Paper Making: Why it works

I have been looking at making paper at home for a while now (no, not a thorough research, more like a nibble here and there when I’m not busy with a more interesting project). I even bought a blender to make the pulp really tiny.

The reason the pulp needs to be so tiny, is that paper is made up of tiny, individual fibers. Paper is really just a million or so fibers that got tangled up and pressed flat. Each fiber has even smaller fibrous strands that stick out from it. So, the more fibers that join up with other fibers, the better your paper holds together. That’s why the best recycled paper has separated small fibers from the original paper and made them into single fibers again–then retangled them into a new piece of paper.

It is for the same reasons that paper can only be recycled so many times. Each time you break down paper to remake it into another piece; it literally breaks some of the fibers. After a while, there aren’t enough fibers to make a tangle to press into a new sheet. Something else the best recycle papers have are fibers that aren’t recycled. I know that we are supposed to save the trees, but if we want decent paper (and I do love a nice piece of paper, call me strange) we are going to have to compromise and allow some new wood pulp into the mix.

So, be warned, if you buy 100% Recycled paper, it won’t hold up the same as if you bought some with a little new pulp in it. The more new pulp, the better the paper holds up.