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This information is reprinted from the Beginner Topics
column of Hand Papermaking Newsletter #74 (April, 2006).
To learn how to order Hand Papermaking bi-annual magazine
and quarterly newsletter, click
here.
Couching and Felts
After you make a sheet of paper, you need to couch
(pronounced “cooch”) it -- or transfer it -- to another
surface. You can lay the sheets one on top of the other,
with interleaving felts, forming a pile called a post. The
surface you use as a couching stand should be waterproofed
or covered with plastic sheeting because it will get wet.
You might need to protect your floor too.
A post of paper is very wet, heavy, and can easily be
damaged if it is not properly supported. In most cases, you
will need to transport your post of paper to a press or
drying area, so you will need to couch onto a portable
surface -- such as a waterproofed board, or a piece of
stainless steel or galvanized metal sheeting -- not directly
onto your work table. You can also couch into a tray with a
lip (like a cafeteria tray or a baking sheet) -- this will
also collect excess water, which you can pour off from time
to time. You can even couch directly onto your bottom press
board, if you are using a press. Some papermakers couch
directly onto their drying surface, such as interfacing or
boards.
With most papermaking styles, you will transfer your
sheets to felts as you make them, freeing up the mould and
deckle so that you can form more sheets. Traditionally, wool
felts were used. Papermaking “felts” are woven, but they
have the texture and surface of real felts, which are
matted. The term “felt” is often used by papermakers to
refer to any couching material. If you use true felts, you
will most likely have a problem with them losing their shape
and not holding up over time.
Old woolen army blankets make great felts, and you can
often find them at second-hand shops. If you live near a
commercial papermill, you might ask if they have any old
commercial felts, which you could cut up and use.
Non-fusible interfacing, available at fabric stores is an
excellent lightweight material that works well as a felt
substitute. It comes in different weights -- I like the
extra-heavy weight. There are even ground covering materials
(for weed prevention) which work well, and papermaking
suppliers also carry an assortment of couching materials.
Other materials you can try include old bedding and
newspapers (test first, to see if the ink bleeds).
Your felts should be cut to approximately two inches
larger than the sheets of paper that will be couched onto
them, and small enough to fit into your press. For larger
operations, felts can be cut to accommodate more than one
sheet each.
Portions excerpted from The Papermaker’s Companion,
c 2000, with permission from Storey Publishing <www.storey.com>.
Copyright 2006 Hand Papermaking, Inc.
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