The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-04

The art of plaster casting is so simple
that with a little patience anyon may
acquire it and get the most effective re-
rults. 1t is an inexpensive amusement.
The plaster costs only 81 a barrel. and
enough may be had for 25 cents to last
the most enthusiastic amateur for
months.
For the beginner who is not accus-
toned to the freaks of plaster IS pet
ter to experiment on a cast before at
tempting to do anything from life. a
bas-relief is the best thing to practlce
on.
The first thing to consider in making
a cast of a land is to have the hand 10
be experimental with in the best pos
sible condition. The nails should pc
carefully shaped and the cuticle pressed
into Mace. The hand should be washed
in warm water, so that the muscles pc
come relaxed and the fingers supple. and
the cold tap run over it long enough 10
close the pores: rub the hand, and as
far up the arm as the cast IS 10 De
taken, with glyeerine. This will pre-
vent the plaster from sticking. Great
care should be taken not to let the
glyeerine escape any part. 1t should be
brushed under the finger nails with a
small camers hair brush.
The next and most important thing is
the mixing of the plaster.
For this take a large bowl and pour
the water into it, then sprinkle the plas-
ter in until it reaches the surface OF
the water. Stir briskly until the whole
Is of a uniform consistency 1t must
not. however, be stirred too long, or the
plaster loses its nature and will not
harden. When it is first mixed the plas-
ter should be like very thick cream
The hand upon which the glycerine has
been rubbed is then laid carelessly and
naturally upon a piece of old sheetlng
or a soft towel, which is dropped upon
the table. and allowed to assume its nat
ural pose. Then the plaster should be
taken out in a small teacup and poured
over the hand in as thin a coat as pos
sjble at first. so tina no air bubbles may
remain. The caster should blow the
plaster until every bit of air mas es-
capped.
After the hand is well covered with
the first coat, the rest OF the plastef
should be quickly added and evenly dis
tributed, until the cast is about TWO
inches thick. The hand should be kept
perfectly quiet until the plaster has SET
This takes about fifteen minutes. As
soon as the hand begins to feel the neat
of the plaster it should be carefully mt
ed up by the caster and turned over.
Then all the little bits of plaster "nlch
have leaked through between the myers
should be broken away by the CASTER
Sometimes a dull tool, such as a stone
cutters chisel, is of much assistance
and it must be remembered that all the
- ood tho SiTfRT IS
required to remove the hand without in
jury to the mold.
After the plaster has had ten or fifteen
minutes in which to set, the sitter may
begin TO wriggle and gradually work
the fingers without doing harm to the
rast. and though the hand appears to be
FIRMLY embedded in the plaster it Will
soon be felt to be breaking away II the
muscles of the fingers are firmly stretch
ed backward and forward.
once the hand is free the cast must
he placed where it will dry slowly. II
should not be touched for two or three
DAYS. Before the cast is made the moid
should be washed out with boiled OIL
and soap. This should be applied with
a soft brush, which will not injure the
fine lines in the mold. After the plaster
has set for the second time the outer
covering can be gently clipped out py
blunt stonecutter's chisel and a nam
mer. This destroys the mold, but shoufo
leave the cast perfect.
To mount the hand fill a small oblong
tray. which has been well rinsed with
either glyeerine or boiled oil, with plas-
ter of paris, and before it is quite hard
place the hand on the plaster SO that
the finger tips, wrist and palm just
become imbedded enough to adhere.
Should the caster be more ambitious,
and desire to east the hand in the round,
there are more problems to be dealt
with. Fill a tray with plaster and allow
1t to become half settled. Then immense
the hand, which must have been covered
palm is half imbedded in the plaster; let
the plaster set until it is perfectly nara,
and. with a soft brush, cover the surface
of the plaster all in between the fingers
and up about the wrist with boiled OIL
and soap, then cover the hand first with
thin plaster-not forgetting to blow out
the bubbles-and then with the thicker.
AS son as the hand begins to feel hot
the plaster is well set. The upper cover
Ing can be removed and the hand lifted
out. There are then two mold, one of
the palm of the hand and one of the
back. When these are dry they must be
brushed carefully with boiled oil and
soap and tied firmly together, care being
taken that the back of the fingers match
evenly with the front.
There should be no hole visible ex-
cepting at the wrist, but in case there
are any little cracks down the sides of
the fingers, where the molds come to-
gether, they may be filled with bits of
beeswax or gray clay.
The mold is now ready for the plaster,
which should be poured in at the wrist,
quite thin at. first, SO that it may read
ily be washed round and round until it
hardens in a thick crust on the inside,
gradually more and thicker plaster
should be applied until the cast is
solid. When it is set, the molds can be
easily separated, and the cast should be
allowed 10 dry. A little loop made out
Of iron wire. and inserted before the
master is set enables it to be hung
upon the wall
The casting of the face is no more
difficult than the casting of the hand,
If # is done in the proper way. 1t is
most simple to have the sitters lie on
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