The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-22
CASTS OF PLASTER.
DESCRIPTION or AN IMPORTANT OIL
cA0O INDUSTRY.

cA0o INDUSTRY.
Hhst City and Miiwsukss supply the Ds-
1snd ~ the DATED States and Kngisnd
For Plaster Cast work-A Pssp Into
! One of ths NoissIsss workshops.
Chicago holds place in the world of
nrt which very fow people dream she pos
0sscs. The western metropolis IL the oen-
ter of trade and the market for all tina
decorative plaster cast work which In used
a0 The country. Chicago not only supplies
Ahe Mississippi valley and the west with
Sobies IN plaster from the masters, but
nsasly all OF the east.
The trade In Chicago has an able COM
pstitor In Milwaukee In the kind OF work
tufped out, but no such amount Of work
scmes from the casting shops Of that sister
sity ~ u turned out here. However, the
com binsd trade of Milwaukee and Chicago
= manages TO supply tbs demand Of all tho
Upited States end even that Of England.
The dirty italian psddler who goes from
MOUSE to house selling his little plaster
Wnusss and Dianas did not learn hls
tEsne In sunny naly. IL u not an impor-
I tDtion from HE native shoret. The pretty
I6upiss Of the bcauttful and fantastic In art
~ mot . breath OF some great foreign ar
ltaGl3c atmospheee brought here By the
Suum Of Roman and Nilanese streets. The
:plaster works Of art on sale In Chicago are
an indigenous product, the work Of native
hands and native thought.
~ There are at least dozen firms In opera
tion here. Tho work which they furnish
for the public includes not only tho little
sAatustsss, bas-rslisfs and busts which ara
familiar to the eyes Of pedestrians In shop
windows, but also the extensive decorative
work In plaster used In the construction
of buildings. s+.@
The trade Of the decorative plasterer. as
= thjs kind Of artist 10 known, IL simple, yet
1ntsrssting. The n,sn employed ara divid-
ID into two GLASSES, tho molders, or soulp-
tsss, and the casters.
The sculptors are men Of ability. They
pstRorm tho most important work In clay.
They originate tho designs and copy clay
Aguyes from the great masters. With deft
touch and idealistic thought they fashion
bsautiful bits Of work from the wet clay.
II Il work Of upbuilding. of fashioning
from the lifsless olay the laughing head
of woman or the sardonioal grin Of o
faun. The sculptor works only In clay
and models with bis blunt. fat pencil
great panels and strips Of graceful, decora-
tive work for the interior finish Of build
ings. On him hangs the responsibility and
On him depends all the success Of tho fu-
ture work. He is the inodeler Of designs
which the plasterers use as the matrices
Of innumerable copies.
When the model In clay is completed, 1T
10 laid aside for 48 hours to dry. During
that time tho water used In softening the
clay to make 1t malleable evaporates, leav-
ing the work of the sculptor almost as
hard and durable as marble. This stage In
plaster work IL called clay modelling
The design Is now ready for the casters
The clay model Is brushed with shellao and
prepared for the covering of gelatin glue
and the making Of the glue mold. The
model is covered first with SO called
shell. This is made Of plaster and fits over
the model like the full high cover Of fat
salad plate. An aperture Is then made In
the shell as 1t rests upon the model, and
into this aperture the liquid gelatin glue
Is poured. 1t flows around the intricate
design Of the model and Is left overnight
to harden.
In the morning, when the shell is re-
moved, this glue mold has hardened and
can itself be lifted entire from the clay
model beneath. 1t bears on it's underside
an exact imprint Of the model, and 1t has
the consistency Of piece Of soft india
rubber. 1t Is durable, however, and serves
as the mold from which the plaster casts
themselves are made.
Generally large clay models are taken
In sections, so that the glue mold Is of
manageable size. Into 1t Is poured the
liquid plaster, forming the head or arm or
figure In plaster the exact counterpart of
the clay.
The third stage, that of pouring the
plaster into the glue mold, requires a GER
tain amount Of dexterity and ncatness,
for the material hardcns quickly, and no
time can be lost. When model is made
In sections, the plaster imitation Is glued
together to make the whole and then COW
cred with shellac to protect 1t from soiling
by the dust and SCOT Of the atmosphere.
The workshop of the plaster molders Is
. curious place. No machinery whatever
is used in the work. No gigantic wheels
or buzzing saws make the room noisy
with theiv revolutions. Over In one corner
stand a stove and u big boiler, In which
the glue Is melted. This Is the only i'm
plement, besides tho tiny tools, which is
brought into work that Is essentially
work of the hands.
The tools are as rudo and immature as
those Of the aborigines. Yet no other tools
are needed. Those used by the sculptor
arc pieces Of fat, highly polished wood
9 or 8 inches in length and very blunt
Tools are also used upon the plaster cast
to round out sharp, harsh corners. These
are Of metal, 10 inches In length, fat,
pointed and fashioned with rows Of tiny
teeth on either side.
A certain kind of decorative work is
made by those plasterers which looks,
when completed, like wood. Instead of
plaster, a kind Of composition, the making
Of which II secret, Is used. This oompo-
sition when dry is grained. admits of the
introduction Of filling and IL susceptible of
ss high polish a. any hard wood. Deco.
rative work In this composition is used as
molding and other wall finishing, as the
caps Of wooden columns and In all tn,