We sell two sizes of conical strainers, sometimes called “China caps,” which are used in papermaking for removing water from pulp and fibres. These are available in two sizes, 20cm (8″) and 30cm (12″).
The two sizes of strainers we sell. These are ones used in our workshop and so are not so clean and shiny as the ones we sell.
Each consists of a cone of perforated metal with a small cap covering the tip of the cone, and a hoop, handle, and hook at the top. There are also five small ribs running down the outside of the cone. The screen cone is rigid enough to not need any additional support, so the ribs seem to be there mostly to allow air to escape from the pail the strainer is in as the water drains. The strainers are made entirely of stainless steel, with welded joints so they are very durable.
Top view inside the cone of the large strainer
Side view of the large strainer. The perspective makes the cone appear shorter than it actually is.
These will allow some fine fibres through, at least until they get coated with coarser fibres. If you want to trap finer fibres, you can line the cone with a layer of finer screening, such as the papermill screening we sell.
Our most common use for these is when we are draining and cleaning out our Hollander beater. We drain the beater through the strainer, and return the drained water back to the beater to rinse out remaining pulp. By doing this several times we can get the beater completely clean with no lost fibre and no extra water required.