Flower Press?
My wife wants me to make a few of these for this springs bloomers! Seems pretty simple. Any input would be appreciated.
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Gram always used a book. But if you want to make a press, it seems pretty simple and straightforward;
How to Make a Flower Press (with Pictures) - wikiHow
Pressed flowers can be a beautiful addition to scrapbook pages or handmade cards. You can press flowers between the pages of a book, but stacks of books can be cumbersome and flowers are disturbed each time you add new ones. Instead, try...This is one subject I won't let the boss see. She has to many projects lined up for me at it is.😀 Bob
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Politics????
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Butchdog2: 30377476111131/comments/30377461011867
Politics????
Politics????.....Not no more.
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Books work well.
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I start with two sheets of hardboard about 18 x 24. In between I have several layers of cardboard with blotter paper in the middle. Put in what you want pressed and cinch it up with a rope around the hardboard in both directions. Works perfect.
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JimmyJack: 30377476111131/comments/30377470488859
I start with two sheets of hardboard about 18 x 24. In between I have several layers of cardboard with blotter paper in the middle. Put in what you want pressed and cinch it up with a rope around the hardboard in both directions. Works perfect.
One of the simplest methods I have seen is similar to what you did but a buddys wife instead of a rope simply used a weight from her husbands weightlifting set. Said he wasn't using it anyway because his exercise now consisted of lifting 12 ounce cans from the table to his mouth.😀 Bob
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We had a 30(?) volume set of the Encyclopedia Americana as I was growing up that pressed many a plant and flower.
For you youngsters, an encyclopedia was like a Google machine, but took up about 4 feet of shelf space and weighed around 80 Lbs.
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The wikihow instructions posted by BobJudy are spot on. I have made a bunch for my wife. In particular, I would stick with the smaller size (12”x12”). If you get too big with it, you lose pressure in the middle. I suppose you could add a middle screw for a big one if you really wanted to go large.
Try to get very tall bolts, the largest wing-nuts, and use big washers on both sides. Built like that you can get a whole lot of flowers in a 12”x12” by adding many layers. Ours will go at least a foot thick with cardboard layers.
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OK-So I don't know the first thing about these things. How do you "layer" and what do you use to do so? Cardboard, white paper?? A foot thick?? And then where do the flowers fit in?
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Blotter paper layered between cardboard peices. Commercial botanical presses generally use a grid of slats instead of solid boards to allow better moisture loss.
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Listen to the dog! Ive used mine for 40 years from the herbarium.
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Wife and kids always just used books
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asop: 30377476111131/comments/30377482409115
OK-So I don't know the first thing about these things. How do you "layer" and what do you use to do so? Cardboard, white paper?? A foot thick?? And then where do the flowers fit in?
The layers between the boards are cardboard. A foot thick should be fine, and would get you room for a lot of layers of flowers.
As noted above, you’ll also need an absorbent paper on each side of the flower. Newspaper works fine. So, between the wood boards, it would go….cardboard, newspaper, flowers, newspaper, cardboard, newspaper, flowers, newspaper, cardboard, and so on.
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Printed materials can stain some flowers.
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He Dog: 30377476111131/comments/30377462354075
Printed materials can stain some flowers.
That’s a good point. We’ve never had any problem with it, but if your local Newspaper tends to leave ink on your fingers when you hold it, you might want to steer away from that option.
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OK-So it would be the thick wood pieces top & bottom, then the cardboard pics., then blotting paper (just what is this?), then the white paper (also just what is this?) then the flowers? Then repeat for additional layers. I'm assuming you get 2 prints from the top & bottom pieces of the white paper being used? Let sit min. of 30 days or more? Thanks
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I think this will help bring it all together:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xOyNnYpV1E0 -
Try Amazon for "blotter paper for flower press".
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