My version is made from two sheets of 18 mm, hardwood,
waterproof, 'far eastern' plywood hinged with six stout 63 mm hinges.
The die plates were formed from epoxy resin coated onto
both sides of a piece of foundation. This was allowed to cure
producing a rigid epoxy plate which contained inside it, a sheet of
foundation.
This 'sandwich' was trimmed on its edges using a
'Dremel Tool' fitted with a thin abrasive
cutting disc... And a sandpaper block, until the wax was just visible
on all four edges. The trimmed epoxy/wax/epoxy plate was then glued in
position between the hinged plywood sheets using more epoxy resin and
many 'G' clamps ('C' cramps).
When the 'glue' had set the leaves of the 'book' were
prised gently and slowly apart starting at one corner. The resulting
plates were cleaned up using turpentine.
I took a great deal of care in stippling the resin into the
cells on the foundation sheet, but I was disappointed to find many
bubbles in the finished plates. As well as the surface imperfections
one corner broke off one of the plates...
more to come
Written... Summer 2000
Revised... 18 March 2002
