Upgrade to 20" squares

The set of equipment I had been working with to make paper was about 9"x16". I made some great sheets of paper, but found that the aspect ratio was all wrong. I could get one nice 9" sheet, but then I'd have to basically junk the rest of the sheet.

Solution: Build a square set of equipment... and why not upgrade to 20" while I'm at it?!?

  

Here you can see the 20x20 deckle and screen frame just about to get its first batch of pulp. This is of course all made from scrap wood I found laying around the garage, leftover from a previous project. We didn't have a 20" square rubber maid bin to work in, so I made my own.. mocked up from some scrap lumber and a sheet of plastic, as I had seen in photos of the Orgamido studio. This is several advantages. One is it's cheap and easy, and thats for me. I have enough expensive hobbies to soak up any available money!

Here's the first sheet that measures about 19" square drying on the flannel blotters on the kitchen floor. shortly thereafter it was transferred to a drying rack.

Since my wife, Beth, helped me to patiently with the first pull, we made a second pull just for her. We pulped white kraft paper, and she creatively used shards of pink paper sprinkled about, and green cake decorating sprinkles which soaked tiny green spots into the pulp.

Aside from needing to acquire a new set of 20" blotters, I'd say this setup gets a thumbs up! Looking forward to wet folding this one!

First try with Denim

I started out this evening thinking I'd attempt to make stronger paper with longer fibers from denim. Thats right, scraps of old jeans. I cut up a handful of 1" squares, soaked them in water, then tossed them in the blender.

The result was a nice soft even pulp. As it passed through my fingers it tended to clump up, so I added white Kraft paper to the mix. This seemed to disperse the cotton a bit and reduced clumping.

I pulled a sheet using only 1/2 cup of pulp to see how it performed. It turned out quite thin. I ended up coating with Methyl Cellulose in the end to stiffen the paper up. We'll see what we can fold with that.

Next I pulled a sheet with almost 2 cups of pulp. I had wet folding in mind when I did this, and I knew 2 cups would be about the limit. The paper did turn out quite thick.I can't wait to try a mask or something else as soft and curvy!

 

Folding do it yourself "Duo" paper

"Duo" paper is simply dual colored paper- one color on the front, another color on the back. Store bought origami papers are colored with ink which can fade and break down over time. Using Methyl Cellulose, it is quite simple to glue one color of high quality paper to another.. making your color and paper choices limitless. Here are a few examples I've folded recently:

"Great White Shark" by Quentin Trollip.

Folded from a 9" square of 

Grey and White "Duo" paper.

"Border Collie" by Quentin Trollip.

Folded from a 9" square of

Black and White "Duo" paper.

One major point I'd like to make is that rich colors may bleed into the other! When making the Black and White Duo, I had trouble with the white becoming almost as jet black as the Black lokta. I overcame this problem by giving each sheet a thin coat of MC and letting them dry individually. Next, I brushed a thin coat on the white and pressed it to the black, and left to dry.

That's all for tonight. Happy Folding!

Starching Origami Paper

There are several reasons why you'd want to starch paper for folding... also a couple of different ways to do it. Starch makes your paper stiffer so it creases great for detailed or complex models, and can be used to glue two colors together to make "duo" paper (Not Foil!).
I start out with 1tbsp of cornstarch dissolved in about 2 cups or water over heat until it begins to boil, simmering/stirring for about 15-20 minutes. After the mixture cools, I put it into a spray bottle to be misted evenly onto my target.
I use a 2ftx2ft sheet of lexan I had laying around, though many people use glass. The lexan has the added benefit of being SAFE to move about in a house with small children. I spray the lexan down first, then carefully lay my Lokta or other paper out being careful not to get wrinkles. I spray more starch on top until the fibers are evenly soaked. The next thing I do is cover the paper in plastic wrap, then use a rolling pin to carefully push the bubbles and excess starch out of the paper. I remove the plastic wrap and the paper begins to dry.

I suppose you could leave it out for about 8 hours to dry in the open air, but I am way too impatient for that! I set the edge of the lexan on the floor and lean it up against the wall over a hot air duct from the house heating system. I don't see why you couldn't also use a hair dryer if you were motivated enough. In about 10 minutes the paper is usually dry to the touch, and peels off the lexan very nicely.
The result of this process is a crispy-stiff sheet of paper that is glass smooth on one side (the bottom) and paper textured on top.
If you read Michael LaFosse's "Advanced Origami" book, you will note that he recommends using a starch called Methyl Cellulose in place of corn or wheat starches. The MC works in much the same way as cornstarch, but it requires no heat and must be left to dissolve for 4-12 hours. Corn or wheat have the disadvantage of growing mold and other microbes which eventually can cause deterioration in the paper. A bottle of MC powder will run you about $20 at a good artist supply store or online. This is a purified chemical that does not deteriorate paper, and is commonly used in document preservation for archives.
So far I have found that the the corn starch makes the paper stiffer for creasing, where the MC is a bit more flexible. The preservation qualities of the MC are not something I'm quite worried about yet! I don't really consider my origami to be a fine work of art that should last generations. Right now its all about paper texture- and for the price, I'll stick with cornstarch for all but my very best work.