[papercreters] Re: Glossy magazines in Papercrete?

Glossy magazines can produce a very surperior papercrete, but expect more difficulty working with them than with newspaper or cardboard.

Glossy paper contains a high ratio of kaolin clay. We talk a lot on this group about the value of adding mineral content such as clay into papercrete mix. Using glossy paper is one method of increasing the clay content in a mix.

Glossy paper tends to be more difficult to break down in a mixer. My experience has been that it is easiest to break down if you pre-soak the paper (several hours or overnight) before attempting to mix it. When you do mix it, be prepared to run the mixer for a longer period of time than with regular newspaper. It simply takes longer to break down.

Also, be prepared for glossy paper papercrete to take longer to dry, as is the case with most forms of papercrete that have clay added to them.

Once you get past the difficulties of working with glossy paper, you will find that it can produce some of the strongest and most durable papercrete after it is completely dry.

Also, glossy paper can make excellent plaster.


Another idea that may or may not be practical. Using HOT WATER in your mixer speeds the process of breaking down glossy paper. Whether it is worth the high energy cost of heating hundreds of gallons of water for each batch of papercrete is rather dubious. If you were planning on building a large hydronic solar collector anyway to heat the house, then perhaps building the array before starting construction might make sense so you could use it to heat water for mixing papercrete. That would be pretty awesome.

DO NOT CONFUSE WAXY PAPER WITH GLOSSY PAPER. Wax coated paper is not recommended for use in papercrete. Not sure if you know what you have? Place a few drops of water on the surface of the paper and let it sit for a few minutes. Waxy paper will still have beads of water on the surface when you check it minutes later. Glossy paper will allow the water to slowly soak into it. The same test works well if you think you may have waxy cardboard too, which is also very common.

The best use for waxy paper and waxy cardboard is as fuel. It doesn't even break down in compost very well.


--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, Alan <rustaholic777@...> wrote:
>
> I am still in the planning stages and I hope to get my tow mixer built next Summer but I am collecting cardboard and paper now.
> I am just wondering if the glossy catalogs and magazines will work as good as newspaper and cardboard.
>  
> How about cutting a 24" S-shaped blade out of a 24" buzz saw blade?
> Is there a template available anywhere?
>  
> Alan in Michigan
>




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