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Hello my favorite papier-mache friends, sorry for my long absence. I never really understand why I get away from doing papier-mache. I am so happy when I get back to it.
I think part of the reason I stopped was because I was doing so many 'fiddly' projects. I decided when I started again this time I would start with something over-the-top simple.
So, I decided to make myself a papier-mache chalkboard since I needed one anyway and it would be as simple and to thick pieces of cardboard papier-mached together and painted with chalkboard paint.
Since I am still super new at papier-mache I thought it was best to come to you wise ones with a few questions before I get a head of myself. 
1. How many layers do you think a project like this will need? I am using brown paper bag and white office paper.
2. Is a fan a good thing in the room in promoting drying, or do you think it will dry everything to quickly and warp the cardboard?
3. Do you think Spackle is the best way to make this project smooth or do you think it is better to finish with a layer of some other paper instead?
Thanks so much for your help! I'd be lost with you guys.
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How large are you intending it to be? Usually, the larger it is, the thicker it should be, to avoid flexing.
For what will be the painted surface, I would use the largest pieces of paper available. You will have to see how many layers looks right. At least three or four layers, I would think.
A fan is the IDEAL way to dry PM. I causes air to flow over and past the piece, moving moisture along with it. Heat tends to cause more warpage than regular room temperature.
I would try to get the surface as smooth as possible when laying the paper down, so you will only have to do minimal surface preparation. I haven't used enough Spackle to know how it works on large flat surfaces.
Actually, I would make a small board first, and go through all the processes as a test, if the main piece is to be quite large. If you want to use Spackle, you may have to thin it, and apply it very quickly.
Let us know what works if you can.
Sue
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Like Sue says making a chalk board will have inherent problems depending on your sizes. Like with stretching a frame for a painting, the bigger you go the more support you will need. You may need to form frame with cross bracing if you intend it to be bigger than a4.
I don't know if going out and scrounging sheet polystyrene would help but that might stop some warping
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I'm going to be a philistine. I think that creating a smooth writing surface with PM will be difficult and very laborious. At the same time, you want something lighter and cheaper than wood board.
Why not get a very thin sheet of ply or MDF and then glue layers of corrugated cardboard to the back, using paper laminate to bind and strengthen the edges.
I've made headboards this way. We have one that looks like jigsaw pieces. I routed grooves and painted each shape a different colour. The whole thing is light, strong and cost a few pence (dimes?)
DavidO
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That's a pretty good idea, David.
I was thinking about this after I posted, and I am wondering just how flat a surface you're likely to get with that much moisture involved. The larger the flat area, the more obvious the flaw, I'm thinking.
Sue
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I actually had already started the base on cardboard before I posted this *blush*
I am not really worried about getting the surface very smooth. I love all the bumps and personality papier-mache has. I thought it would be more fun this way so it looked a little more 'folk'.
I started with a few layers of torn paper, and now I am trying to put on bigger pieces as per CatPerson suggestion. I could get spoiled by doing papier-mache this way. It goes so fast!
So far, so good. Now if I could just force myself to put the time in to get it finished already. *grins*
Last edited by butterbee (2008-07-19 13:36:23)
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I'm replying to Sue about the wetness. If applying corrugated card to the back of a thin manmade board, you need very little moisture. You can dribble neat PVA over one of the surfaces and spread it thin. I notch the edge of an old credit card to use as the spreader. Press the two together with gentle pressure. You can build up as many layers of cardboard as you want and then trim the edges with a saw.
For the laminating over the edges, use paste as sparingly as possible so any moisture is minimal. Any distortion is very unlikely.
David
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When I worked in the trade show exhibit business, we used an undiluted type of white glue to apply fabric to large panels that were made from styrofoam covered on both sides with 'skins' made from a wood/plastic composite.
We applied the glue with paint rollers as quickly as we could, positioned the fabric and smoothed it down. We still got a certain amount of warpage (in the form of a large curve), even though the surfaces were part plastic. We had to wait until the moisture wicked out of that side of the board before we could turn it over and do the same to the back, or the fabric on the second side would wrinkle as it dried and returned to being flat.
My worry about Butterbee's chalk board was what might happen if she used diluted white glue, or applied several layers at once.
This also got me to thinking what the early chalk boards looked like. If they had such things in the 1880s or 1900, I suspect they looked a bit 'rustic', too.
Let us know how your idea turns out, Butterbee. I don't think there has been much work on large flat surfaces in PM, on this board or anywhere else, so your chalkboard may well be PM scientific history in the making! ;-)
Sue
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Sue is right about the warping. I have certainly experienced this. I have overcome this by surfacing both sides, one immediately after the other. That may not always be possible of course.
One way is to laminate only the main area of the side, not overlapping the edges. The piece can then be stood up on end, keeping it as upright as possible. The other way, if it can be managed, is to drill a couple of holes and suspend it during the drying period.
A third possibility is to surface the main area of one side but to put weights on the ends and sides so that it cannot really distort. Then, when dry, to do the same to the other side.
At the moment I have a 4 foot by 2 foot, 3/4" thick polystyrene sheet covered all over with thin pulp to create an incised Celtic cross. There is no distortion at all.
DavidO
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Well, this has been a learning experience for sure. I am having fun though and it looks like it will turn out in the end ok. I've learned the importance of making sure the paper you are using is torn or it just won't stick!
It is not flat for sure, it did get a little too damp when I was trying to get the straight edged pieces to stick (which of course they never did.) I like it now, but I figure I'll weight it down at the end to see if I can straighten it out a bit. Either way I won't be disappointed.
It does look like a fun surface to paint a painting on, I might make another one after this and see how that goes.
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Sometimes the projects that look simple end up taking the most time.
I'm glad it turned out to your satisfaction.
Sue
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i am not exactly sure how to embed photos in this forum so here is a link to a photo of the final product.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3199/291 … 7053cf.jpg
I've pretty much finished painting it! I think it turned out really well.The picture really doesn't do it justice since I am better at papier-mache than I am at digital photography. (Not that it says much! )
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It looks pretty good to me.
Charlotte
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It looks good to me, too. When I did a PM project years ago that was large and flat, it warped quite badly. I ended up using it as a kind of stepping stone in a mud hole... until it composted into the ground.
Sue
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