Home Made Vellum?

[inkwell84]

I am recently trying to explore new avenues of the traditional writing experience and after making my own ink, my own cotton blend paper, finding a suitable turkey feather to shape into my first quill pen i have decided to experiment with making my own vellum. I was wondering if any of you have done this or know how to go about it? i have a couple squirell hides streching right now however i do know the proper way to remove the hair from the pelt. Thank you much for your help.

 

Michael

[professionaldilettante]

Making Vellum

 

Skins were soaked in running water for several days; then immersed in a lime and water solution for as long again, with an occasional 'stir of the pot' to remove hair and dirt. Next they were rinsed, stretched taut over a frame, and dried in the sun and scraped with pumice and water over and over again. When dry, the skin was cut from the frame and ready for use.

 

From here: http://www.newyorkcarver.com/scriptoria2A.htm

 

Sounds bout what I've heard of vellum. You might need a bigger animal than a squirrel if you're going to make anything worth your time. They say calf skin was the best for vellum.

[The Good Captain]

First, catch your kid goat ...

[jbb]

I bought a goat hide several years ago and experiemented with it a little. I didn't get very far but here's an example of what I did. If you want to buy a small piece of the skin to play with send me a PM.

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7060/6989875001_9b9ac40410_b.jpg

[Shaughn]

Some other sites that might be helpfull:

 

http://www.dedas.com/parchment/uk/recipe.html

 

http://www.pergamena.net/resources/faqs

 

If I only had time...

[encremental]

In 1999 the House of Commons in the UK voted to continue with the tradition of printing Acts of Parliament on vellum, but it was a close thing. A flavour of the arguments may be gained here. A compromise was reached in that it was decided that there should be one copy of the acts on vellum, and one on archival paper (whereas before there were two on vellum). And so a small yet curious industry was saved, although it cannot be said that British Goats were entirely happy with the decision. Probably too many ifs and butts.

 

John

Edited March 18, 2012 by encremental

[inkwell84]

I bought a goat hide several years ago and experiemented with it a little. I didn't get very far but here's an example of what I did. If you want to buy a small piece of the skin to play with send me a PM.

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7060/6989875001_9b9ac40410_b.jpg

 

thank you but I dont really want to buy an. I just want to know how to make it myself. However I love your artwork its beautiful. is that done with ink?

[inkwell84]

Making Vellum

 

Skins were soaked in running water for several days; then immersed in a lime and water solution for as long again, with an occasional 'stir of the pot' to remove hair and dirt. Next they were rinsed, stretched taut over a frame, and dried in the sun and scraped with pumice and water over and over again. When dry, the skin was cut from the frame and ready for use.

 

From here: http://www.newyorkcarver.com/scriptoria2A.htm

 

Sounds bout what I've heard of vellum. You might need a bigger animal than a squirrel if you're going to make anything worth your time. They say calf skin was the best for vellum.

 

thank you this really helps. now I just need some lime

[blackangus]

If there's a SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) group in your area, see if they have a percamenarius in their ranks.

[inkstainedruth]

If there's a SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) group in your area, see if they have a percamenarius in their ranks.

 

And if there isn't, there's an SCA Knight/Master of the Laurel in my general vicinity who has been been making vellum (in real life he was an art major in college and currently works doing set construction and decoration for the movie industry, which weirdly enough is kinda alive and semi-thriving in the Pittsburgh area). I can put him in touch with you if you like -- send me PM and I will try and get hold of him, but it would have to be in a few weeks because he's running a major SCA arts competition in the Buffalo, NY area in a couple of weeks and so kinda busy at the moment (as well as possibly working on a set).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[seriph]

http://www.johnnealbooks.com/prod_detail_list/87http://www.johnnealbooks.com/prod_detail_list/87

 

I support and applaud your drive to make things yourself .... all too often in our world, we squander our natural abilities in favour of buying rubbish that falls apart, which of course we can't fix because we have no idea how the thing was made in the first place .... that said, I reckon home made vellum may require chemicals and processes that are pretty dangerous due to (I think) it being related to the tanning process.

 

Will be keen to know how you get on though

 

I once saw a small book that was made completely from human skin and sinew .... that was a pretty off-putting experience.

Edited March 30, 2012 by seriph

[Bo Bo Olson]

Was just watching some program on German TV where they were showing parchment paper from 1,100+.

The curator said dog leather was best in dogs don't sweat and makes for the finest writing leather.

[professionaldilettante]

Was just watching some program on German TV where they were showing parchment paper from 1,100+.

The curator said dog leather was best in dogs don't sweat and makes for the finest writing leather.

Apparently it was pretty popular: http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-books-wrapped-in-human-skin.php

[The Good Captain]

Was just watching some program on German TV where they were showing parchment paper from 1,100+.

The curator said dog leather was best in dogs don't sweat and makes for the finest writing leather.

 

Did Twain use it to write Huckleberry Hound then?

[seriph]

... that Captain is a vellum funny fellum