Making Pseudostems Into Paper
 

Has this been tried before?

Re: Making Pseudostems Into Paper
 

Yes and there are a few threads about it around here somewhere.

Re: Making Pseudostems Into Paper
 

I do it all the time, with the parts of the pstem that are not worthwhile for fibre. If you leave it natural, it's sort of a tan-khaki colour, and if you use peroxide as a bleaching agent it comes out to a nice laid cream. I produce large archival-type acid-free sheets with four deckels for my own use as art papers. Other places do it commercially, adding a certain percentage of new banana fibre to a percentage of recycled pulp and rag. When BQ finally goes to print, it will be on a gloss paper of this type that is produced locally.

I posted the method I use in another thread a while back.... Here it is!!

Re: Making Pseudostems Into Paper
 

Do you have also anything on making fibre from P-stems?

Re: Making Pseudostems Into Paper
 

Cool. That would definately save some trees.

Re: Making Pseudostems Into Paper
 

Beth, we need this as a "how to" in BQ some day!

Re: Making Pseudostems Into Paper
 

It's planned for Volume 2 sometime - that way I have time to do a photographic step-by-step next time I'm pulling sheets.

Jack, pulling fibre from the pstems is the same process you'd use for any other bast fibre (linen, hemp, etc.) - the hard work with banana fibre is in selecting the correct weights of fibre from the retted mass. The coarsest stuff is only good for rope and sackcloth, and as you work your way towards the center of the stem you get weights similar to silk. It's great stuff.

Re: Making Pseudostems Into Paper
 

I htink we've got ourselves a new topic for BQ. :ha: