The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-08-19
AMATEUR SCULPTORS
THEY NEED COOL HEADS AND FIRST
GLASS PLASTER.

How Ornaments For the Home Can
he Made ~ the Beginner Has LIT
tie ingenuity and PatIence--CRst of
the Baby's Hand.
Few people realize the pleasure and
instruction that can be gained from
making plaster casts. II Is Inexpensive,
and the utensils required are found In
every household. a cast of the baby's s
chubby hand or foot or, in fact, cast
of any kind is not only II delight, but
an ornament. The great secret I'm max
ing successful plaster casts lies In not
getting excited. Care should be used
when getting the plaster that II be
plaster of paris and that it be bought
from some shop where it Is sure to be
fresh, as that which is obtained from
drug store is apt to be stale and viii
not set properly.
A few quarts Of plaster should be
sufficient for first attempt. A bucket
of water, a tin basin, a tin spoon, some
oil or soapsuds and. II possible, some
common modelling clay and a bottle of
ink are all the materials required. a
mold Is first taken of the object, aud
when this is filled it gives the cast.
There are two kinds of casts-thOse
where only part of the object is shown,
the other part resting on n tile or
plaque, and those that show the whole
object or are in the round" The hand
Is about as simple an object as can he
found and is more interesting than
most things. AS the hand on the tile
is the easiest, It would be well to start
with that. Place a sheet of paper on
table and then grease the hand thor
oughly with the oil or thick soapsuds
to prevent the plaster from sticking to
the skin when removing the mold.
When the hand is placed In the posi-
tion wanted, fill the spaces underneath
Il, where IL does not touch the table,
with clay, or IL clay cannot be obtained
use putty. 1t Is convenient to make Il
small wall of clay around the object to
prevent the plaster from running, but
II is not necessary. Put about quart
of cold water in the basin and pour the
plaster into It, stir quietly and keep the
spoon under water to avoid making
bubbles. Use enough plaster to make
II the consistency of batter. If little
salt is added or hot water instead Of
cold Is used, the plaster will harden or
set more quickly. A small quantity OF
ink or any coloring matter will make II
easier to distinguish the mold from the
cast and will also make it more brittle
or rotten and easier TO separate the
two. Pour the plaster over the hand,
taking care that there are no bubbles,
until 1t Is about half an inch thick. 1t
will require few minutes for 1t to set
and Is ready 20 lift Off when 1t can be
scratched with knife. 1t is easier to
turn the hand and mold up and lift
the hand out than to take the mold Off
the hand. If any plaster has run under
the fingers, cut 1t away with a dull
knife.
Should the hand not come out easily,
working the fingers separately will Of
ten loosen them. The mold should be
allowed to dry few hours and then he
lilled with white plaster, the same con.
slsteucy rs was used for the mold. A
wall Of clay about an inch high will
have to be built around the edge of the
mold. which when filled gives the tile
for the cast 60 rest on. Let the whole
dry and then chip the mold away with
n knife. The mold. being Of a different
color, can be readily distinguished from
the cast.
In making the mold for cast In the
round, after the hand has been oiled,
sink 1t to about half an inch In bed
Of plaster leaving about half an inch
for thickness. Make the rim smooth
and, when hardened, oil. Now cover
the upper half with plaster. When set,
this should knock apart easily aud the
hand be lifted out
Another way, but a more difficult
one, after putting the hand half way
In the plaster and before this has dried,
Is TO put a thin strong string around all
the edges OF the fingers, letting the
ends come out at the wrists. When
the hand ls entirely covered with plas,
ter and before it has hardened, pull the
string out, which cuts IL I'm two. The
manner OF filling both these kinds OF
molds Is the same. OH aud tie the two
halves tightly together and lll with
plaster let harden aud lift the molds
On.
Only one cast can be made from
molds like these. At shops where plas-
ter casts are made and sold and a
numbor OF the same casts are wanted
gelatin mold IL made. Being elastic,
II Is easily pulled Off without harm to
the cast and stlll retains IFS shape and
can be filled any number OF times. The
yellow or ivory hnIsh that Is given to
many casts is obtained by using white
shellac, which can be had already
mixed from a palntshOp by adding
oil paint any desired color can be OBJ
talned. Rubbing with "a cloth gives a
high polish. A bronze finish can be
given by coating with a mixture Of
white wax dissolved In turpentine, 10
which bronze oE green paint has been
added.
A fine set OF casts, which would In
terest children and could be used In the
schOolroom, could be easily made, such
as fruit or vegetable forms. apples, ba-
nanas, potatoes and corn, or simple
animal forms, such as frogs, fish, ETC.;
also models that one has made aud