This mould has had epoxy applied to the corner joints and is secured with spring clamps while the glue cures. The dents left by the clamps poking into the wood will be covered by brass sheathing. Using clamping cauls eliminates the dents for moulds without sheathing. This mould is ready to glue and clamp. AtContinue reading “#12 Gluing Moulds”
Category Archives: Paper Mould Making
#11 Fitting Waterbars and Brace Rods
Before the corner joints of a mould are glued one or two brace rods must be fitted. One for smaller moulds, two for larger ones. They will pass through all the ribs and be anchored in the frame at both ends. Waterbars also need to be fitted along the ends of each mould. The waterbarsContinue reading “#11 Fitting Waterbars and Brace Rods”
#10 Assembling the Mould Frame and Ribs
The first step in putting a mould together involves only the ribs and the four pieces of the frame. Other parts; a brass brace rod and extra ribs called waterbars will follow. You may recall that one edge of each frame piece was intentionally left rough. This bottom edge is now smoothed by a singleContinue reading “#10 Assembling the Mould Frame and Ribs”
#9 Finishing the Ribs
The ribs have been shaped, cut to length and have had pegs formed on their ends. Now each must be drilled for a brace rod and then for sewing holes. The brace rod keeps the ribs lined up and helps them work together for added strength. A row of very small evenly spaced sewing holesContinue reading “#9 Finishing the Ribs”
#8 Drilling Holes in the Frame to Support the Ribs
First Step: Dial In the Drill Press Table This drill press has a table that can be tilted and is prone to getting out of alignment. A dial indicator mounted in the chuck can be rotated by hand to check this. Small taps from a dead blow hammer are usually enough to correct misalignment. IfContinue reading “#8 Drilling Holes in the Frame to Support the Ribs”
#7 Shaping the Rib Pegs
Paper Mould ribs connect with the outer frame by means of small pegs formed on their ends. These rest in holes bored into the frame at regular intervals. The ribs on the left have finished pegs; on the right they are only partly completed. The tool in the middle is used to machine the twelveContinue reading “#7 Shaping the Rib Pegs”
#6 Rib Spacing Layout
This step is not too exciting but is important. The two long sides of a mould need to be drilled to receive the rib pegs. Marks are made to show the locations of the holes to be drilled. If the hole spacing is erratic or not symmetrical the mould can be thrown out of square.Continue reading “#6 Rib Spacing Layout”
#5 Mould Frame Joinery
Cut parts to length, scribe and mark joints To make the mould and deckle fit together properly you need to know the deckle overlap (A), the width of the deckle (A+B) and the amount of space to leave between mould and deckle (C). More detail on this will follow later in this post. The mouldContinue reading “#5 Mould Frame Joinery”
#4 Shaping Rib Stock
The wood that has been seasoned for making ribs now needs to be straightened and shaped to a distinctive tear drop shape. This is narrow at the top so as not to obstruct the flow of water while forming sheets yet wide enough at the bottom to form pegs at the ends. These rest inContinue reading “#4 Shaping Rib Stock”
#3 Prepare Frame Stock for Paper Moulds
The wood for making Paper Mould frames has been prepared to make pieces that are relatively stress free and stable. Now the stock will be shaped to its final dimensions prior to cutting to length and joining at the corners with dovetails. Shown above is a block of poplar that I shaped to demonstrate theContinue reading “#3 Prepare Frame Stock for Paper Moulds”
Timothy Moore Bookbinding Tools 