Introduction: Paper Panel

Paper Panel is a way to design your own space.

By endlessly puzzling 2 different elements together, you get a panel that can be used as a room divider, as well as for privacy protection, silencer, light separation, children's game... or maybe just as a piece of art.

Attachments

Supplies

Material:

  • 1 newspaper
  • 10 tbsp of corn starch
  • +/-10 l of water

Tools:

  • Lasercutter (rent/lend)
  • The 3 files you see on this page
  • Drill
  • Nuts and Bolts
  • Spatula
  • Big bin (yellow rectangle in picture)
  • Strainer
  • Ketel (and fire)
  • Bucket with water
  • (Towel)
  • (Something to protect your floor)
  • (instant) Glue

Step 1: Making the Paperpulp

First of all, if you want to make just paper pulp. This step will do for you.

If you want to make the paper panel, follow all the steps. You should then first download the 3 files and go lasercut them were you can. When you're there, also buy one additional plate per document. In step 2 you can see why.

Starting with setting up all your equipment.

  • Big bin
  • Bucket with water
  • Kettle (on the fire)
  • Corn starch
  • Spoon
  • Mixer
  • (Something to protect your floor)

Then you can follow the next steps:

  1. Put some cold water in the kettle. Then add 10 tbsp of corn starch and start to stir.
  2. Fill the bin with 10 l of water and put 1 news paper in it. Page by page.
  3. Leave the papers to soak a little bit, then start to knead. The fibers will discharge.
  4. When there's left only tiny pieces of the news paper, start to mix it up with the mixer.
  5. Put on the fire and keep on stirring till you have a thick knit.
  6. Mix the thick knit of water and corn starch with the bin of news papers.

Your paper pulp is done.

Step 2: The Mold and Paper Pulp

On the first picture, you can see the additional plate going under the cutted plate. This is the way you make the mold.

The next material/tools are necesarry:

  • The paper pulp you just made
  • The lasercutted documents
  • 1 additional plate per document
  • A strainer
  • (protection for your floor)
  • glue (instant glue)

Following steps will help:

  1. Put the extra plate under the cutted one.
  2. Then drill some holes trough both the plates.
  3. The extra forms needs to be glued on the (additional) plate like in the picture.
  4. Ready to strain the paper pulp (not to dry, not to wet).
  5. Fill the forms.

When you're done, just leave it to dry.

Sun works amazing, but roomtemperature will do too.

Step 3: Drying and Unmolding

When the paper pulp is dry, you're ready to get it out of the mold

Materials:

  • Spatula

This order will help:

  1. Unscrew the 2 plates.
  2. Split them from eachother, the figures will stick to the additional plate.
  3. Use your spatula to disconnect the pulp from the plate.

Step 4: Ready to Puzzle

Now that you have your forms, you can just puzzle them together as you can see in the pictures.

You want more?

Just start over again or maybe lasercut the files a couple of times, so you can do more in one time.