This is a rather late notice, but the Marshville Heritage Society will be holding its annual Marshville Heritage Festival this Labour Day weekend, September 5th, 6th, and 7th, 2026, at the fairgrounds in Wainfleet, Ontario. The Mackenzie Printery & Newspaper… Read more ›
This is a rather late notice, but the Marshville Heritage Society will be holding its annual Marshville Heritage Festival this Labour Day weekend, September 5th, 6th, and 7th, 2026, at the fairgrounds in Wainfleet, Ontario. The Mackenzie Printery & Newspaper Museum, as part of the festival, will be hosting the print shop which is part of the permanent facilities on the fairgrounds. We will be running the Whitlock Pony press to print commemorative posters, the Ludlow will be hot to cast slugs with people’s names, the Adana press will be set up for you to print your own bookmark, and we will have various odds and ends for sale including some ephemera, old cuts (illustrations), and type cases. These items are all available in return for a donation to the Printery. There will be many other attractions at the Festival including an operating sawmill, music, food, crafts, old farm machinery on display (and some in operation), and a car show. You can check out the festival’s web site for more details. The fair is open from 10am to 5pm every day, admission is only $8, children 10 and under get in free, and there is plenty of free parking.
Equipment Acquisition, Repair, and Maintenance
The Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum maintains a Whitlock Pony press in Wainfleet, Ontario, in a building at the local Fairgrounds. Every Labour Day weekend, the Marshville Heritage Festival is held on the fairgrounds, and as part of that, we… Read more ›
The Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum maintains a Whitlock Pony press in Wainfleet, Ontario, in a building at the local Fairgrounds. Every Labour Day weekend, the Marshville Heritage Festival is held on the fairgrounds, and as part of that, we at the Museum run the Whitlock as well as other printing equipment. We have long had a few nagging minor issues with this press. One is that, on the second (delivery) rotation of the cylinder when the grippers open up, there is nothing holding the sheet to the cylinder except for the suction between the sheet and the tympan surface. This makes delivery unreliable because it is essentially relying on the inertia of the sheet of paper to keep it moving until it reaches the delivery tapes. With large sheets, the weight of the tail end of the sheet will pull the sheet back, where it will land on the returning bed and make a messy paper jam. On a somewhat similar (but much, much cleaner) Miehle press at the Howard Iron Works museum, there are idler rollers which apply a bit of pressure to hold the paper in place on the cylinder until it is delivered to the tapes. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4691" class="wp-image-4691 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery-895x1024.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="692" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery-895x1024.jpg 895w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery-262x300.jpg 262w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery-768x879.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery-1343x1536.jpg 1343w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery-100x114.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery-150x172.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery-200x229.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery-300x343.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery-450x515.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery-600x686.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery-900x1030.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rollers-prevent-sheet-slippage-on-delivery.jpg 1583w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Anti-slip rollers on Miehle press Similar rollers can be seen on some advertising of Whitlock presses, but these are hand-made illustrations and between the quality of reproduction, the possible artistic license on the illustrator’s part, and differences between marketing concepts and actual products, we can’t rely on these much. The second problem we have is that, once the grippers release the leading edge of the sheet, it must lift up enough to separate from the cylinder and slip over the paper support fingers to be guided to the delivery tapes. These fingers lower close to the cylinder to try to catch the sheet, but you can only set them so close before they risk snagging and tearing the tympan. The press currently relies essentially on the stiffness of the paper for it to lift and ride over the support fingers. This is fine for the paper we currently run, but if we try to print on softer paper, or when the paper is damp on a humid day, the edge of the sheet goes over some of the fingers and under others, ultimately becoming speared on them and shredded. The press actually has another set of fingers that are just under the leading edge of the sheet, and these are clearly intended to lift the edge to clear the support fingers. The lifters have to stay tight to the cylinder until the grippers release the sheet, then they should lift up a bit. Similar fingers are fitted on the Miehle at Howard Iron Works: <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4692" class="size-large wp-image-4692" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-751x1024.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="825" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-751x1024.jpg 751w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-220x300.jpg 220w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-768x1047.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-1127x1536.jpg 1127w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-1503x2048.jpg 1503w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-100x136.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-150x204.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-200x273.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-300x409.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-450x613.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-600x818.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-900x1226.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sheet-lifter-mechanism-captioned-scaled.jpg 1879w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Sheet lifters and part of their mechanism on the Miehle There is nothing on our press to operate these lifter fingers. There is a roller cam that, when pressed down, lifts the fingers (and thus the leading edge of the paper), but nothing to operate the cam. I had a general idea of how this mechanism would work and was considering cobbling together something home-made to accomplish the task. Well, two weekends ago when several of us, including Nick Howard, were in Wainfleet getting the press ready for this year’s Festival, someone, probably Nick, asked about the loose parts under the press. I pulled them out and, realizing that they might be the idler rollers we need, I brought the parts home for a cleanup. <img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4694" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_161017-1024x202.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="119" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_161017-1024x202.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_161017-300x59.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_161017-768x152.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_161017-1536x304.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_161017-2048x405.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_161017-100x20.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_161017-150x30.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_161017-200x40.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_161017-450x89.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_161017-600x119.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_161017-900x178.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" />There was a rod that spanned the width of our press, one bolt to affix it, two spring-mounted idler rollers, spring-mounted slitter blade, a collar, and what appeared to be one other random lever. The rollers, slitter, and collar have set screws to clamp their position on the rod, but the lever just has an oil hole, and so is free to rotate on the bar. I eventually realized that the lever is exactly what our press needed to operate the sheet lifters, and the collar is probably to keep it in position on the rod. During the week I made another identical bolt (as with many old press parts, the threads, ½-12TPI, are not a modern standard size) and last weekend brought the parts back to Wainfleet to try them on the press. This proved to be mostly a disappointment. First, the mounting location for this rod could not position the rollers and slitter in any position that could work properly, though the location seemed to position the sheet-lifter lever properly. The rollers must be somewhere between the leading-edge guides and the place where the sheet lifts away from the cylinder on delivery. Second, the rod was just a smidge too long to fit between the side frames of the press, maybe 0.01″ (0.25mm) too long. Under the press there was another shaft with reduced-diameter ends and three solid rollers which I had not brought home for cleaning. This shaft seems to be intended to fit in two saddles on the side frames so the rollers ride on the press cylinder under their own weight and can float up as needed. The shaft and rollers would rotate as a unit, and these seemed that they could also act as idler rollers to prevent the paper from slipping on delivery. The saddles would position them perfectly for this purpose. But as with the other shaft, this one was a tad too long to fit in its home. We could have used a file to shorten the rods a bit, but given that both shafts are too long I assume that the problem is with the position of the end frames. The press was working well enough for the Festival and we didn’t want to break it, so we left it at that. After the Festival we will see if the end frames can be loosened and moved apart just enough to allow the two shafts to be installed.
One of the larger tororo-aoi plants seems to be dying back and losing all its leaves, though the pods are still on it and some are showing signs of ripening. The other large plants seem fine, so I don’t know… Read more ›
One of the larger tororo-aoi plants seems to be dying back and losing all its leaves, though the pods are still on it and some are showing signs of ripening. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-4686 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-597x1024.jpg" alt="" width="597" height="1024" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-597x1024.jpg 597w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-175x300.jpg 175w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-768x1317.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-896x1536.jpg 896w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-1194x2048.jpg 1194w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-100x171.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-150x257.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-200x343.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-300x514.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-450x772.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-600x1029.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-900x1543.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132310-scaled.jpg 1493w" sizes="(max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px" />The other large plants seem fine, so I don’t know what’s bothering this one. One of the other large plants has a fully-ripe pod on it: <img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4687" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132321-546x1024.jpg" alt="" width="546" height="1024" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132321-546x1024.jpg 546w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132321-160x300.jpg 160w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132321-100x188.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132321-150x281.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132321-200x375.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132321-300x563.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132321-450x844.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132321-600x1125.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260826_132321.jpg 601w" sizes="(max-width: 546px) 100vw, 546px" />As the pods ripen, they dry out and split, and, I assume, eventually open up to disperse the seeds. As they ripen I’ll be harvesting them and keeping them in the sunroom to dry them out to avoid mould growth, and at the end of the season I’ll strip out all the seeds. I will be doing the same for the smaller plants, which have smaller pods and smaller seeds. Although I originally mused about cross-pollination experiments, the flowers shift from bud form, open up, and wilt away all within a day, and careful twice-daily inspections would be needed. Instead I took the lazy route and, once the small plants started flowering, I removed all flowers and buds from the large plants. I think I forgot to mention it, but the direct-seeded plants are now in full bloom as well as the plants started indoors. The plants pretty much shade all the ground so weed growth is minimized and I’ve been managing to keep this garden clean.
Howard Iron Works Print Expo & Fair 2026
Howard Iron Works will once again be holding its Print Expo & Fair, this year on Saturday, September 26th from 10am-4pm. This is the eighth fair since starting in 2018 (skipping one year but including one virtual year due to… Read more ›
Howard Iron Works will once again be holding its Print Expo & Fair, this year on Saturday, September 26th from 10am-4pm. This is the eighth fair since starting in 2018 (skipping one year but including one virtual year due to the COVID-19 epidemic). Along with about 15 or 20 other vendors of book arts materials and finished works, we will have a table at the fair selling our wares, including our handmade paper and marbling. If you order a few days ahead we can also bring along your order so you can avoid shipping costs. In addition to the vendors, there are usually demonstrations and workshops—check the above link for updates—and of course, you can visit the museum where several pieces orf printing equipment will be running with many hands-on activities. The fair will be held at 800 Westgate Road in Oakville, Ontario, which is just west of Toronto and Mississauga. This is about a 15-minute walk from the Bronte Go station if you want to take public transit. Admission is free and the location is fully accessible.
The Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum in Queenston, Ontario has a small Albion press which needs a bit of work to get it into top form. The pull handle does not retract all the way when released, so it interferes… Read more ›
The Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum in Queenston, Ontario has a small Albion press which needs a bit of work to get it into top form. The pull handle does not retract all the way when released, so it interferes with opening the frisket frame. Over the years this has chewed up the pull handle a bit. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4668" class="wp-image-4668 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail-1024x591.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="349" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail-1024x591.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail-300x173.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail-768x443.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail-1536x886.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail-100x58.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail-150x87.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail-200x115.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail-450x260.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail-600x346.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail-900x519.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail.jpg 1645w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Pull handle damage from frisket frame. Bare wood is modern damage, but you can see older damage a bit to the left, though the latter might be due to not cranking the bed all the way out before opening the frisket The handle is not retracting all the way because the pivot end is striking one of the bolts that hold the platen to the column. The bottom of the column actually has a land cut into it to place the nut a bit lower so the handle clears it, but the pull handle is hitting the bolt that extends above the nut. I think that ultimately this bolt will have to be shortened so it is flush with the top of the nut. In the process of working on this problem I found that the spring mechanism that is supposed to hold the column and platen up (when the handle is released) was not up to the task. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4669" class="wp-image-4669 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail2-436x1024.jpg" alt="" width="436" height="1024" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail2-436x1024.jpg 436w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail2-128x300.jpg 128w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail2-100x235.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail2-150x352.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail2-200x469.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail2-300x704.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail2-450x1056.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_detail2.jpg 527w" sizes="(max-width: 436px) 100vw, 436px" /> A spring and eye bolt in this brass tube pull up on the column At the top of the press there is a long eye bolt with a heavy spring and adjusting nut, all enclosed in a decorative brass tube, which pulls up on the column via the large pin seen in the lower part of the above photo. For reasons unknown (wear, lax original manufacturing tolerances?) the adjusting nut was no longer able to hold against the eye bolt. Disassembling things, I found that I could pretty much just slide the nut along the threaded shaft of the eye bolt. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4670" class="wp-image-4670 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142553-1024x485.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="287" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142553-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142553-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142553-768x363.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142553-1536x727.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142553-2048x969.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142553-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142553-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142553-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142553-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142553-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142553-900x426.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> The eye bolt and (L-R) the original nut, a test nut cut in HDPE, and a steel blank for the replacement nut The eye bolt is clearly forged. You can see how a bar was wrapped around a mandrel and forge-welded to itself to form the shank of the bolt. The forge-weld seam is visible extending partway down the shank from the eye. About half the length of the shank was then forged round, and a thread cut into it, probably using a threading die. Because of wear, and this predating modern standardized thread sizes, determining the actual thread size, especially its nominal diameter, was difficult. It has 11½ threads per inch, so the closest designation I could guess was 9/16-11½. Taps for this size just don’t exist. I considered making a new eye bolt to a modern size, but this is a historic artifact in a museum, so I wanted to use as many original parts as possible, which meant making a new nut to match this oddball thread. I had to cut the internal thread on the replacement nut using single-point threading on my lathe. At some point I mistakenly thought this was 12½ threads per inch, so I was working out how to set up special change gears on my lathe to get this, when a test measurement on the lathe revealed my confusion and that, amazingly, the lathe could actually do 11½TPI with the standard change gears!<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4671" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142639-300x142.