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The basic steps of recycled handmade paper making process are
quite similar to those in large paper mills and these are
described below:-
SORTING & DUSTING The raw material, waste cotton
rags, is sorted by hand to remove foreign materials like
plastics, iron and dust etc. that would contaminate the
pulp.
RAG CHOPPING The sorted cotton rags are put
through a mechanized rag chopper that cuts the rags into
small uniform sized pieces. In the past this process was
done manually using a curved knife mounted on a wooden
board.
BEATING
Beating is the most important step in the handmade paper making process.
The chopped rags are converted into a fine pulp in a `
Hollander Beater’ by mixing water. Inert chemicals, like
rosin soap and alum are added to give the paper the desired
consistency and blot free characteristic. When making
colored and or textured papers, the color dyes and or
textured materials like straw, hemp, grass, silk and jute
fibers etc., are added during this process. The resulting
pulp is ready for sheet formation.
SHEET
FORMATION There are two methods of sheet formation which are being
used in India:-
DIPPING : Dipping is the traditional method.
In this method the pulp is transferred from the beater into
a masonry trough or vat. Depending on the thickness of the
paper required, the pulp is diluted by mixing it with water.
The mould, made of a wooden frame with a wire mesh or a
bamboo stick mat, is dipped by hand into the pulp. The frame
is then shaken side to side horizontally (this gives the
fiber cross linking pattern and strength a unique
characteristic of handmade paper) and lifted out of the vat.
A sheet of pulp is formed over the mould. This method
requires a skilled operator and is physically demanding.
LIFTING : Lifting is the modern method. This
method requires a less skilled operator and is physically
less demanding. It employs the use of a steel water tank
fitted with an apparatus to lift/lower the mould. The mould
is clamped between two wooden deckles (frames) in a water
tank. A measured quantity of the pulp (depending on the
thickness of the paper required) is poured evenly into the
mould. The mould is then shaken side to side horizontally
and then raised mechanically to drain excess water. A sheet
of pulp is formed over the mould which is taken out after
unclamping the frame.
COUCHING The wet paper sheet is then
transferred onto a cloth or a felt piece of fabric, a couch,
which acts as an interleaf separating the wet sheets.
PRESSING A manual/hydraulic press then squeezes out the excess
water from the sheets. This compresses the pulp adding
strength to the fiber and facilitating the drying process.
DRYING Each sheet is dried in the open air. For colored
papers drying in the shade, though slower, is preferred in
order to obtain uniform color on both sides of the sheet.
CLEANING & SIZING The sheets are then inspected for
unwanted foreign matter. Small particles and dirt are
removed manually with a sharp instrument. The cleaned sheets
may then be coated with starch in order to make them
blot-free.
CALENDERING Each sheet is placed between
metallic plates and passed through spring loaded rollers in
a calendering machine. This smoothens the paper and also
enhances the gloss.
CUTTING At this point the sheet still has a deckle edge. The
sheet may remain uncut if required by the customer. However,
typically, the sheets are machine cut to a standard
22"x30" or 56x76 cm. size and then packed for
shipment.
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