Bob wrote:
>I'm teaching an intro botany course this semester and am considering having
>the students make paper (to sort of tie into the local economy--it's either
>paper, cheese, or beer and paper seemed the easiest). Has anyone tried
>this before? Any sources, suggestions or warnings?
I used to do papermaking when I worked for the Maryland Science Center. We
made recycled paper from office paper and construction paper. There are
also sources for 'virgin' pulp. (I got mine in Madison WI, but I don't
have the address on me.) We tore the paper into pieces that were less than
1 square inch and sprinkled them into a blender. Fill the blender no more
than half way with paper and bring it to the top with water. Macerating
paper is tough on a blender. We were definately low tech and low budget,
so we used $2 flea market blenders. We blended several gallons of pulp
daily, and a blender usually lasted at least one summer. Our deckles were
wood frames made from scrap lumber and covered with window screen. They
worked great.
Dilute the pulp in a dish tub, dip the deckle in (screen-side up) and then
lift it straight up. Let the excess water drain off and lay the deckle
(paper-side down) onto a cloth (piece of an old sheet). Cover the paper
with another piece of cloth, stick it into the middle of a stack of
newspaper, and roll it with a rolling pin. Carefully peel the cloth back
off of the paper. You can hang the paper to dry or iron it (with a $1 flea
market iron). The more dilute your pulp, the finer the paper you will
make. There are a variety of finishing techniques you can use. Rubbing
with a spoon produces a smooth, burnished paper, starch will stiffen it
etc. If you want to incorporate leaves, pressed flowers or whatever into
your paper, do that as you lift the deckle out of the plup before you roll
it. I have a beautiful piece of fine art from Africa that is handmade
paper with pressed flowers.
I have done this with people of all ages from pre-school on up. Older
folks got a kick out of looking at a drop of pulp under the microscope.
You can see the individual fibers. There are higher tech supplies
available, but at a science museum we tend to limit their use. The general
public is less intimidated when you use everyday household items for
teaching science.
Some of my Botany students do this as part of their semester project, and
they enjoy it. It looks messier than it really is, but it does involve a
lot of water. The younger your audience, the more they love it. Have fun!
Elaine
Elaine M. Shea
Biology Department Phone: 410-617-2058
Loyola College FAX: 410-617-2646
4501 N. Charles St. email: shea at loyola.edu
Baltimore, MD 21210