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="142" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142639-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142639-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142639-768x363.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142639-1536x727.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142639-2048x969.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142639-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142639-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142639-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142639-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142639-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142639-900x426.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />For the lathe cutting tool, I started with a tap for ½NC13 (a modern standard thread) and ground off all but one tooth. I also ground down on either side of the remaining tooth because the thread I was cutting was a bit coarser than 13TPI so the tooth needed to be wider and cut deeper. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4672" class="size-medium wp-image-4672" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142615-300x142.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="142" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142615-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142615-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142615-768x363.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142615-1536x727.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142615-2048x969.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142615-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142615-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142615-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142615-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142615-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260716_142615-900x426.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> The modified tap mounted as an internal threading tool on my lathe I did two test nuts, the first in HDPE, which is butter soft and easy to cut, and the second in aluminum, before tackling the final steel nut. I had already made the blank on the lathe, and used a rotary table on my mill to cut the hexagonal shape on the outside. The final cutting process involved successive passes, cutting a couple of thousandths of an inch deeper each time, until the eye bolt would thread into the nut. Normally when threading on the lathe one uses an angled compound feed so only one side of the V groove is being cut, but on my lathe this introduces more play and more opportunities for mistakes so I opted for straight feed. After each pass, I had to retract the carriage two inches (the least common multiple of the 11½ thread pitch and the 8TPI pitch of the lathe feed screw), so I spent a lot of time “cutting air”. I also took light cuts because I did not want to risk breaking my cutting tool, so overall the process was quite time-consuming. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4673" class="size-medium wp-image-4673" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260719_155628-300x142.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="142" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260719_155628-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260719_155628-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260719_155628-768x363.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260719_155628-1536x727.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260719_155628-2048x969.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260719_155628-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260719_155628-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260719_155628-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260719_155628-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260719_155628-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260719_155628-900x426.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> The new nut threaded onto the eye bolt The finished nut still had tight spots on the eye bolt (though not so tight as to need a wrench), and was probably a really sloppy fit in terms of normal machining tolerances, but it fit well enough to do the job. I also made a replacement for the plain washer that was between the nut and spring. The replacement has a shoulder to hold the spring centered, and a slight boss so the nut can be adjusted without scraping the top of the washer. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4674" class="size-medium wp-image-4674" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Washer-300x120.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="120" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Washer-300x120.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Washer-1024x408.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Washer-768x306.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Washer-1536x612.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Washer-2048x816.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Washer-100x40.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Washer-150x60.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Washer-200x80.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Washer-450x179.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Washer-600x239.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Washer-900x359.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Combined washer/spring seat (top and bottom views) I now have the column, pull handle, toggle mechanism, and platen all assembled on the press again. The original nut and washer have just been placed loosely on the top of the eye bolt to preserve them<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4675" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-142x300.jpg" alt="" width="142" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-142x300.jpg 142w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-485x1024.jpg 485w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-768x1623.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-727x1536.jpg 727w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-969x2048.jpg 969w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-100x211.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-150x317.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-200x423.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-300x634.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-450x951.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-600x1268.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-900x1902.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260808_122519-scaled.jpg 1211w" sizes="(max-width: 142px) 100vw, 142px" /> The pull handle now retracts properly again, though it still strikes the platen bolt. There is still something uneven between the platen, bed, and frisket frame, and I want to take some careful measurement here before I actually shorten the one platen bolt to its final length.
