Paper - Preferred folding material

stinlin · Post by **stinlin** » June 24th, 2008, 7:07 pm

Holy cow...I'll post pics later of the paper they have at that store.

They had EVERYTHING. It was incredible!!!

I bought 200 sheets of 9x9 kami, 72 sheets of 7x7, and 20 sheets of 7x7 mesh. I'll use up that until I'm learned enough to pay $5 for a huge sheet of lotka or something like that. They even had some Japanese paper that started with an "O" that I can't remember the name of...It was awesome.

Post by **origami_8** » June 24th, 2008, 7:16 pm

Let me know how the mesh folds. I was tempted to buy some at the German convention but wasn't sure if it would be worth the money.

Please post your pictures as soon as possible, you're such a lucky person.

stinlin · Post by **stinlin** » June 24th, 2008, 7:37 pm

EDIT: Cellphone pics, hopefully they look OK.

Rack of kami view 1...

Rack of kami view 2...

And rack of kami view 3...

And now the amazing papers! Also moderately expensive, and since I'm not very good yet, I decided to hold off on buying any.

This was just some thinner stationary. There were some that were just as thin as the lokta I played with and took a picture of!

One drawer of the amazing thin paper.

Another drawer of a different type of super thin paper.

Yet another drawer!! All different types of paper in the three above, mind you.

Just one of like, six drawers of lokta paper (which was, like the others above, incredibly thin but very foldable feeling).

floopate · Post by **floopate** » July 10th, 2008, 12:56 pm

wow! those are a lot of paper! sigh. i wish we had those here in the phil. By the by, anyone here know where i can get good paper in the phil?

Currently the few folders i know use foil paper (something i havent tried yet cuz im too lazy to make them

), wet folding, or we use something called mah-jong paper, which is a type of paper used for playing mahjong on, it is waxed or something on one side which make it pretty fun to fold and come in pretty big sheets. problem there is that its all in one pad and its hella hard to get them out without tearing the sheets. Not to mention cutting them into squares is hella tiring and frustrating (on a side note, is there any tricks you guys can show me other than measuring the sides and/or folding the diagonal?).

I've recently started folding these with a little water and sizing for the parts that need narrowing/shaping (the mahjong paper isnt very good for all around wet folding).

-Gino s-

Alan · Post by **Alan** » July 29th, 2008, 2:33 pm

Hi origami-fans!

I dicovered a very good paper combination. i fixed two sheets of tissue paper together (not foil !).
then i had a square of 50x50cm which was perfect in thickness (0.08mm) and extremely strong (never tore and always held the folds).
i suggest this paper for models (complex), you want to invest time for a good result.
Advantages:
1. Easy to get, cheap (don't have to order)
2. Big size
3. Combine two colours you want
4. Perfect thickness (pleasant to fold)
5. I didn't have to buy a spray-glu (glue in the air

), worked with a glue stick

6. Colour of tissue paper is strong and gives the model a nice shape
Disadvantage:
1. Patience: It takes time to cut a nice square (but two sides are already parallel

)
2. You have to be careful when you fix the paper together

angrydemon · Post by **angrydemon** » July 29th, 2008, 3:51 pm

Most people know about this already. It's called double tissue. But I use MC instead because it's much cheaper and glue stick tends to wear out over time.

Stinlin, you're very lucky! If anyone tried to open an origami shop here they would go bankrupt. You have no idea how hard it is to find good paper in Malaysia. Sometimes I cry myself to sleep to hide the pain. Your cellphone camera is unusually clear. In fact it looks much better than the stupid piece of crap I'm using now.

arnorigami · Post by **arnorigami** » July 29th, 2008, 5:22 pm

MC or PVA (white glue) might be cheaper, but the white sheet of silk paper would hardly stay white when glued to a darker sheet using such a "wet" glue.

stinlin · Post by **stinlin** » July 29th, 2008, 5:40 pm

Haha – my camera phone is 2 megapixel and serves me quite well!

It’s the first smartphone I’ve ever purchased and it has worked wonders! I do about 50% of my message board posting from my phone! And I agree – that store is simply amazing. ABSOLUTELY amazing.

