Evening star., 1901-03-19
MAKING PtAsTER CASTS
now IrAII4I 4IyEsDERs SECURE
THE sTATUETTEs THEY SELL.
Casting From the Gelatine and the
Piece MOlds-On the CO.
Operative Plan.

With the art Eadttions of centuries clus-
tering about th$ e nktive land. and familiar
from infancy wtR 1orks of the great mas
tiers. 1t would 6e somewhat strange IL the
children OF sunny Italy were not In
ciined toward the pursuit of art. Certainly
goodly proportion of those sojourning
with us, although among the lowiiest OF
her sons, evidence the artistic impulse.
In one branch of art industry, that OF
making plaster cast reproductions Of stat
uary and the various kinds OF sculpture
known as reliefs, they enjoy practical
monopoly. But few persons have any idea
now casts are made. or Of the habits life
and character OF those who make them,
and yet there Is much about these people
ana their work that is interesting and in
structive.
Besides molding direct from the living
inquire, process confined to the produc-
extremities. there are three ways Of get
ting the matrices used In the making of
plaster casts-the gelatfne mold, piece
mold and the sulphur mold.
The Gelatine Mold.
TIL gelatine mold is most in vogue, and
Is used wherever there is boldness of con-
tour In the original. and especially in case
OF particular prominence Of limbs or ex
tended arms or legs.
This mold is made by coating the model,
previously well creased, with hot and
strong solution Of glue of sufficient volume
to maintain Its shape and bear the neces-
sary handling 1t is divided upon lines
that will admit OF it's being drawn away
from the cast with the least resistance
from what are known as the underwriting
parts. AS 1t Is required to overcome con-
siderable Of such difficulty the gelatine is
resorted to because. being tough and elias
tic, having somewhat the characteristics
OF India rubber In this FpSpPCt. 1t lends It
self most readily to withdrawal from the
undercut parts by yielding to and slip
ping from under, instead of tearing away.
AFTER the first five or six casts have been
taken from gelatine mold 1t rapidly de-
teriorates, until all clearness and decision
of line may be lost From motive of gain
some of the makers push the output of
gelatine mold so far as to destroy all ele-
ment of expression, reducing resemblance
to the general mass.
Casts of the entire figure, whether of the
human or animal form, in the majority OF
instances require to be wired-that Is to
say, iron wire is inserted into the mold to
serve the same purpose for which the sculp-
tor, modelling in clay or plaster, sets up
wire skeleton upon which to build his
statue. The arms and legs in the human
subject and the tail in the animal, because
of their comparative s1enderness, need
strengthening and support. Not only is
this requisite for stability of the limbs, but
it is also necessary to secure firm hold of
the figure upon it's base or pedestal.
The Piece Mold.
A piece mold. on the contrary, is Of intri-
cate construction, requiring time, patience
and skill in the making. but once done,
used with care and properly stored away,
there is practically no limit to it's produc-
tiveness. Barring accidental fracture, it
may be used for years. This method Is
principally adapted to the copying of what
are termed high reliefs."
IL fo h,1S1f ~
plaster In sections, one at time, and only
in such size and shape as will permit with
drawal from the model without any him
drance whatever Both cast and mold being
rigid the least Interference with undercut-
ting parts would be fatal to one or both.
With this mold, as also in the gelatine
type, an openingsiS left In the most available
part and after the sections have been well
creased and bound together liquid plaster Is
poured in, the neld being quickly handled
so as to bring the first charge of plaster into
instant contact with the entire inner sur
face. and Immediately reinforced by a fur
ther inflow, as judgment may dictate. Only
the smaller casts are solid throughout.
Making u Cast.
After the lapse Of fifteen or twenty min
utes, in the case of busts or statuettes OF
moderate size the plaster will have get suffi-
ciently to be taken from the mold, and the
cast is then set up on shelving ranged about
stove or oven used for the purpose Of dry
ing out This may occupy twelve hours or
more, when, If required for immediate use,
the cast passes into the hands Of the fin
isher. Upon him devolves the task of setting
up, or joining the limbs to the body and
touching 1t up in general
At this stage 1t bears the marks of the
| mold in thin eggshell-like projections at the
points where division Of the mold occurs,
caused by infiltration Of the thin plaster
part way into the joints. In the case of
/ piece molds the cast is crossed in many
places with these projections. They are
carefully and quickly removed by means OF
a steel modelling tool Of spatula shape, some
what curved in the blade. and any pittings
occurring as result of air bells in the cast
ing are filed up with plaster mixed to about
the consistency of cream. Finally, the cast
is touched up with a bit of sandpaper, to
remove roughness or other blemishes.
From a Living Model.
In casting from the living model, say a
foot or hand the member being well
CREASED. bit of stout paper Is laid down
for it to rest upon. Thin and strong twine
is heavily tallowed and laid along the lines
which are to serve as divisions of the mold
the tallow serving double purpose-to pre-
vent tearing up the plaster and to insure
the string remaining In close contact with
| the skin. In the meantime bowl of Suf-
| fcient size has been filled with the mixed
| plaster. All being in readiness, couple of
| ladIefuls are poured out upon the paper, In
area rather larger tHdn the nOQel TO be cop
| led, and the hand or foot is lightly placed
| upon this foundation. The remaining por-
| tion is spread quickly and evenly over to
the thickness of about an inch and half
| and allowed to become partly set AS soon
! as the mass is in such condition that a duh
| knife would cut 1t easily and cleanly, the
| ends of twine appearing outside the mold
are taken, one at time, and, with firm
and steady pull, are made to cleave the
| mold along the required lines, in exactly
| the same way as a wire is used to cut
I apart large cheeses
On the Cooperative Plan.
The general cast workers are mostly men
| who have landed here with limited means,
| but the lack of capital is partly compen-
sated for by cooperation of labor Thus,
| several will congregate in one establish
ment choose a .'head man." or manager,
and each one have his, allotted duty to per-
form. either in manufacture or in the dis
| posal Of the finished product, and share In
| the profits upon PREDETERMINED SCALE
Unless in the case Of married men, it Is
themselves on the premises. to which,
whether salesroom or WORKSHOP. reference
l , 11 t1kl-