The tororo-aoi plants I’m growing come from several seed sources, with one producing plants much obviously larger than the others. Up until now only the larger plants had bloomed, and they now have several very large seed pods on them.… Read more ›
The tororo-aoi plants I’m growing come from several seed sources, with one producing plants much obviously larger than the others. Up until now only the larger plants had bloomed, and they now have several very large seed pods on them. But finally, the smaller plants have started blooming, at least the ones seeded indoors, though the direct-seeded plants are still behind in development. This variety seems to produce numerous flower buds from a single spot at the growing tip of the plant, and the flowers are noticeably larger than the ones on the larger plant. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4662" class="wp-image-4662 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-574x1024.jpg" alt="" width="574" height="1024" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-574x1024.jpg 574w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-168x300.jpg 168w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-768x1369.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-862x1536.jpg 862w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-1149x2048.jpg 1149w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-100x178.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-150x267.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-200x356.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-300x535.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-450x802.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-600x1069.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-900x1604.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260723_170037-scaled.jpg 1436w" sizes="(max-width: 574px) 100vw, 574px" /> Buds on one of the smaller plants on July 23rd. I count at least ten buds here. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4663" class="size-medium wp-image-4663" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726-249x300.jpg" alt="" width="249" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726-249x300.jpg 249w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726-850x1024.jpg 850w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726-768x925.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726-1276x1536.jpg 1276w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726-100x120.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726-150x181.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726-200x241.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726-300x361.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726-450x542.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726-600x723.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726-900x1084.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260801_095726.jpg 1381w" sizes="(max-width: 249px) 100vw, 249px" /> Large flower on small plant, August 1st. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4664" class="size-medium wp-image-4664" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260806_105538-300x140.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="140" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260806_105538-300x140.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260806_105538-1024x477.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260806_105538-768x358.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260806_105538-1536x715.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260806_105538-2048x954.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260806_105538-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260806_105538-150x70.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260806_105538-200x93.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260806_105538-450x210.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260806_105538-600x279.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260806_105538-900x419.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Most of the indoor-seeded small plants are now in bloom, August 6th. In order to avoid cross-pollination, I’m now removing any flower buds from the larger plants. These plants already have plenty of seed pods for me to collect when they ripen.
My last post, from four days ago, only showed details of some of the plants. Here is what the tororo-aoi patch looks like overall: The difference between the four larger plants, the smaller indoor-sprouted medium plants, and the smallest direct-seeded… Read more ›
My last post, from four days ago, only showed details of some of the plants. Here is what the tororo-aoi patch looks like overall: <img class="aligncenter wp-image-4657 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115346-1024x361.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="213" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115346-1024x361.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115346-300x106.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115346-768x271.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115346-1536x542.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115346-2048x722.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115346-100x35.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115346-150x53.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115346-200x71.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115346-450x159.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115346-600x212.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115346-900x317.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" />The difference between the four larger plants, the smaller indoor-sprouted medium plants, and the smallest direct-seeded plants is evident. I’m also managing an uncharacteristically (for me) good job of controlling the weeds. The largest plant in the centre has a pod about 15cm long: <img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4658" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-180x300.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-180x300.jpg 180w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-615x1024.jpg 615w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-768x1280.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-922x1536.jpg 922w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-1229x2048.jpg 1229w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-100x167.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-150x250.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-200x333.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-300x500.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-450x750.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-600x1000.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-900x1500.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260715_115407-scaled.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px" />This is the same plant that was in the third photo in the previous post. The smaller plants are just developing flower buds, and it looks like the flowers will be smaller, but more numerous, occurring in clusters of about three. Both these photos, especially the second one, show a strange yellow colour cast. This is due to smoke from wildfires (I don’t know why they stopped calling them “forest fires”) in northern Ontario, beyond Thunder Bay. This made for other strange visual effects because the colour is often what the sky looks like when it is about to start raining. It also made the (normally white) instruments on the car’s instrument panel look very purple.
