MC - Methyl Cellulose

[fncll]

Please note the link I provided a few posts up, which links to most of these suggestions and a few others. Joe the White is correct: a pound of MC will last most people until their fingers fall off. I also have information there about using the powder form of MC.

[Paul676]

I tried my first MCing today, still waiting for it to dry. It's on a single sheet of 50 x 50cm lokta paper, 30gsm.

1. WARNING: Do not try to pick the paper up once you've MCed one side to try to MC the other side - the MC seeps through (that's how it works) so you don't need to MC the other side, and all you'll end up with is a ripped sheet of paper. Not good when each sheet costs almost £1.

2. You should be able to see when you've added enough, because the paper will be saturated - it'll change colour the wetter it gets, and when it's saturated, it'll not change colour any more or absorb any more MC.

3. I used 3 teaspoons of MC powder to 500ml of cold water, and did what it said on the label. I felt like it came out well, but maybe a bit thinner than mayonnaise or snot. Next time I'll make sure the teaspoons are heaped rather than flat.

[fncll]

You can also, as I do, lay down a think coat of MC, lay the sheet on top of that, and then brush the MC thinly on the top... depending on how porous/absorbent the paper is.

[phillipcurl]

i spray the surface with water first, then brush on MC. helps the paper absorb water better, and holds it in place.

[Paul676]

yep - I put MC on the surface, but because it was cling film on wood, the MC wasn't perfectly spread out, so I tried to pick the paper up to do the other side fully - one wasted sheet of lokta ;(

edit; Just peeled the dried paper off the cling film: interesting result - definitely stiffer than before, but feels like it may be tougher to fold.

[d_music_master]

Elmer's art paste (powder) works perfect! Started using it and have had quite satisfactory results.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/elmers-art-paste/

http://www.elmers.com/msds/me-99000.htm

[OrigamiGeek]

I have a question about MC.
does putting MC on a paper that is not wet foldable make the paper wet foldable?
an other question is...
is Methyl Salicylate the same or close to the same as MC?

[phillipcurl]

does putting MC on a paper that is not wet foldable make the paper wet foldable?

Yes, it adds sizing, which is what makes the papers most commonly used for wet-folding the way they are. It stiffens and strengthens the paper.

is Methyl Salicylate the same or close to the same as MC?

No. Not at all. Methyl salicylate is a fragrance.

[loganorigami]

You don't want to get chemicals mixed up by thinking same names mean same properties: H2O is a refreshing drink of water, H2O2 is poison.

[OrigamiGeek]

@Phillipcurl Thanks
@Loganorigami LOL yes your right

[desuwulf]

btw, it's relatively expensive but you can find high grade pure MC in cooking shops:
http://www.creamsupplies.co.uk/kalys-me ... _1301.html

I'm currently testing this one(just put 1:20 ratio like lafosse recommends in his book), and will let you all know how this goes when I get to use it.

PS: does anyone how bad solvite fares?(I bought a couple different grades of wallpaper glues and will be testing them, solvite being one of them, supadec another)

[desuwulf]

just finished my first double tissue MC paper with that 1:20 mix of cooking MC(very pure).

Staggering. It just is absolutely perfect. Perfectly smooth, and came off the glass with just a touch, yet is perfectly fused. I'm in awe. This is completly different from the wallpaper glue.

[desuwulf]

By the way, I tried a couple different recommended methods around to not get any wrinkles:

a) - both layers already on the glass
-> this gave me badly fused sheets(they detached) even though I put copious amounts of MC and it did go through. This makes me think bleed resist tissue paper doesn't permeate MC very well, I am thinking of trying to make it more watery, think it's a good idea? suggestions?
To be honest I'd love to use that technique as it gives pretty much wrinkle&bubble free results

b) - apply mc to glass, put first tissue layer, apply mc again, put second tissue layer, apply mc again
-> this gives really nice feeling double MC, but it gets lots of wrinkles/air on both layers, and brushing them out is quite disastrously hard

c) - put first tissue layer, apply mc, put second tissue layer, apply mc
-> this gives an amazing first layer because you can really apply the mc progressively, I get a perfect first layer.
However when time comes to apply the second layer I've tried:
1.rolling it on a tube and unrolling it gently and slowly while brushing. This gives a mostly bubble free result but a fairly wrinkle-ish one, as the paper extends and is already mc'ed down
2.free hand applying it... this usually ends up with torn paper at some point, but I can sometime get decent results.

[origami_8]

You might like to try something else: Getting different tissue paper.
That may sound strange but you really get different results depending on the tissue paper you use. One that works really good for the first method you describe is this one.

[desuwulf]

that would indeed make sense. The modulor tissue looks great but when I asked them if it was acid free they said it was not.(and I'd rather not get a nasty surprise and see fading colors and dying paper in a couple years)