Background

Hand made paper is still in great demand by artists and for commemorative documents. Several mills in the UK still make paper by hand using traditional wooden moulds.

Making a mould is a very specialised craft. In 2006 the only person in Britain still making paper moulds was Ron MacDonald who started with E. Amies and Son Limited of Maidstone in Kent in 1948 and was involved with all aspects of mould making. He carried on into retirement with equipment moved to his home near Maidstone.

This DVD shows the skill and craftsmanship which Ron learnt over several decades.

The rectangular face mesh and the coarser backing behind it have to be made specially for each mould. They are woven on Ronald’s unique wire-twisting loom which was built by E. Amies in 1889.

The mahogany frames are sawn, planed and chiselled using all the techniques Ron was taught during his apprenticeship, including the very unusual and complex corner joints of the deckle.

Finally the face mesh and backing, plus any watermarks are sown with fine wire onto the frames.

At the end of 2016 Ron finally retired and his equipment was moved by Serge Pirard to Belgium, where the loom has been rebuilt and he now carries on the craft of hand made paper mould making.

This DVD was made with the help of the

British Association of Paper Historians.

See their website at www.baph.org.uk

If you are interested in purchasing a hand made paper mould visit Serge Pirard's website www.papermouldmaker.com

Details

• Written by Peter Eggleston
• 16:9 widescreen (anamorphic)
• Running time: 28 mins.
• £13.45 - DVD (Standard definition)
• £17.00 - Blu-ray™ (1080i High Definition)
• Price includes worldwide delivery.
• ' PAL' and 'NTSC' versions available.

 

Recorded and mastered in High Definition.

Standard definition DVD copies clearly benefit from the High Definition master quality, but this Compilation is also now available in 1080i HD on Blu-ray™ disc !

 

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