separate the fibers, forming a pulp. The pulp is stirred into a vat of water making a slurry. Using a screen, sheets are pulled from the slurry and dried to form paper. ---------- 3. How can I learn to make paper? Are there good beginner’s sites? The best way to begin papermaking is to use recycled paper. The results are faster, easier and more consistent. Once you’ve mastered pulling paper from recycled pulp, then move on to using plants, if you want. To find sites that offer instructions online for making recycled paper, use the Google search engine and type “recycle papermaking” in the search bar. To find other papermaking sites, check the Papermaking links page on this site. ---------- 4. Why do you make paper from plants rather than from recycled material? Personal preference. ---------- A substance (Hercon, laundry starch, etc.) added to the pulp or applied externally to paper to prevent the “blotter effect” that can occur when writing on handmade paper with a flowing ink pen. ---------- 6. What is a “Critter”? Who makes them? A Hollander beater (paper pulp making machine) designed and built by Mark Lander. Critters come in various sizes suitable for casual hobbyists, production papermakers and teachers. I can highly recommend both the machine and its maker. Click here to contact Mark for additional information. Also, the Hollander beater group on Yahoo is an excellent resource. ---------- 7. What plants do you use to make paper? See the Botanical list page. ---------- 8. I live in a city. Where can I get plants to make paper? The grocery produce section (corn shucks, trimmings); florists (stalks and leaves); neighbors’ flowerbeds; arboretums (trimmings, dead materials); vacant lots*; highway right-of-way**. * always ask ** consult your local state or county highway department for regulations ---------- 9. Are there any plants that will not make paper? Yes (i.e. Autumn sedum, Peruvian daffodils), but there are far more than will make paper than won’t. ---------- 10. What are the best plants and plant materials for someone just beginning to work with natural fiber? Leaves with veins that run from base to tip (i.e. Siberian iris, daffodil, bearded iris). ---------- 11. Can you make paper from silk? nylon? wool? No. These may be used as inclusions, but paper is made from material containing cellulose. ---------- 12. Do you have to use green plants or can you use dried? Either. ---------- 13. What chemicals do you use for cooking the plant material? Soda ash (sodium carbonate), lye, wood ash water. ---------- A grocery store (Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, NOT the Arm &Hammer Laundry Detergent); pool and hot tub supply houses as a pH up chemical. ---------- The plant material that is between the outer bark and the stalk of a plant or the trunk of a tree. ---------- 16. Where can I find other people who are interested in papermaking? The Papermaking list on Yahoo. ---------- The non-technical term I use for non-fibrous material that must be washed out of cooked plants before they are processed into pulp. ---------- 1) When working with a new plant, just to see what is under the plant’s normal color; 2) to alter the color of a pulp and make it more usable for a specific purpose. ---------- 19. What do you use to bleach pulp? Either chlorine bleach or commercial strength hydrogen peroxide. . ---------- 20. How long will plant pulp last? Depending on the pulp, from one to three months if refrigerated. ---------- 21. Can you freeze or dry pulp? Yes, though occasionally rehydrating specific pulps can be difficult. . ---------- 22. What are good books on making paper from plants? The Papermaker's Companion - Helen Hiebert ISBN# 1-58017-200-8 Papermaking with Plants - Helen Hiebert ISBN# 1-58017-087-0 Plant Fibers for Papermaking - Lilian A. Bell (out of print but occasionally available as a used book) ---------- Handmade paper. ---------- 24. How do you make paper from horse (cow, llama, etc.) dung? (You would be surprised how often this question is asked.) If dung is dry, soak overnight. Place in a pillowcase or paint strainer bag and wash thoroughly with a hose. Cook in soda ash for about 2 hours. Rinse well, run through a kitchen blender, and use as you would any other pulp. ---------- 25. How do you know when to use lye and when to use soda ash? Over time, you gain a sense of this, though that sense isn't infallible. Bell's and Hiebert's books (listed above) contain information on the chemicals used to break down various plants. If you can't find those books or if the plant isn't listed, do a web search on the plant name along with lye, then repeat that for soda ash. You may find conflicting information. If you do or if you can't find any information, try soda ash first. If the plant material doesn't break down in 2-3 hours, lye would have been a better choice. ---------- 26. Where can I find Argo Gloss Laundry Starch? The only place I know that handles it is the Kidron Town and Country Store in Kidron, Ohio. (The link will take you to the page where you can order Argo Starch.) ---------- |
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