Japanese paper making and Technique: Strain

簀桁と舟　Sheet forming tools — The deckle and pool

紗を貼った簀　Screen with silk gauze — The black side is the gauze

ステンレスの簀　Stainless screen — Stainless screen

まず粘りを絞り出します。　Squeeze to drain stickiness — Strain two times with coarse mesh and cloth bag.

Making formation agent “NERI” from Tororoaoi

About this blog series
“The message from traditional Japanese paper“

In this post, I focus on technique of straining.

First of all, Chinese character of sheet forming “漉く suku” also represent straining. It is the moment when the fibers are separated from the water which are originally the plants that had grown in the soil and gradually dis-parted in the water.

Bamboo reed are used for the screen where actually strains. Silk gauze are attached to some screens to make paper without any traces of the screen. At our mill we also use copper screen which used traditional western hand paper making. We also use stainless screen as a modern paper making. All screens have different characters so we choose them properly according to the materials and purpose of the paper.

Straining also appears when making formation agent Neri from Tororoaoi which is essential for Japanese paper sheet forming technique Nagashi-zuki. Crushed Tororoaoi is kneaded in a coarse mesh bag, strained to get viscus water and then strain it again through a cloth to get smooth Neri.