Paper Casting

Lesson: Paper Casting

·         Tear your source paper into small pieces (approx. 1”) and soak in hot water to loosen the fibers.

·         Soak for at least 20min, longer for stiffer/thicker papers. You want the paper to feel like it will fall apart when you pick it up.

·         Place your soaked paper in the blender. Add a little water and blend.

·         If the paper isn’t blending well, add more water until you can get a puree.

o   Our blender is normal cooking size so you will make enough puree for several smaller pieces.

·         Once the paper is pulped completely- you shouldn’t have pieces of paper left, just mush- strain out most of the excess water.

·         You can place your pulp in a cheese cloth or fine mesh colander lined with coffee filters or paper towels if it is especially liquid.

·         You usually do not need to spray mold release for paper casting

·         Place some of the pulp into your mold.

·         Tap against the counter to settle the pulp.

·         Place a towel over the pulp and press down on it- compressing the pulp in the mold and wicking away the moisture.

·         Repeat until the mold is full and the pulp is tightly compressed.

o   If you are having trouble with the layers separating, either the pulp is too dry (add water) or not blended enough.

·         Let dry- depending on the thickness of the casting this can be anywhere from a couple hours to a day.

·         Demold and let sit for a couple hours. This makes sure that the areas deepest in the mold are cured as well.

Working with the castings:

·         You can’t do too much finishing work on the paper as it starts to fray and soften at the edges. If you do need to trim the casting, use an sharp Xacto or scissors to remove any flashing.

·         If you want more flexibility in your castings, mix in some Elmer’s glue or PVC glue (archival bookbinding glue) into the pulp.

·         You can (slowly and gently) drill the paper castings. The small nuts and bolts, tube rivets, and grommets are really good for connecting. You can use cord, chain or jump rings through the holes in the grommets or tube rivets. The protection of the metal around the hole helps to prevent fraying and the connection coming loose as the paper softens at the stress point.

·         For colors, it is best to use paper that is the color you want. Remember that since you are blending the paper, if you want multi-tone casting, blend the colors individually and mix together after straining the pulp.