How do I tighten the paper on a Shoji screen?
Im quite happy with my pine batten and tracing paper shoji screen, except for when humidity climbs up to 50% plus, then the tracing paper sections start to sag.
During summer it stays tight as a drum for pretty much the entire season, but winter is a different story altogether and the sagging paper panels isn't quite the look I was going for.
Any ideas?
During summer it stays tight as a drum for pretty much the entire season, but winter is a different story altogether and the sagging paper panels isn't quite the look I was going for.
Any ideas?
7
answers
|
Answer it!
|
sort by:
active |
newest |
oldest
Skip the paper altogether and replace it with a lightweight fabric that resembles paper. It'll stretch tighter without ripping, and be more durable in general. The screen looks great, BTW.
Aug 5, 2010. 11:07 AMRe-design
says:
I agree. If you tighten the paper in humid conditions when it is dry it will rip.
What happens if you spray a laquer on them ? Do they go transparent ?
This was my first thought on the matter and I tried it out on a test piece, disaster, went all saggy and clear virtually like a window pane. I didnt want to imagine what the finished article would have looked like dried. :)
seems the best, although most expensive way to go. How would you attach the fabric to the wood? staples wouldn't really do it for me.
Technically, if the paper is "real" shoji paper - or "washi" - you can mist it with water and let it air dry over 2-3 days - that will usually tighten it up. If you need something really tough, you could replace what you have with bonded papers that have a PVC backing. Using cloth is a bit of a PITA and it's difficult to bond it to the kumiko (slats) without it sagging and pulling - cloth is almost never used unless it it backed by something. You might want to check out eshoji.com for more information on papers - it's where I buy the papers I use for my projects. I've been very happy with their pricing and service.
 |
