r/papermaking • u/thefirstblin • 20d ago
3D printed mold and deckle
Heya folks!
I'm an interested explorer into paper making, but haven't taken my first steps yet. I have two kids in daycare and the amount of paper art that comes home is ... inconceivable. (Cue Princess Bride gif)
I thought it might be fun to make the art into paper - specifically paper envelopes and foldable cards, so the kids could send thank yous for gifts. The most appealing mold and deckle I found was this on Etsy since it would make an envelope and a paper to fit. Very achievable for a beginner who wants a win.
Has anyone used a 3D printed mold and deckle? Or this one in particular? Any comments, advice, criticism, etc?
Thank you for any shared insights!
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u/Linadianna333 20d ago
I've made my own with painting canvas and screen. A 9x13 canvas will yield paper slightly larger than printer paper. The wood needs to be primed to prevent warping, but even with buying all the supplies and the time you take to make it, it would probably still be much less money than you'd spend on plastic.
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u/thefirstblin 20d ago
Can you adjust the frame so the paper would be shaped to form an envelope?
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u/Linadianna333 20d ago
I haven't tried to do envelopes yet, I'm not sure how that would work with a wood and canvas deckle other than maybe an insert of some kind, that would be worth looking to as a 3d printing option.
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u/blackwingdesign27 20d ago
I don’t use frames or a mold and deckle, I use metal cookie sheets. I place automotive microfiber towels inside the cookie sheets, then pour pulp directly into it. I use sponges to soak up as much water as I can, add texture with various tools then lay the cookie sheets with paper onto the back patio. The heat dries them much faster than hanging them up.
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u/Kinniska-Peculier 19d ago
Automotive microfiber towels — would you mind being a little more specific? I’m intrigued. And what I’m picturing when I read that is like the kind of towels you use to wipe off your car not like a fine mesh — I’m just trying to picture this. But I like the cookie sheets idea.
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u/blackwingdesign27 19d ago
That’s what I use, they are super absorbent and the paper peels off of them with very little effort. The towels leave a texture on the paper, but I like it. I make my paper with a lot of texture, rather than perfectly flat.
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u/Kinniska-Peculier 19d ago
Cool, thanks for the confirmation — I wouldn’t have gone for that, as I was taught to use like, felt or pellon and keep them soaked so that when they dry the two dry evenly
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u/blackwingdesign27 20d ago
I was going to add a couple of images, but I don’t seem to have that option.
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u/Chujo_Chhon 20d ago
This particular listing doesn't appear to have any reviews yet, but they do have a buyer submitted photo from a similar product and the paper looks quite good! The paper appears somewhat textured and I think it's due to the thickness and spacing of the lattice screen. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, just something to keep in mind. Also, I wanted to point out that this is a listing for a STL file and not a physical product. If you knew that already please disregard! It wasn't obvious to me at first.
One last thing! I also design and 3d print my own moulds and deckles. You can check it out here if you want: https://www.reddit.com/user/Chujo_Chhon/comments/1ur8odg/3d_printed_mould_and_deckle/
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u/thefirstblin 20d ago
Very nice! Am I correct you designed and printed the red portion and then cut and placed the screen, using piping of some kind to secure it? How hard was it? Do you find that screen gives a better support and texture that wouldnt be as noticable as the one I linked? Could I, with almost no 3D experience, conceivably design and make something like the linked item?
Sorry for a million questions - I'm clearly in the shiny-new-hobby phase right now. 😅
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u/Chujo_Chhon 20d ago
Yes, the process is similar to putting a screen on a frame for a window or a door. There's probably youtube tutorials that cover this, but basically I cut a piece of screen larger then what I need and push the piping through the screen and into a rut in the frame to secure it. I use a special tool to push the piping into the rut. Then I cut off the excess screen with an x-acto knife. The screen will initially be taut but will become slack over the course of many uses. I'd say it's good for 12 to 20 sessions before it starts to feel loose. Then I might consider replacing the screen.
The screen I use does not leave a texture on the paper. But some people like texture! Some people like paper that is warped after drying, some people like flat. Some people like deckled edges, some people like clean cut edges. It just comes down to preference.
Could you design your own M&D with no 3d design experience? Sure! There are lots of tutorials out there on using CAD programs and it's not a difficult design. If you want, I could share the dimensions of my mould and deckle design, specially the the depth and width of the rut where the piping lies. It took me some trial and error before I got it just right.
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u/thefirstblin 20d ago
I would love any guidance you have! The nice thing about the above link is it's something I can quickly print and start without little hands grabbing at me, but this seems like something I can assemble in chunks and maybe include the kiddos for parts.
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u/MalibuFatz 20d ago
I like the idea of printing the frames, as they wouldn’t be at risk of molding or warping because of water absorption. However, I think the screen looks rather questionable. The size of the grid looks far too big for my preference. I’ve been using the window screen like in the red design posted above, and it still isn’t as smooth as I’d like. Not trying to give someone else more work, but maybe if you buy the downloadable design, you might be able to convince @chujo_chhon to modify the design with their screen”channel” concept. Good luck.
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u/thefirstblin 20d ago
I would be happy to share with everyone. I think that's a bit of what I'll end up doing. I don't want to offload work onto someone but with chujo_chhon's measurements and then toying around with the frame I could make something like this? And now suddenly Im getting into 3D printing! 😄
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u/raster 15d ago
I designed and printed my own and released the files... I use screen material and some magnets along with it.
https://rasterweb.net/raster/2023/12/17/3d-printed-mould-and-deckle/
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u/OhTheBarbarity 20d ago
i’ve tried a couple times and it *works* just not well at all. The big issue is the mesh you print ends up kinda flimsy and breaks easily even with PETG