Make a Pulp

From the Homemade Paper site

Don't make a pulp more than one part scraps to four parts water - ie, don't fill the blender more than 3/4 full. If you're making large volumes, pour out the finished pulp mix and start again. Hit the tub! In this step you'll use a tub of water to put the pulp into a watery suspension. This will ensure a even distribution of pulp onto the screen. Note: you'll make one sheet at a time. This way you can adjust the sizing or pulp-to-water ratio, as you see how each sheet comes out. You may want to test the screen with a little pulp, to check that the water can run through the screen while retaining the pulp. Fill a large tub with clean water. Pour the pulp (the fiber and water mixture) into the tub. Swirl it around. The pulp should be distributed evenly throughout the water before you start dipping. If the mixture sits for a while before you're ready, some settling will occur. Just give it another swirl with your hands when ready.

If you're using large amounts of lint or vegetable parts (including wood-pulp paper), add a few drops of white glue to the tub and mix it in thoroughly. Subtitute a tablespoon of cornstarch if you don't have any glue handy. This sticky, binding substance is called sizing.

Hold the screen with the frame on top. Dip it in the tub at an angle until it's fully immersed, then move the screen back and forth until the pulp is evenly dispersed in the water and across the surface of the screen. Finish by pulling the frame straight up out of the tub.

You should have collected enough pulp on the frame to make one sheet of paper--the pulp should fill the screen to the inner edges of the frame. The water from the tub will run through the screen, depositing the pulp on the top level of the screen. Hold the frame above the tub until only a few drops of water remain on the screen.

If the paper looks too thin, add more pulp to the water in the tub, swirl, and dip the screen again. Too thick? Remove some pulp from the tub, dip the screen and collect a screenful of pulp. You can then remove the pulp from the screen by rolling it off with your fingers.

No frame? If you're not using a frame, hold the screen about four inches below the surface of the tub. Agitate the water by moving the screen back and forth until the pulp is evenly dispersed in the water and across the surface of the screen. Draw the screen slowly and evenly up out of the tub. Hold the screen above the tub and allow the water to drain. Take care to keep the screen taut, or the pulp may "puddle" in the middle, which will produce lumpy paper. Squeeze out the water There are actually two actions happening here: the force applied by the roller squeezes out the water from the paper, and absorbent materials above and beneath the paper prevent the paper from reabsorbing the water. Lay one sheet of wool felt down on a flat tabletop. Wool felt is ideal because water runs right through it and it's strong enough to sustain the pressure. The felt must be larger than the sheet you're making. Several felts, or a stack of old newspapers or even towels can be placed underneath the felt to help absorb water.

Turn the frame over on top of the felt. The freshly drawn pulp should drop out easily. If it sticks, then gently tap the frame onto the felt.

Lay another felt on top of the pulp. Cover with another sheet felt (or newspapers or towels).