odd question for the artists on the board

[La Principessa]

I volunteer at a local retirment community one weekend a month. I help with the activity people and visit with the residents and help them with various craft activities that they do there.

They are planning on having a craft fair to help raise money and asked me if I would do some plaster of paris molds for them to paint. They gave me these mold (very heavy) and an 8lb tub of plaster of paris mix.

Now my odd question is....how does the figure come out of the mold?? Won't the plaster bond the mold together? Do I need to coat the mold in something first?? So it doesn't stick together??

Please help! The activity people really didn't know the answers. I have to pour the plaster into these molds and wait. That's all they told me....I don't want to ruin the molds though!!! I don't want to let the residents down.

Thanks!!!

 

[perks]

vaseline, you need to coat it with a layer of vaseline, not too thick or it will distort your sculpture, but not to thin either.

 

[La Principessa]

thank you so very much Ms Duck..

do you think that (and this was an idea of my husbands) using a spray like PAM would work?

God, what have I gotten myself into?!?!?

 

[riff]

Try Astroglide or KY.

 

[T.H. Oughts]

vaseline, you need to coat it with a layer of vaseline, not too thick or it will distort your sculpture, but not to thin either.

What Perky said Make sure the vaseline is washed off well or the paint you are using it might not stick.

 

[La Principessa]

Try Astroglide or KY.

sorry riff, but this suggestion kind of falls................short!

 

[riff]

I am a sculptor in my own mind.

I think it's great that you help out at the retirement home. Old people are cool- well most of the time.

 

[La Principessa]

well, they're health care unit took great care of my father at the time of his death. He had a CVA and we took him there for convelescence. Then he had a massive heart attack and another stroke (one right after the other).

They took wonderful care of him and were very helpful to my family during that time. I figure it's the least I could do to say thank you.

The residents really enjoy the extra attention from an "outsider".

 

[ToddHwrd]

Well I'm not an artist but be careful what you do with that vaseline, you know it is a retirement home

 

[La Principessa]

Dork!

no...I have the molds here at home! then I will take the figurines back to the facility for the residents to paint....I'll do it after work every so often.

Men!!!

 

[La Principessa]

just for good measure....

Well I'm not an artist but be careful what you do with that vaseline, you know it is a retirement home

DORK!

 

[ToddHwrd]

Re: just for good measure....

DORK!

There you go again with the name calling........What is up with that?.......

 

[perks]

Pam won't work. Vaseline is tried and true.

don't forget, after you fill your molds with the plaster, to tap them to get the bubbles out.'

air pockets suck.

 

[cyn1959]

YES take the advice of one who knows...vaseline is the way to go 100% but if your mold has alot of creases in it, like if there are figures with say grecian robes, you have to be careful with those creases....fill them with the vaseline and you'll get plain old flat surface! The same goes for other body parts but we won't get into that, even tho it's an elderly residence...though some of those persons of age sure do continue to fuck. Never underestimate the longevity of the human libido, LOL

Cynthia Zane

 

[T.H. Oughts]

don't forget, after you fill your molds with the plaster, to tap them to get the bubbles out.'

air pockets suck.

When doing plaster molds and when making chocolates I use a small paintbrush and paint the plaster or chocolate onto the mold first in a thin layer and then pour the rest in it. Painting first helps give a smooth surface without open bubbles also

 

[perks]

When doing plaster molds and when making chocolates I use a small paintbrush and paint the plaster or chocolate onto the mold first in a thin layer and then pour the rest in it. Painting first helps give a smooth surface without open bubbles also

yep, or just pour a bit in and rock it into all the crevices and then fill it after...still need to tap it for internal bubbles.