Everlasting paper?

[Fluffy]

I don't mean to be, but no "paper" is everlasting. It is made from trees, and it will always end to be decaying at some point in time. You could use plastic or some other non-purist material, but i've also been wondering the same question. The best one you could do is buy Origamido and MC it on to some paper such as Lokta or Hanji (ifides.com). That would probably work best.

[HankSimon]

You may have access to a FedEx store to ask about Tyvek type papers. I don't know if you have access to stores that would have the paper, rather than having to cut an envelop. There are also types of plastic which can be used hinges, meant to flex thousands of times or more. To find sheets of this 'thermoplastic' you'll have to locate a plastics manufacturer.... and impress them with your origami so that they give you a sheet or two... rather than sell you a half ton .... And, when you fold it, you'll have to use an iron.

If you're going to try cloth, you might try a thrift store or garage sale and experiment with some old blue jeans...

[Gerardo]

Thanks Fluffy and HankSimon. I have a good feeling about guaflex with a back layer of contact paper. If it lasts I'll stick with this one .

[Gerardo]

This is guaflex with contact paper on the other side. More than a year has passed since I added the contact paper on the other side. A year is a lot of time and I like that but you can start to see its deteroration:












I've started a new test. I folded the model with painted acetate paper. A beautiful friend of mine did me the favor of sanding the transparent paper, painting it with enamel paint and adding a coat of white glue to it. As you can see it's really shiny.



I like it a lot although it's bulky from all the layers. I'm not totally sure about the durability of the paint but I do doubt the material will tear.

If it doesn't work either, the next test will be with Tyvek. Leyla Torres helped me get a couple of sheets

[Timoris]

Why not just use thin leather?

My father used to make leather clothing and accessories in days gone past (70ies! Brown leather, not gimp suites, you silly, you! :-p )

The same techniques would be applied as with paper - wet folding.

And I think this may be of help after a quick search:
http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.ph ... opic=37695

And I now just thought of a project - an Origami Pig made out of leather, I shall call it ... Pigception!
META!

[steingar]

Didn't get so many messages, sorry. I don't know anything about wallpaper, but the stuff I've used lasts forever, though it can't be used to make complex models. I've used coverstock (Strathmore) for boxes and containers that have been around for decades. I have a modular on my desk I've been using to hold pennies since the Reagan administration. Might toss it because it is new quite dirty.

[Gerardo]

Why not just use thin leather?

I don't completely get the idea. Do you mean some sort of leather that's foldable and not as flexible as a leather jacket?

Didn't get so many messages, sorry.

WOW... I didn't expect to read from you here . Thanks for the information steingar. About the email messages, I think it was regarding your empty entry in neorigami: http://www.neorigami.com/neo/index.php/ ... 120-sharky

[Timoris]

Yup. Such as goat leather, you could probably get the hide under 1/16'' in thickness.

[Gerardo]

Yup. Such as goat leather, you could probably get the hide under 1/16'' in thickness.

Thanks for the idea.

[Gerardo]

This is how the model folded from enameled transparency paper AKA acetate paper looks after a bit more than two months:









The paint fell in different sections. In warm climates it became sticky and got dirty with too much ease. I was sure it wouldn't rip... I was VERY wrong . I think that the hardness of the material actually made it prone to ripping.

My veredict: NO GOOD!

[Gerardo]

I was hoping to fold this model with Tyvek paper, but I haven't found what I need to paint it. That's why I ended up folding a provisional one in contact paper; the one in transparency paper (acetate paper) was WAY damaged. I think this new one will last... I'll keep you posted.

It's transparent contact paper folded along with its protective layer, that's why the color change isn't that obvious. I wish I had black but I only had a a bit of this one.

[origami_8]

What you could also try instead of painting, is adhering textile tape to the paper, this way it would get way more strength and should last longer. The question is just if it is still pliable enough to fold it.

[Gerardo]

Thanks for the tip origami_8

To be truthful, I only use it to tie my gift boxes and envelopes and to add a bow to them; one example: http://neorigami.com/neo/index.php/en/u ... -cubic-box


I suck at at gluing stuff... so I'll stick to my plan of waiting for the right tools to paint the Tyvek square

[origami_8]

Oh, I think that's a misunderstanding. I don't mean a fabric band, but a textile tape that has glue on one side by default. These tapes are for example used in bookbinding and are very very strong. You can get them at every hardware store.

[Gerardo]

I had no knowledge about it origami_8... thank you! To what kind of paper would you suggest adhering it?