Tom Ferguson (tomf2468@pipeline.com)
Mon, 08 Mar 1999 09:14:00 -0800
I have one direct question (for jewelia or anyone else) and few comments to
jewelia's posting on paper / hand made paper. My hand made paper
experience is, admittedly, limited.
My question is in using "Washi" or "Kozo" paper in alt work. I have only
tried the samples available through local art stores. They are all (I
believe this is typical for these papers) very light weight. No more than
typing paper. About 24lbs (or 90g/meter square). We have to keep Luis
happy and metric you know ;-)
When I've tried to coat and print anything larger than 4x5 on these papers,
they distort (become "wavy"). A dry mount press will not flatten large
print to a usable (by me) degree.
Last weekend I was at Bergamont Station in Santa Monica California. A
Japanese paper company now has an outlet there. They had much heavier
paper for sale. Something (poverty??) stopped me from buying. I want to
be able to print at least 11x14 inch. Is heavier Washi the answer. Or, am
I doing something wrong with the more standard light weight material?
jewelia <jewelia@erols.com> wrote
>SNIP>you can buy machine-made, mould-made, and hand-made western
>papers. of these hand-made makes the strongest <SNIP>
With an experience person using a hollander beater this is absolutely true.
Myself, and a blender....... WRONG! As jewelia pointed out, you can
buy/pay someone else to do the hollander beating (as I now do). You'll
make much better paper, but I admit it seems to take some of the craft out
of the process.
>some of our processes-- more than others are --at least from
>one perspective-- seem trapped on a white cotton surface these
>days--mostly for somewhat assumed archival purposes<SNIP>
jewelia (or others), do you know of any reasonable priced source of high
quality non cotton alt friendly papers. After my own (beginner quality)
experiments, I would love to experiment with quality made flax paper, hemp
paper, abaca paper, "western" style papers.
>to hydrate you would use a blender, paint stir, or a whiz
>(i call 'em whiz-bangs---which sounds more like this method)
>a whiz costs a little more than $500 and looks something
>like a hybrid commercial mashed potato mixer and electric
>trolling motor operated generally in a house size plastic/rubber
> garbage can or some other tub <SNIP>
Have anyone actually used a whiz? Do they only work on "half stuff" or
will they process true fiber? Can they be used for small qualities (or
only full garbage cans worth)? How does the finished paper compare to a
Hollander beaten sheet?
>once drained it is turned over onto a felt and the sheet
>is transferred to the felt with a little pressure and then
>lifting usually from the far edge--this is not a hard process
>in western paper -- a few trys with a coach and you will be
>fine on your own <SNIP>
OK jewelia, I liked you up until that sentence ;-( This to me is the
HARDEST part of paper making. I ruin way too many sheets trying to get the
&#%^*% things from the mold to the couching sheets!
>2 types of molds--laid and wove---laid leaves a pronounced
> pattern that most alt photographers probably wouldn't
>like--most of "our" papers are wove papers. <SNIP>
Just a note that laid papers should be experimented with more. They can be
wonderful!
Tom
tomf2468@pipeline.com
http://www.thefstop.com/tf.html
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