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Hi,
I have an idea for making a name plaque for my son. I want to make individual tiles with a raised letter on each.
I'm thinking of using squares of paper, layered to a suitable thickness to make the tiles. Then sand down the edges and add the letter using twists of newspaper. Then paint & varnish.
Do you think this would work or would paper mush formed in a rectangular mould work better for producing a tile?
Thanks.
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How thick do you want the tile?
I don't think I'd suggest making a solid tile. Not unless you had to make it with a pulp mache.
I'd suggest making the tile out of cardboard and the a layer of strip paper mache over that. (or, even simpler, just cut them out of wood?) ... If you want a thicker tile you don't have to make it solid. put a couple of spacers in between the top and bottom sheets of cardboard and then mache.
The problem I see is warping, which is why wood might be easier. (Or embrace it the warping and go with it.)
Anyone else have anti-warping secrets? Or other ideas?
-- Beth
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To help prevent warping, you could use several layers of corrugated cardboard glued together (lines going in alternate directions). When dry, coat both sides in diluted pva glue (50/50) and leave to dry thoroughly before starting to lay strips.
For the letters, you could glue on pieces of string then lay strips over the top. I have made endless name plates and have had no trouble with warping.
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'I have made endless name plates'??? Could that be very numerous or exceedingly long??? lol
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I was thinking about 1cm thick, I'm hoping for a chunky look.
I don't have access to bits of wood, I'm hoping to do this out of whatever I can get for free, but I like the idea & I'll keep my eye out for scraps for future projects.
I'll give the cardboard idea a try & let you know how I get on.
Thanks for some great ideas!
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I also second the use of cardboard to add your thickness. I am experimenting with this next week, but want to throw it out incase anyone has ever done this. For the letters, try use a hot glue gun and "write" your letters on the tile and then add paper strips over it to give it the dimension you are looking for. I am making some wall art and for the raised design on it, I was going to try this and make the designs with hot glue since it dries very quickly and hard. Good luck!
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thanks trixy - do you have facebook? I'd love to see your results when you're done.
Anyone want to add me, just put "papier mache" in the message so I know you're a real person ;-) & search for kotinka kay.
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I was looking for something in the garage and ran across a sheet of metal, and thought about this thread. If you happened to have access to a sheet of stiff metal about the right size, you could PM over it and the metal should prevent it from warping.
Sue
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Kotinka - I'll post pics and show you when I'm done. I just need to get off my lazy butt and make some pulp so I can get started.
Oh, that's a great idea, Sue!
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I like Jackie's idea of multiple cardboard layers.
For letters I've actually had luck just cutting out cardboard letters and adding cardboard strips for dimension. 
I didn't use multiple contrasting layers of cardboard, so the backing of the sign did warp ... but I'm ok with it. Warped Halloween is fine with me.
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I'm getting conflicting advice from some of my reading on using a mold. In my internet search, I've seen where a releasing agent is placed on the "outside" of a bowl before applying paper mache, but I just finished reading in the 'The Art and Craft of Papier Mache' by Juliet Bawden to use the "inside" of the mold. She does address using the outside, but advises that for a more advanced person who will cut the paper mache off and rejoin it subsequently.
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Well, it depends firstly on the shape of the bowl. If it is a simple rounded shape, broader at the rim than the base, laminating on the outside will produce a result that will lift off easily (provided you haven't stuck it to the bowl!!). The smoothest surface should be the one next to the bowl itself.
Remember that the laminate will shrink according to the amount of moisture you use. If you laminate on the inside, it may distort as it dries. One method is to overlap the laminate onto the outside of the bowl for a couple of centimeters, cutting this flange off when releasing it. This helps keep the shape.
You should only need to cut and rejoin the laminate when you are making complex shapes.
I am finding that the brown paper Amazon tends to use as filler packaging is really ideal for laminating - strong but very malleable when slightly moist with the paste, which it absorbs easily.
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"The smoothest surface should be the one next to the bowl itself."
David didn't elaborate, but this may be important to you. Which side of your papier mache (PM) bowl will be the most visible for your intended use, the inside or the outside? If you want a smooth outside, applying your PM to the inside of the bowl may be best. But as David said, as it dries, it will pull away and may warp if you don't fasten it to the rim as he said.
The material the mold bowl is made from may determine if you need to use a release: many adhesives don't stick to plastic very well, so you may not need anything if that is the material you're working on. Glass, metal or wood will need a release.
If you want to use the outside of the bowl, you might have to cut it loose, which I don't consider a huge problem: just cut a seam down one side of the bowl until you can release it (don't cut the bowl in half!), then use either more PM strips to fasten it back together (inside and out), or more pulp, or if it's thick enough, just glue.
The more moisture you add to your PM, the more it will shrink as it dries, so use as little as you can. Wetter is NOT better. The more it shrinks, the more likely the PM will pull apart, either with strips or pulp. Use the least amount of water, and press or burnish the PM as you apply it. Take your time and smooth it down firmly for best results.
If you want to do a large bowl, try a small one first, as an experiment. Use a similar material as what you will be using on the larger one (plastic, glass, metal, wood, whatever). Not only will you get a feel for what you're doing, you'll learn what works and what doesn't.
Sue
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I just came across a beautiful PM bowl by multi-media artist, Debra Ganz while browsing the Etsy site. She notes that she used Japanese rice paper and rice paste in creating her layers. I did a bit of research and apparently it incorporates rice flour, sugar, oil of cinnamon and water and can be stored out of the refrigerator for months
My question is simply as to if others here have used rice paste in their own work and what, if at all, is the difference from some of the more common white flour recipes
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