Learn to Build With Cardboard! STRONG, Waterproof, and Free!

We've seen NightHawkInLight around these parts before - or at least we've heard his voice.

In this video, he posits a few simple rules for building with cardboard...

• Direction matters - cardboard is not equally strong in all directions
• Layer for strength - laminate/glue multiple layers together for a strong material
• Glue then trim - glue the layers together before trimming them to size
• Wheat paste is awesome - It's an environmentally friendly glue - which he shows you how to make.
• Reinforce edges - Trim and fold over the cardboard facing to reinforce the edges
• Mixed materials - Small amounts of wood can be added for extra, targeted strength
• Face jointed reinforcement - again with the wood reinforcement
• Surface hardening - more wheat paste but as sizing not as glue
• Securing joints - use toothpicks to hold pieces in place until the wheat paste sets
• Utilize tensile strength - cardboard is strong in tension; use its strength
• Templates save time - if you're making dozens of the same piece, use a template
• Splice sheets perfectly - He shows a way to thin both sheets and splice two together.
• Fold sheets cleanly - sort of like the splicing
• Papercrete fiber recycling - Hey, a composite made of composites! This one is wheat paste and paper pieces - not ice.
• Panel jointery - Again, more tips for joining pieces together
• Improved jointery - seriously, more joining tips

Then he gets to how to waterproof the cardboard. One of the methods he suggests involves shellac - which I've blogged about before and is very much not vegan-friendly - with beeswax. The other is hot glue, beeswax, and mineral oil and looks to be way gloopier.

The last part of the video explores ways to make the waterproof coating UV-resistant, something that I never would have thought to be concerned with.

Honestly, this video is way more detailed about cardboard building than I ever would have guessed could be done.

Now I just need to go back in time and get grandpa to bring home some boxes from his Inland Container job in the 70's.