MC - Methyl Cellulose

[Arnold K]

home depot sells Plexiglas for cheap. I got a reasonably sized piece for $13 and it has worked for every glue I have tried, including MC based glues. As long as the surface isn't porous, you should have no problems.

[cjbnc]

This is the same stuff I use. I purchased mine from the local Jerry's Artorama.

As for foil as a base- I think I wrote this before but you need the surface to be smooth. Wrinkles will transfer to your paper, and a scratches or creases could cause the MC to stick. I bought an under-$10 poster frame, the kind with a large piece of cardboard backing, a thin plexiglass front, and four edge strips that sandwich it together around the poster. Kept the plexiglass and it works just fine and is large enough for all of my papers.

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

You kids are paying too much for your MC....you can get a big box of it at a hardware store for much cheaper...

[cjbnc]

You kids are paying too much for your MC....you can get a big box of it at a hardware store for much cheaper...

If only hardware stores in my area still sold wallpaper. I looked, and asked.

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

Yeah, it's tricky. Ace hardware has them sometimes...I found a ton of it at one near me.

[smarcelab]

I don't have a big sheet of glass, so I was wondering if any other surfaces could be used for
MC-ing.

I use a big acrylic sheet and it works fine.

[Sroge4]

So is this correct?

-Put piece of tissue paper on table (cleaned off, smooth)

-cover in MC

-Lay second piece of tissue paper on top of first

-cover with MC again

-dry for a couple hours

[Arnold K]

not really. you want to use glass/plexiglass as the substrate. Lay both sheets on top of one another and cover both. let dry for a few hours

[Sroge4]

not really. you want to use glass/plexiglass as the substrate. Lay both sheets on top of one another and cover both. let dry for a few hours

Actually, the wood turned out fine. But the paper warped a little


Edit: Is there anything I can do to keep the paper from warping and getting rippled? It always dries that way...

[Arnold K]

Hey, does anyone know if there is a difference between Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (CMC) and regular Methyl Cellulose (MC)?

and telling me that there is extra carbon dioxide in it isn't really what I mean. Apparently Tadashimori uses it instead of straight up MC...

[shortloldude]

1 difference that I know of is that you cannot use MC to glue tissue paper to aluminum foil, but with CMC it is possible, as done in Tadashimori's video.

[Arnold K]

Is there any major difference in the final folding quality of the paper? That is really what I'm worried about.

[mummykicks]

not really. you want to use glass/plexiglass as the substrate. Lay both sheets on top of one another and cover both. let dry for a few hours

Actually, the wood turned out fine. But the paper warped a little


Edit: Is there anything I can do to keep the paper from warping and getting rippled? It always dries that way...

I have found I get best results by putting 1 sheet down, applying MC, let it dry, put the next sheet on, apply mc, let it dry, and remove. You can also attempt to roll the creases out (using a dough roller) before putting the second sheet on, but I can't tell if it really makes a difference or not. If I do two sheets at once I always get much larger wrinkles in the sheet than one at a time, and get more warpage. I haven't seen rips on two sheets, but I have on 3-4. These are 20" x 26" sheets of tissue. I did see lots of warpage making a long strip for the black forrest cuckoo, especially when I transitioned from 2 sheet thickness to 3. As long as your substrate is bigger than the sheet you are making this shouldn't happen.
I've tried holding the sheet off the plexiglass as I go to get it 'smooth', I've tried going from the center out, and edge in, I've tried holding the plexiglas upside down so the paper hangs and I have to 'paste' it up onto it in an attempt to get rid of defects to no avail. I have not tried rolling it out when it's wet, as I just don't think it will help unless the paper is something heavier...
So now I simply start at one edge and brush it on from one end to the other, parallel to the edge I started at, and it seems to work OK. Some tissue sheets seem to be more problematic than others, with darker colors that seem to be the worst offenders for some reason.

[polistes]

just wondering what is better mc or spray glue because i have just bought some spray glue called stick and stay and it is really good for double tissue foil and double tissue but is mc better?

[Arnold K]

short answer? Yes. The spray glue doesnt become part of the paper. MethylCellulose is absorbed into the paper and nestles into the fibers, beefing them up making them stronger and...crispier. Spray glue is only a layer of adhesive on top of the paper. My experience with spray glue is that it makes the paper gummier and stiffer. Though, it is necessary for tissue foil MethylCellulose wont stick to aluminum foil. If you can get a hold of it, there is a variant of MC called CarboxyMethylCellulose (CMC) which can stick to aluminum foil.