Some of my tororo-aoi plants are already producing flowers, about 3 weeks after transplanting into the garden. The flowers don’t last long so I don’t have a photo of one in full bloom yet, but in one of the photos… Read more ›
Some of my tororo-aoi plants are already producing flowers, about 3 weeks after transplanting into the garden. The flowers don’t last long so I don’t have a photo of one in full bloom yet, but in one of the photos you can see the dropped blossom with the young seed pod on the plant.<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4649" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-210x300.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-210x300.jpg 210w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-715x1024.jpg 715w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-768x1100.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-1073x1536.jpg 1073w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-1430x2048.jpg 1430w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-100x143.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-150x215.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-200x286.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-300x430.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-450x644.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-600x859.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-900x1289.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154337-scaled.jpg 1788w" sizes="(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px" /><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4650" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-238x300.jpg" alt="" width="238" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-238x300.jpg 238w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-814x1024.jpg 814w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-768x966.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-1221x1536.jpg 1221w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-1627x2048.jpg 1627w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-100x126.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-150x189.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-200x252.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-300x378.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-450x566.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-600x755.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409-900x1133.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154409.jpg 1908w" sizes="(max-width: 238px) 100vw, 238px" /><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4653" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-205x300.jpg" alt="" width="205" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-205x300.jpg 205w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-700x1024.jpg 700w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-768x1124.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-1049x1536.jpg 1049w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-1399x2048.jpg 1399w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-100x146.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-150x220.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-200x293.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-300x439.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-450x659.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-600x878.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-900x1317.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260710_154345-scaled.jpg 1749w" sizes="(max-width: 205px) 100vw, 205px" />These flowers are all on the four of the plants that are by far outgrowing the others, and I believe these are the ones sprouted from the old seeds I had purchased from Richter’s. All the plants are the same species, but I expect it comes in different varietals (just as tomato plants come in different varietals to produce different tomatoes), and this particular one is bred for big plants with showy flowers. The other seeds would be bred to produce larger roots, since that is the part used for making neri. Once the smaller plants start to produce flowers and pods, I’ll leave all the flowers to coexist for a while, then I’ll start removing the flower buds from these larger plants. As a result I should get large-plant seeds from the early pods on the large plants, small-plant seeds from the later pods on the small plants, and various hybrids from the pods produced when all plants were in bloom. I may also start trimming back some of the large plants so I can see in the fall if this makes them produce larger roots.
This year, after my encouraging results in workshops both at Bishop’s University last August and in Japan this March, I wanted to try growing my own tororo-aoi plants again. The roots of this plant are used to produce neri, a… Read more ›
This year, after my encouraging results in workshops both at Bishop’s University last August and in Japan this March, I wanted to try growing my own tororo-aoi plants again. The roots of this plant are used to produce neri, a slimy formation aid used in Japanese-style papermaking. I had previously grown some in 2007 in my vegetable garden with moderate success, using seeds I obtained from Tim Barrett at the IAPMA conference in Banff, and also in 2017 in my front garden using seeds from various sources. The 2007 effort gave me several good roots, some of which I’ve used and some of which are still in the freezer. I have yet to thaw them to see if they still produce good neri after 19 years frozen. The more recent crop yielded almost no useful roots, but I don’t know if the problem was growing conditions, soil quality, or plant variety. This time, I have seeds from at least four sources: From the 2017 season I had seeds left over from Richter’s and from AliExpress. From the workshop at Bishop’s University, I had seeds provided by Alex (the workshop lead) and seeds that we had gathered from the 2025 crop during the workshop. I planted the seeds in a covered tray under grow lights on May 6th, and by the 14th they had pretty much all sprouted. I had thought the seed coats would need nicking so I cut a chunk of the seed coat on half the seeds, but it appears this was unnecessary, and perhaps even detrimental as some of the sprouts pushed themselves up instead of pushing their root into the soil. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4640" class="wp-image-4640 size-medium" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-300x224.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="224" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-300x224.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-768x575.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-1536x1149.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-2048x1532.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-100x75.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-150x112.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-200x150.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-450x337.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-600x449.