Wet folding for beginners :)

[fege]

Sooo after folding some years already i actually didnt rly find any tutorials and tips concerning wetfolding or shaping with mc so i wanted to ask here if anyone could help me getting started with this.
I guess it will give my double tissue models alot more shape.

[phillipcurl]

Robert Lang has a pretty informative tutorial (http://www.langorigami.com/paper/wetfolding_papers.php) but you really can't be taught how to wet fold by anyone other than yourself. The best way to learn is to read through the link, and just start experimented.
Good luck.

[Earlobes]

This thread is very helpful.

MC - Methyl Cellulose

[GrossMichael]

Gilad Aharoni has an excellent Article about wetfolding and quiet marverick explains it very well in his Youtube Videos.

[fege]

ok ty for that much information im going to start trying all these things

[rgieseking]

A couple quick thoughts on wet-folding, although you've already gotten some good advice...

1. Not all papers are made equal! If the wet-folding fails miserably, it could be the paper's fault.

2. Don't drown your paper. You need just enough water to soften the paper, not to soak it. Think about using a damp washcloth or something along those lines to wet the paper.

3. Give your model plenty of time to dry. When I wet-fold and clip or tape things in place, I usually try to leave it overnight before unclipping or untaping. If you try before it's fully dry, the model won't hold its shape.

Best of luck with the folding!

[origami_8]

Fun thing, I know someone who really soaks his paper in water for an hour or more. He uses very thick watercolour paper, something about 250gsm in weight. Almost cardboard, that wouldn't be possible to fold otherwise.
Apart from that I know people who prefer the wet cloth method and people who like to use spray bottles and even people who use a fine mist of evaporated water from a room moistener (not very transportable this last method).

If you try wet-folding I very much recommend you to have a hair dryer on hand to fasten up the drying process. The paper will only stay in shape when it is completely dry and until that point you have to hold it in shape somehow, be it with your fingers alone, paperclips, strings, pieces of cloth or whatever else.

[fege]

soo i have another question:
which types of models would you reccomend to wetfold do kamiya models fit this tequnique aswell or is it better to shape them somehow else if you use another method could you please describe it?

[Razzmatazz]

Typically it's best to wetfold minimalistic models. Or models with lots of shaping. Kamiya models are not typically ones to be wet folded (although some are, notably his kirin, orca and mammoth).

[GrossMichael]

For the more complex models you can wetfold only the final details.

[Edg]

Something I've tried (I saw the idea on Shuki Kato's flickr) is to fold the model to the last possible point where it lays flat, then spray in with water and then press it (with books or weight) until its at the right moistness for wet folding the details. I did this with kamiyas Cerberus using biotope paper (from origami-shop) and it worked very well, though it was my first time finishing the model so I had to re-wet certain areas. Also, it took nearly 24 hours to dry to the perfect wetness (sorry, that was pretty oxymoronic ), but I think I over soaked it and my house is pretty cold I'll see if I can get my camera working and get a pic up of it, just to put my money where my mouth is...

[roodborst]

I dry fold the model using elepgant hide. Then i hold it under streaming water under the crane in the sink for a couple of seconds. Next I use a towel to dry most of the water. Then I stuff the model with papertowel and then use painterstape to tape everything together. Then I let it dry overnight. I should do it again sometime it has been a while. But my design have become more complex so elephant hide is usually to thick to fold my models.
Looking forward to see the results of your wet folding.

[fege]

omg wow edg what a result i have to say im very impressed definitley gonna try this method:D did you use a hair dryer for the shaping aswell or any clpis to hold it together while it was drying?

[marckrsh]

I suppose a hair dryer could be used, provided it is on a "cool" setting. I prefer using fans to accelerate the drying process, as they seem to work more evenly. - Marc

[Edg]

@fege: Thanks! I sometimes use a hairdryer when wet shaping small individual parts of a model, but usually I just let it air dry and do something else.( A fan sounds like a great idea, thanks Marc!) In this case I took so long trying to get the body right, it dried in my hands and I had to re-wet some parts. I didn't get to the shaping with my test fold so I wasn't as quick as was necessary. I use tiny clothes pegs (with scraps of kraft paper to stop marking of the model) and strips of muslin cloth to hold things in place until fully dry (usually overnight before I touch it)