Follow Up to January 4th Question

I posited the question in the January 4th entry concerning the thickness and fibre content of cereal boxes.  I didn't have a micrometer handy, so had to search for the answer through the internet.


Here's a link to the best information I found:  http://reviews.ebay.com/What-is-Chipboard_W0QQugidZ10000000007700031

"What is Chipboard? Chipboard is cardboard that is not corrugated. It is not particle board or made of wood chips in any way, instead made of recycled paper which is pressed into a paperboard. Though it does have a grain like wood, with one direction being more sturdy then the other, it is not wood. Cereal boxes, tissue boxes, fruit snack boxes, etc are all made of chipboard. Chipboard comes in two colors, Kraft and News. Kraft is brown and News is Grey. If you look inside your cereal boxes you can compare the colors.
White chipboard is clay-coated chipboard. The coating is applied to only one side of the board. The other side is either Kraft or News. Just like a cereal box you can see the white coating first and then the printer applies the colored ink over the clay-coating for the design.
There are many thicknesses of chipboard. The higher the number the thicker the chipboard is. A cereal box thickness is .022. We carry from .022 to .080, however, you can find chipboard from .012 to .120+. Some of the thicker chipboard is often referred to as book board, davey board, or pasted board. If you have no idea what thickness you need, samples are available.
Uses for chipboard

• Covers for albums - bound or loose
• Die cutting (sizzix, cuttlebug, cricut, etc)
• Scrapbooking - chipboard letters, numbers, titles, etc.
• Backing for notebooks or note pads
• Art projects - drawing and painting
• Graphic design projects
• Screen Printing "scraperboards"
• Stiffeners for mailing envelopes

This is just a short list of the many uses for chipboard. Use your imagination and the possibilities are endless. Samples are available. Some techniques will need to be practiced."

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Before moving on, please note that cereal box chipboard contains acid, which is harmful to pictures and other paper products used in scrap booking.  There are several products available that neutralized the acid, ranging from museum quality sprays (above $20 for several ounces) down to Krylon, Make It Acid Free ($10.00 for 6 oz)   I would think the Krylon deacidification spray would serve the purposes of most scrap booking projects, but have not tested it yet.  (I'll post an update to this in the near future.)  Acid-free chipboard is commercially available, but costs more than I want to pay.

In summary, once de-acified, cereal boxes can be used with the Cricut and other better die cutters and can stretch the crafting dollar until it squeaks!