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Wednesday 26 November 2014


St Cuthberts Mill - Making Paper a Fine Art






St Cuthberts Mill are experts in manufacturing high quality artists papers. Our accomplished papermakers carefully make professional mould made papers, using one of the few remaining cylinder mould machines left in the world.

The appeal of mould made papers is the stunning texture created using natural woollen felts, and the remarkable surface stability created by the paper fibres lying randomly across the sheet.

To make its distinguished paper, St Cuthberts Mill uses

• Specialist chemists devoted to creating high quality papers
• Natural ingredients used wherever possible
• Only high quality pulps and cotton linters and no acids
 are added
• All paper is thoroughly tested for quality
• Paper is made to highest archival standards




St Cuthberts Mill are specialists in despatching quantities of paper across the world to customer’s warehouses. Every pallet of paper is professionally wrapped to ensure the paper arrives in perfect condition.

We are able to provide cost efficient transport solutions for customer orders from the mill. Our trained export staff have a close working relationship with European hauliers, shipping lines and airfreight brokers ensuring products reach customers in good condition, and when required. Export paperwork is completed by our Sales Office, which ensures every shipment leaves the mill with all the correct export documentation.

For further info, please contact our Sales team!




Tuesday 18 November 2014


Taking a look at the 'Chemical Charges of Pulp'

We were looking at the chemical charges of the pulp. Seeing how the addition of each chemical effects the charge of the pulp. We used samples of the pulps we use on the machine, both cotton and wood. The first step was to soak the pulp.



Then the pulp is beaten in the beater. A specific amount of pulp is weighed out and water is added. This gives us a similar consistency as is used on the machine. The pulp is added a strip at a time to the beater until it is all in. 






                       


Then the pulp is beaten to break up the fibres. We beat the pulp to 25 °SR, a measure of beating. We test this using the Schopper Reigler. Take a measured sample of the pulp from the beater. Make this up to 1litre and pour into the top of the Schopper Reigler. Release the lid. The water will drain through the mesh and come out of 2 funnels. The fibres will catch in  the mesh. The amount of water that comes out through the front spout gives us our reading. This test tells us how 'well beaten the fibres are.







Once we have beaten the stock to 25 °SR we take a sample and test the charge of the stock using the Zeta Potential machine. This measures whether the pulp is positively or negatively charged. (Cellulose fibres have a negative charge.)



We then return to the beater and add in the chemicals used in production, in the order they would be added during production. They are added one at a time, mixed in and the charge is tested.



The charge of the paper effects how the chemicals might perform, how well they are bonded to the fibres, etc.

Huge thanks to Nicola Dobson, our Quality Control Apprentice and Steve Carroll (Paper Chemist/Quality Control) for all the photos and info!
















Thursday 6 November 2014



Bockingford Blocks


Bockingford Block's are available in CP(NOT), HP and Rough surfaces, this glued block will make life easier especially when painting 'plein air'. There is no need to soak and stretch, and each sheet will dry flat! 








Available in:
White, CP(NOT), HP and Rough surfaces, 12 sheets. 

In sizes: 
12" x 9" (310 x 230mm), 
14" x 10" (360 x 260mm),
16" x 12" (410 x 310mm).

Head out and pick one (or two) up now folks!