Posted by E B Jones on January 10, 2000 at 20:56:03:
I wrote this same message in answer to a quest for target paper that will punch instead of tear with pellets. I have further
experimented and those results are at the bottom.
I printed some targets from one of the web sites on 20# bond fanfold computer paper. I had the problem of tearing instead of
punching. IDEA!! I experimented with baking the paper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, place about six sheets on the top
shelf and allow it to bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Pull them out when they turn a very light brown. I find they punch real well, and
the paper is readily available on my dot matrix printer. Warning! Keep an eye on the paper or you might have a fire in your
oven.
Originally I spread the printed targets out on the upper rack and the result put stripes on the paper from the rack. Today, I
stacked up thirteen preprinted targets (you could add more if you wanted) on top of a broiler pan in a preheated 300 degree
oven, and let them bake for about an hour. I then turned the oven up to 400 degrees and watched until the top sheet turned a
light brown. This way you can do more sheets at a time without the distracting stripes. The pellets punch very clean holes, and
you can have a multitude of targets to choose from without having to buy 100 or more of each. You also might try your own
experiments with heat and time. Good luck!
Posted by Heark on January 11, 2000 at 21:24:31:
Keep the temp under 450 and you should be fine,
papers not sposed to burn till 451 if i recall correctly.
Heark
Posted by rmw on January 12, 2000 at 12:23:48:
Paper which hasn't been dried out, which is what the baking does, will ignite at around 451F. However, as the paper
carbonizes, it may ignite at lower temperatures, hence the framing member in a house that catches fire after years of being
slightly heated by an electrical cord. It's ignition point was lowered to where it finally caught on fire.
As a former fire/explosion investigator, I would love, really love to be a little mouse if this ever starts a fire in someone's home
and listen in as they explain what they were doing! "You were cooking what in your oven?" I imagine an insurance adjuster
would also love this one, so I'd keep copies of these postings if for no other reason than to document that this was in fact the
intent. If you put a bunch of paper in your oven and it catches on fire and you claim insurance, and that is your intent, then that is
considered arson and that is a crime. However, if you put a bunch of paper targets in your oven to make them crispy, it may be
dumb, but dumb isn't a felony!...bg!
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