Handmade paper production

1. Procurement and storage: Procurement of Lokta bark (Daphne bholua/D. papyracea), firewood, and packaging and labeling materials are done.

2. Soaking: The Lokta bark is soaked in a water tank for 5 to 12 hours. Generally, the Lokta bark is put in the tank in the evening and pulled out in the morning for further processing.

3. Cleaning and chopping: The outer layer of Lokta bark and other foreign materials are removed and Lokta bark is chopped into one foot pieces.

4. Baking: The cleaned pieces of Lokta bark are baked in cooking vat for 1 to 3 hours.

5. Cleaning: The caustic soda and other unwanted materials are washed away under running tap water.

6. Beating or grinding: The washed Lokta bark is ground with the beater machine and/or manually with wooden hammer to make a smooth and homogeneous pulp. It takes half to one hour to grind per shift of baked Lokta bark with the beater machine.

7. Setting frame on water tank: The paper making frame is set on water, and leveled with the water.

8. Pouring the pulp on frame: An approximate quantity of pulp is scaled with a container and poured onto the frame.

9. Leveling the pulp: The pulp is leveled on the frame so that paper becomes regular in thickness.

10. Sun drying: When the paper leveling is done and it sets on the frame, the frame is taken out for sun drying. It takes 15 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the thickness of paper and intensity of sunlight.

11. Collection of paper from the frame: When the handmade paper is dried, it is collected from the frame.

12. Packaging, labeling and storage: The paper is collected in safe place and 200 sheets of paper are put into a plastic bag. The package is labeled and kept in the storeroom.