Paper Making Frames
Properly called “moulds and deckles” these are the things used to form a sheet of handmade paper.
A variety of things can fill the function, provided you don’t fixate on having square paper.
Essentially the mould is the portion of the frame that holds a screening material that will allow water to drain away, and a mat of paper fibers to form a felt. Screening material can be window screen, plastic canvas for needlework, scarf material or other loose weave material that can be stretch taut and resist tearing when pressure is applied to express the water from the felt. The deckle is the top portion that allows a certain amount of water and pulp to be exposed to the screen surface. Its height depends on the style of paper making being used; whether it is vat based or single sheet based. Vat based means that the vat is full of a water and pulp solution that is working strength, shallow draft deckles allow a sheets worth of solution onto the screen and you pull it out. Can also be called “dip and pull”. Single sheet style uses a vat of clear water, a higher deckle, and a way to blend pulp and water together to pour into the top of the paper making frame, the solution swished around to the edges of the frame, and then the frame is removed from the water.
Commercial paper making frames are available at various art and crafts stores, often as part of a set. If you have some wood working skills, plans are available in a variety of resource books (/*list here). Or, other craft items, like embroidery hoops can be used.
When constructing your own paper making frames, I highly recommend keeping the following points in mind:
Moulds and deckles need to be tight enough so they don’t fall apart spontaneously, yet loose enough to come apart when you want them to; a delicate balancing act. Once the proper fit is found, you may want to make “key marks” to help identify which part belongs with which part.
Screening materials should be tough enough to take being pressed without a lot of stretching. Stretching can be controlled a bit by having braces across the bottom. Screen material should be nonreactive to water. Screen material should also be mounted flat and tight to the mould; you want the water to go through the screen, not between the frame parts.
If you plan on using your frames a lot, I highly recommend finishing the surfaces with some sort of marine varnish before installing the screen. This is particularly important if you need to be working in production modes.