How to make mold and deckle at home?

Mold and deckle are essential pieces of equipment for the hand papermaking process. You can purchase it from an online store, but if you follow a budget plan, you can create one at home. Homemade mould and deckle may look ugly, but do the same job as you got after spending money. 

In western style paper making, a hand mold and deckle are simply two separate frames of the same size. One has some sort of screening attached, while the other stays loose. When the deckle is laid on top of the mold, it forms the edge of a piece of paper. 

Let’s learn how to make one at home.

Supplies required

• Two picture frames of the same size
• Hardware Cloth or a stiff wire mesh
• Aluminium Window screening
• Foam Weatherstrip Tape
• Staple gun & staples (Use hammer and nails alternatively) 
• Duct Tape 
• Wire cutters 
• A scissor

First, apply polyurethane to seal the Frame. 

If your frames are in bad condition and their joints are jerky, seal them using polyurethane adhesives available at online stores or purchase them from a paint shop.   

Sealing the wood frames with polyurethane has to be done as a first step. 

Step 1 Screening 

Place the hardware cloth on one of the picture frames and cut it down. Make sure the fabric is a little larger than the Frame so you can easily apply staples to it. Also, repeat this procedure for the window screen. 

Step 2 Stapling the screen onto Frame. 

Set the cut pieces of cloth and window screen on the flat side of the Frame. Make sure the cloth and screen sides hang equally from all sides of the Frame. So you can staple the pins. 

Start stapling from the four edges and moving towards each side’s centre. 

STEP 3: Trimming 

It’s the most crucial step to be done with extra care.  

Using a wire cutter, trim the extra wires of the screen that may hurt you. Also, cut the sides of the cloth to give your mold a neat look. 

Step 4: waterproofing 

Apply Duct Tape to all sides of the Frame, including the edges. It has to be done very neatly, leaving the interior edges of the Frame.  

Wow! The Frame looks better after applying the Duct Tape and is ready to help press, shape, and mold your DIY paper. Let’s move toward the next step. 

Step 5. Apply foam tape to other Frame 

Hold the other Frame with your hand so it doesn’t move when you apply polyether foam tape, polyether tape, and self-adhesive weather seal on all sides of the Frame. Ensure that you use duct tape on the non-flat side of the Frame (back side of the Frame). It creates quite a tight seal and prevents pulp from leaking out between the mould & deckle when you’re forming sheets. 

That’s it. Your mold and deckle are ready to be used in homemade paper making.

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