paper mache questions

[butterflymary]

I know, there are a million threads discussing this age old technique, but i want to make furniture out of this stuff. I saw a picture of a beautiful wooden hall table made by this guy and the two front legs were made from paper mache over steel and I swear they looked amazing. Do any of you know if this is the same type of paper mache we made as kids? Is flour and h2o just as good as wallpaper paste? Any advice you have about making "high" art with paper mache would be quite helpful.

thanks

[tiffie1023]

i've done quite a bit of paper mache with the flour and water technique and i have to say that it worked really well for me.  i don't know about using it in furniture, but i didn't have any problems using it as an adhesive.

[teapotdnky]

For some of my stronger work, I use rigid wrap and then paper mache over that. I'm not sure it would be sturdy enough. Maybe if you get some cheapy furniture and cover it?

[Stephen Weaver]

The papier-maché technique we were all taught at school involves making thick gluey things which take ages to dry, and are difficult to shape when wet.  Papier-maché for grownups involves using wallpaper paste (make it up using about half as much water as they tell you to use) and strips of paper wound on in layers.  This is a great way to dress up junk furniture or a crude armature you have knocked together out of odds and ends.  You can always add details in pulp or thick layers of card, covered in another layer of paper.  Have fun!

[nearlythere]

PVA (white white) is great for paper mache. it dries hard. you can dilute it a little bit to make it easier to spread.

you can mix it with methyl-cellulose (like wallpaper paste) and PVA glue in equal parts. this makes it easier to spread/paste... without diluting with just water.

it's very strong this way!

i found some links here:

http://www.halloweenfear.com/Papiermache1.html

http://www.papiermache.co.uk/exec/cms-documents/s-tutorials/p-view/id-23/

[Stephen Weaver]

That second site is GREAT - not very well laid out, but if you explore all the tutorials, they are very imaginative and some lead on to the artist's own website, with even more ideas!  May even get me making a birdhouse or two - always wanted to find a use for all those waxed cartons!