Homemade Hectograph...!

Homemade Hectograph

Sometimes you think how wonderful it would be if you could get a number of copies of whatever you write! The carbon papers at the most, give you three to four copies at a time. But then there are times when you want more - say 40-50 Copies. Would, you like to know how to make them at a go? Come,we'll tell you here.

The apparatus used for this purpose is called hectograph.

Materials used for this are One tray or an empty biscuit can, art paper, plain paper to take out duplicate copies, one ounce gelatin, one ounce brown (Demerara) sugar, six ounce glycerine, 2.1/2 ounce barium sulphate, 1/4 ounce methyl violet aniline,1/4 ounce spirit, dilute hydrochloric acid.

To make it, first cut the gelatin pieces into smaller bits, Put three ounce of water in a pot and immerse these pieces for about 24 hours. Next day, mix glycerine into this solution and put the pot on strong heat.

Keep stirring it with a wooden stick. When the solution is sufficiently thick, mix sugar into it. Now separately mix barium sulphate in one ounce of water. Once mixed, pour it into the hot solution and mix all these properly to make a kind of thick paste.

Wash the tin plate properly and remove any traces of oil. Now pour this paste into it and spread equally in all the directions. Leave it until it gets dry and becomes like a thick rubber sheet.

Get to know how to make the ink also. Mix 1/4 ounce methyl violet aniline and 1/4 ounce spirit in 1/2 ounce water. Stir until aniline dissolves completely. Well, your ink is ready. Use this ink to write whatever you have to, on the art paper. Now take this sheet of paper and spread it on the hectograph with the writing facing downwards. Take care to avoid any wrinkles. Let it remain like this for about fifteen minutes and then remove. This is your master copy which will make further copies for you.

Take the papers on which you want to print this matter, put them on the hectograph one after the other and press them gently to get right impressions. However after 40-50 copies, it's impression would get quite dim. You'll have to stop there. But, if you want more copies you can use it again too. Mix water and hydrochloric acid in the ratio of 8:1. First wash the hectograph with this solution and then with water. When dry, you will find it ready again to serve