Anyways, as it turns out, my grandmother is an artist from Florida and she does oriental work. She’s a self proclaimed paper fanatic! I quote her email:

“I have wonderful places to get Chinese and Japanese papers if you are interested. I work only with the best Chinese papers and can get great prices. My papers never cost me over $2.50 a sheet, and the sheet sizes are at least 25" x 50" “

And:

“As you can tell, I am a fanatic when it comes to any type of Oriental art, be it painting or origami. I have many pieces of the Chinese paper that I use for painting, and I would love to share them with you. Would you be interested, and if so, what size do you need? I hope all of this doesn't bore you..................but I like to share the wisdom I have learned from "all these years" of painting.

“

I think she uses Yun-Long, which is essentially the same as Unryu. I may take her up on this offer – that is, if Unryu/Yun-Long is good folding material?

Jonnycakes · Post by **Jonnycakes** » July 29th, 2008, 9:49 pm

I have never used it, but unryu is supposed to be very good for folding. Some say it is some of the best. And for $2.50 a sheet?? I would love to get my hands on some of that! In New York City I was able to buy some, but I never saw it for less than $4.00 a sheet-and it is certainly not 25"x50".

Also, I am seeking advice from anyone who has successfully made double tissue with MC. I mixed up some MC recently and have been experimenting with it. For a single sheet that is thicker than tissue paper I have no trouble, but double tissue has not worked for me. The first sheet was very wrinkled and even ripped as it dried. The second one turned out better, but it was still very wrinkly. When I try to brush on the MC the paper doesn't stay stuck to the table-it slides up and wrinkles, especially since there are 2 sheets on top of each other. I don't know if it matters, but the tissue paper I am using comes folded into a smaller size, not on a roll. Any advice?

Max · Post by **Max** » July 29th, 2008, 10:10 pm

I helps to put some Mc on your table/glass plate before you glue the first sheet onto it. To avoid wrinkling or ripping the paper it to let it dry on the same plate you glued it onto.

Greetings,
max

Jonnycakes · Post by **Jonnycakes** » July 29th, 2008, 10:12 pm

I let it dry on the glass plate that i glued it to-I think one of two things happened: it got so wrinkled in the pasting process that the drying over-stressed it or the two sheets had grains in different directions. I will try putting down some MC first-thanks.

angrydemon · Post by **angrydemon** » July 30th, 2008, 3:35 am

Can you describe how you make it? Anyway, I'll just tell you how I make mine. I use crepe paper instead of ordinary tissue though.

First I lay the first sheet of tissue over a flat surface that won't matter if it gets stained, like cardboard. I never use glass, because I have no idea where to find a big enough glass plate. I could use the coffee table, but then again I prefer being alive. Anyway, the glue is too thick to soak through the paper, so I don't have to worry. Then, I take a small paintbrush (a big one will rip the paper to shreds) and use it to apply the glue one straight row at a time, starting from the top. I lay the second sheet over every time I 'm done with a row, to make sure it stays uniformed. When I'm done, I just leave it to dry. It does get slightly wrinkled, but when I cut it into a square it doesn't matter much.

I don't know. Maybe you're mixing too much water into the glue. If it's too watery, the paper can't handle the stress. It would absorb too much glue, wrinkle up, and tear easily. It should have the consistency of actual glue, or chocolate fudge

Jonnycakes · Post by **Jonnycakes** » July 30th, 2008, 8:36 am

Hmmm. I don't know-others seem to have success just painting over the two layers of tissue paper and having it soak through. Maybe my MC is a little soupy for your standards-it will soak through two sheets; I used a 1 to 10 ratio of MC to water. I will try some things and get back to you guys with the results

tissue paper is cheap.

angrydemon · Post by **angrydemon** » July 30th, 2008, 12:58 pm

That sounds like a really good way to destroy paper

If it's so watery that it can soak trough two sheets, you might as well be using milk. It shouldn't even be thick enough to soak through one layer. Once tissue becomes over-saturated, just poking it with your finger will open up a gaping hole.

Hmmm. I don't know-others seem to have success just painting over the two layers of tissue paper and having it soak through.

I don't think tissue that strong exists...

Post by **origami_8** » July 30th, 2008, 5:42 pm

The MC solution that my friend and I usually use has approximately the consistency of albumin. It actually soaks through two layers of tissue and our paper is really smooth without any ripped parts or crinkles.

...and we use standard tissue paper that you can get everywhere.

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