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-900x673.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> May 16th, 10 days after seeding: Sprouts from 10 seeds each, left-to-right, gathered at the workshop, from Alex at the workshop, from Richter’s, and from AliExpress The seeds from Richter’s were two or three times larger diameter than the other seeds but the seedlings did not seem much different once they started to grow. These plants produce a strong taproot so I wanted to get them out of this tray into deeper soil as soon as possible. I also wanted to be able to transplant them into the garden with minimal root disturbance (it was still too early in spring to put them out). To this end, I used cardboard toilet-paper rolls, split lengthwise, held closed with a couple of elastic bands, and filled with potting soil. I put one plant in each tube and kept them well-watered until transplanting outside.<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4641" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-300x215.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="215" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-300x215.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-1024x735.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-768x552.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-1536x1103.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-2048x1471.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-100x72.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-150x108.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-200x144.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-450x323.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-600x431.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-900x646.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />I still had old seeds left over so I seeded them back into the tray, and they sprouted within five days: <img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4642" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-173x300.jpg" alt="" width="173" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-173x300.jpg 173w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-589x1024.jpg 589w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-768x1334.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-884x1536.jpg 884w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-1179x2048.jpg 1179w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-100x174.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-150x261.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-200x347.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-300x521.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-450x782.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-600x1042.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-900x1564.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-scaled.jpg 1473w" sizes="(max-width: 173px) 100vw, 173px" />On May 31st, when we were sure of no frost, I transplanted these all into our front garden. I had placed them outside a few days ahead to harden off a bit in the windy weather. Unfortunately most of the plants from the second round did not survive the handling during transplanting: the stems are still crisp and easy to snap, and at one point the wind blew the tray over, damaging many of the plants. The ones in the cardboard tubes went in fine, though, and after a couple of days to see what survived I direct-seeded into the gaps. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4643" class="size-medium wp-image-4643" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-300x142.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="142" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-1024x484.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-768x363.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-1536x727.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-2048x969.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-900x426.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Some of the direct-seeded plants, about 7 days after seeding In the end I have 30 plants growing. The 11 direct-seeded ones are of course smaller than the 19 transplanted ones, but also there are three or four transplanted ones that are clearly larger than the rest. In the process of all the transplanting I did not keep track of which plants came from which seeds, but these may have come from the larger seeds from Richter’s. Once the plants set fruit and the pods ripen I can see if these plants also produce larger seeds. The first pods on the first-flowering plant will be pure-bred but most of the pods will be hybrids between the plants. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4644" class="size-medium wp-image-4644" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-297x300.jpg" alt="" width="297" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-297x300.jpg 297w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-1015x1024.jpg 1015w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-768x775.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-1522x1536.jpg 1522w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-100x101.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-150x151.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-200x202.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-300x303.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-450x454.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-600x605.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-900x908.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300.jpg 1908w" sizes="(max-width: 297px) 100vw, 297px" /> The front garden on June 24th The goal is, of course, not larger seeds but larger roots. Come harvest time I will be weighing the plants and the roots to see if there is any correlation between the source of the seed (as well as I can determine that) and the yield, and keeping seeds from the plants that produced the best roots. The one conclusion so far is that these seeds will keep for many years and still give excellent germination rates. Their main requirement is sufficiently warm soil. The direct-seeded plants showed about 80% germination rate, similar to the seeds planted indoors. The transplanting took its toll, though, giving an overall 50% survival rate from seed to live plant (not including the total loss of the second indoor planting). On the other hand, the transplants have several weeks’ additional growth and so I would assume will result in larger plants and larger roots.
We will be holding our Introductory Papermaking workshop on Saturday, August 15th, 2026. The workshop runs from 9am to 4pm with a 1-hour lunch break, at our shop in New Dundee, Ontario. The cost for the workshop is $80 plus… Read more ›
We will be holding our Introductory Papermaking workshop on Saturday, August 15th, 2026. The workshop runs from 9am to 4pm with a 1-hour lunch break, at our shop in New Dundee, Ontario. The cost for the workshop is $80 plus HST, for a total of $90.40, including materials.