MC - Methyl Cellulose

[Ben385]

I finally managed to produce a half decent piece of double tissue! I picked up a box of 'Pritt Papier Mache Paste' from my local craft shop as I noticed it was cellulose based, and it did the job perfectly. It was also extremely cheap (£3 for a 125g box that apparently makes tons of liquid)- I looked it up and it is available on ebay. I have always struggled with making double tissue, but everything seemed to come together this time ^^ now to try applying it to some of my nicer papers..

[roodborst]

OK when I use Mc sometimes the sheet of paper sticks to my plexiglass plate. Why does this happen and what can I do about it?

[Benlewisorigami]

It does the same to mine. I've tried once brushing a layer of MC over the whole board then just peeling it off.. but that's kinda a waste. don't use hot water!!!!!!! I learned the hard way that it warps the plexiglass REALLY BAD! So yea.. don't do that. Hosing it off maybe?

[Eamon]

OK when I use Mc sometimes the sheet of paper sticks to my plexiglass plate. Why does this happen and what can I do about it?

Hmmm. Is your MC pure MC? If not, there might be other adhesives that bind to non-porous surfaces. Or maybe leftover PVA from tissue foil could somehow mix in. Also, maybe it is just a very thick mixture, like thicker than hair gel?

[roodborst]

It was indeed of somewhat the same thickness of hairgel. So I should make a thinner mixture next time?
The first couple of times it didn't stick as much, maybe I used a better met mix earlier.

[Khemikooligan]

What method do you guys use to dissolve the MC powder into solution? I bought some MC from the chemistry store but in cold water after being shaken up the powder settles at the bottom of the jar and forms a thick gel like jello. I searched around and tried the method where you add hot water and then cold, because apparently MC is insoluble in hot water but wont go straight to solution from cold water either, and kept getting the same results. I'm gonna try straight up hot water and hope I finally get a liquid with consistent viscosity throughout but was curious if others have run into this problem and what you do to combat it? And I was wondering if this sort of thing happens with MC based pastes or only pure MC?

[Benlewisorigami]

Try warm water! sprinkle in the mc. Wait a half hour, shake it. Repeat this process for a few hours then let it sit overnight. That's how I got my best MC...

I know, it stinks having to wait so long (I'm really impatient ) but it's good at the end.

[fncll]

Patience! The MC is never ready for me for at least a day or even two.

[Khemikooligan]

Cool, alright. I'll try to more patient from now on.

On another attempt I ended up using only warm water; after it settled there was jello at the bottom again but i shook it up real good and put in the fridge overnight and I've got something real close to a gel but there's still a few chunky parts in it. I found pouring some in a bowl and mixing in some water with a fork gives pretty good results.

Now I just need to find a shop that sells decent tissue paper in my remote college town. I tried making some double tissue from the non-bleeding type and it kept wrinkling pretty bad. I'm getting better results with some I bought from a party shop, but when i go to pre-crease it for Cuong's Eagle it wears out before I can collapse the base. I think I'm gonna see if I can make some Triple tissue.

[phillipcurl]

Some of my best folds are from double tissue, but after a 3 or 4 month long break from origami I can't use it at all anymore. Maybe I just don't have the MC solution correct, but mine is way to floppy to do anything with.

[Justinorigami]

Try tracing paper.

[Benlewisorigami]

Hahahaha no. tracing doesn't work with MC

[Justinorigami]

No, I mean try mcing tissue paper to the tracing.

[Benlewisorigami]

You do know that that would be near impossible? tracing doesn't accept liquid that well... especially MC. maybe spray-glueing the tissue to the tracing, but mc... I don't think it would work

[Khemikooligan]

Is double tissue supposed to be good for reversing folds? I've been making sheet after sheet of DTMC for a model I'm trying to fold with a lot of pre-creases and sometimes when I go to reverse folds I made on the other side of the paper they don't reverse very well.

I was just curious if maybe I'm using MC thats too watered down and my DT isn't as crisp as it should be.