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Hi all,
I am not sure if this strictly qualifies as PM but her work is amazing and very definitely qualifies as recycling defunct paper.
http://www.hl-web.net/
She is part of the new arts centre project here in Nottingham and her stuff is well worth a look.
Charlotte
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thanks for the link, hannahs work is amazing! i would love to know how she transforms paper into a block that is able to be turned.... the results are fantastic 
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Actually, I believe that was a common method in the heyday of PM. The key to success was PRESSURE. If you were to look at the presses that are used for papermaking, imagine stacks of paper within the press. I've even heard that many times they didn't even use adhesive, just paper, water and pressure. Then it was cut with a saw like lumber, and turned.
Sue
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That was what i was thinking..
I have a thing/tool here that you can use to make paper bricks for putting in the fire... soak paper in a bucket overnight and put it all the brick maker and squeeze the bejeezus out of it, take them out and leave to dry...
i was talking to hubby over dinner about it and wondered if i used the paper brick maker but after taking them out place the bricks between some melamine boards and clamp them together really tightly...
this is somethig i would love to try just for the experience
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Sounds a great idea, lets face it we experiment all the time with this medium and the joy of it is that we can still recycle the disasters in the paper skip when it fails.
I love Papiermache!
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Charlotte great site love the work.
As for pressing you could look out for an old apple press.
Im pretty sure you would find sites that explain how to make one I might go and look I'll let you know if I have any luck.
Sue.
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I think I have an old square flower press somewhere, that may do the trick, especially with the addition of a large G clamp in the centre to apply even pressure.
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A press would be cool to have. How do you make one? I made a slab to cut out butterfly wings, but it's all curvy and lumpy. I guess I need a press to keep it flat, but then it wouldn't get any air to dry. How do you press stuff and still allow it to dry?
I certainly like the mobile (item 4 in gallery 3). That's stunning! It's very graceful and peaceful.
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The simplest form of press is two sheets of wood with four holes drilled. One in each corner. Then each hole has a screw through it with a wing nut at the top. The only problem with this is that the pressure is applied from the edges (hence me postulating using a g clamp).
Sue's suggestion of an apple press is also a good one, they have a single screw down plate in the centre so that the pressure is applied evenly.
Of course if you are only flattening a few layers there is a good old fashioned method. My mum and I used to do this to press flowers when I was little.
Put the piece to be kept flat in between sheets of paper and then lift up the carpet in an area where people walk through regularly. Lay the sheets down and put back the carpet. Leave until the you think the piece has had enough flattening and remove from under the carpet. It worked a treat with flowers and we used to put them under the hall carpet by the front door. Lots of people walking over them there.
I will let you know how I get on with the press.
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Okay, but how does it dry while in the press? No air can get to it. Do you make a slab first, let dry, then press it? Or..... um... whut?
I can get plywood. I have a friend who can give me some 1/4 inch. I got a drill too. So, the only question is how does it dry?
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I have been thinking this over and you are right with very thin sheets there is not enough edge exposed to allow air drying. I would be inclined to use the press to see if you can pressure a fully dry (warped) sheet back into a flat sheet. It might be worth investigating how paper makers get their sheets to dry flat ( I think they use a mesh ).
have to say that I am planning to try this to produce largish blocks of solid paper that I can then carve into puppet heads. I am keen to get a grain finish similar to wood. As I plan to aim for blocks of about 2- 4 inches depth air drying is not a problem.
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Puppet heads! That's one thing I plan on doing, but am unsure of how to tackle this. Those will be fun though!
If I can pull this off, I'm gonna make more than one head for each character. This will allow for different expressions. There will be a sad face, a happy face, and whatever face, for each character.
You can do this too: For the hands, go to a second hand store and buy dolls. Amputate the hands and sew 'em onto the puppets. Used dolls run only about a dollar.
You can also build a stage and sets for it outta paper mache.
The whole thing is quite ambitious, but it can be done. All that's needed is a WHOLE LOTTA TIME! :shock:
Fisrt things first, though. I gotta get my sheet flat to cut butterfly wings out of it. I wanna make a mobile out of these -- a fairly easy project. So, press making, here I come!
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