Wheatpasting

Wheatpaste, otherwise known as Marxist glue, due to its affinity to being used by leftwing organizations, can be used to stick paper onto a wall, and with luck, it’ll stay there for a long time, especially if cooked and applied right. Wheatpaste is made extremely easily with common household items, and can be made in ten minutes flat. The basic principle behind it is the mixture of flour and water to make a thick sticky paste, that when dry acts as; you guessed it, glue. The actual process comprises of the following:

1. measure out 1 cup of water and 3 tablespoons of flour
2. set the water on the stove, but don’t let it boil
3. mix the 3 tablespoons of flour with a bit of water, to make a creamy consistency, make sure there are no lumps, because those are a hassle
4. once the water is almost boiling, add the flour/water mixture to the almost boiling water and mix thoroughly
5. bring the water/flour mixture to a gentle boil, letting it bubble for a minute or two

Now its done. Pour it off into something and clean the pan and you are set. There are various other things you can do to the wheatpaste, such as add sugar for strength, or add some wood glue, but that’s just some people. I keep it simple.

As for application, I find the easiest method is to pour it into one of those squeezy ketchup bottles so you can squirt it on a wall, then using a brush to smooth it out. Otherwise a jam jar full of it and a paintbrush will do just fine. For proper application, apply a layer of wheatpaste behind the paper, place the paper down, and then apply another layer of wheatpaste to make sure it sticks well. Make sure to cover all the edges so no one can rip down the wheatpaste. It should dry in a couple of hours, and hopefully be permanent.

You can paste up pretty much any kind of paper, but the best kind is thin newsprint paper, or anything thin pretty much. Even thicker paper works, but its hard to keep all the edges down. There you have it, how to make and use wheatpaste. Now go color up our cities please.

from Rioter's Block # 7