How to Make Paper
The roots, leaves, and stems of plans are composed of cellulose fibers. By utilizing the strength, firmness, and natural bonding tendency of these fibers we are able to make paper. Learning how to make paper begins with knowing where to acquire cellulose fibers. Aside from things that grow, bamboo, stumps, moss, cornhusks, and even seaweed cellulose fibers can be extracted from existing paper.
The length and number (millions) of applied fibers contribute to the strength and texture of the produced paper. When dry, the self-bonding of the cellulose fibers presents a strong, stable surface (some stronger than others). But water acts as a loosening agent. Wet paper is easily torn; and if so desired, wet paper can be rearranged into new paper.
Before making paper, determine your paper design.
- Strength: long fibers, usually found in wrapping paper, good writing paper, and brown paper bags produce strong papers. Recycled tissues, comic books, newspapers, and paperbacks do not make for strong paper.
- Color: newspapers and the likes that already contain written text will create gray paper. If using these stocks for white paper, first cut out and around any inked components.
- Materials: large container, fiber source (newspaper, onionskin, paper towels, or other), wire screen, mixer, rolling pin, corn starch, food coloring, any other colorful paper scraps of interest, and water. For an aid to cleaning, you may also acquire a metal backing plate.
How to make paper: Step 1: begin by making pulp. Select your fiber source. Tear it into small strips. Place the strips into the container. Add water. Let this soak for several minutes, and then drain away the excess water. Add about one tablespoon of starch. Blend the mixture into a thick soup appearance. (For smaller projects, use a small jar with a lid. Mix by vigorous shaking).
Step 2: lay the screen wire over the metal backing plate. Pour the fiber mixture onto the screen. Spread evenly. Using the rolling pin, squeeze out excess pulp mixture, flatten and thin the paper. Step 3: spread out a layer of dry newspaper. Carefully peel the wet, new paper off of the screen. Lay it out on the dry newspaper. Permit through drying; overnight is best. Step 4: clean up. Water goes in the sink. Excess pulp goes in the wastebasket.Extend your experiments:
- Combine materials: determine how various fibers work together.
- Create designer paper: try colored napkins, comic strips, or candy wrappers. Maybe create some sparkle paper by including some fine traces of aluminum foil.
- Pulping methods: compare blending to shaking to stirring.
- Varying additives: leave out the starch, include some salt.
- Comparing fibers: before blending, use a magnifying lens to study the fiber as it floats in the water. Determine which recyclables are most dense.
