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Mix it with glue
- To make the plaster of Paris stronger and more durable, you can mix it with glue. Pour 1 ¼ cup of water in a mixing bowl and add ¼ cup of glue and mix it. Slowly pour two cups of plaster of Paris into the mixture. Let the plaster rest for about five minutes before mixing it again.
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Jul 19, 2020 · You can create a long lasting plaster of Paris mixture that will stand the test of time, can be sanded and resists weather and the elements, by adding an adhesive to the basic mixture.
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How to work at Plaster of Paris?
- Use protective gear. Look after yourself and always wear a dust mask and latex gloves when you’re working with Plaster of Paris. You should also open the windows to keep your work space ventilated.
- Never submerge hands or feet. You might not realise it, but plaster can heat up to 60 degrees Celsius when it’s setting. To prevent injury, never submerge your hands or feet in plaster to create casts.
- Add plaster to water. Sprinkle your plaster into water (rather than adding water to your plaster) and stir it immediately until all lumps are gone. This order is important for creating a nice, smooth plaster mix.
- Mix 2 parts plaster to 1 part water. Our go-to ratio is 2 parts plaster to 1 part room temperature water. Since this can depend on temperature and moisture in the air, you can experiment with small batches and use a bit of trial and error.
- Materials Needed
- The Experiment Begins!
- Why Use These Materials?
- Methodology
- The Recipes and Results!
- Mixture 1
- Mixture 2
- Mixture 3
- Mixture 4
- Mixture 5
If your local stores don’t carry everything, here are some Amazon Affiliate links! (And yes, I get kickbacks from Amazon if you buy through these links, but it won’t cost you anything extra.) 1. Cold water: free-ish. 2. DAP Plaster of Paris: I use the 4lb red box for $6.78 3. Acrylic paint(any cheap craft paint will do): 2oz for $0.99 4. Elmer’s Ca...
For this experiment, I am using the kittenloaf mold. It takes roughly two tablespoons (or 30ml) of plaster mix, which matches up well with the resin casting cups I got from the Alumilite™ Amazing Casting Resin. Besides, who doesn’t need more plaster cats in their life? Time to take a look at our ingredients and what role they play in the mix.
Acrylic Paint
The paint is included to make sure the wood glue is mixed well into the plaster and water. Thus I will be focusing on which colors work best. Adding too much paint can cause issues, so only use a drop! As you can see in the photo, most colors will only barely tint the end result, but it helps to pick a color that you want to paint it.
Plaster of Paris
I’m trying to keep the amount of plaster relatively consistent in this experiment and focus on the ratio of water to glue. My current method is to slowly add plaster of paristo the water until it just mounds above the surface. It is a roughly two to one ratio with the amount of water.
Cold Water
Since the amount of water determines how much plaster to use, I will be holding steady at 1 tablespoon (15ml) and adjusting the amount of wood glue. You always want to use cold water since hot water will cause the plaster to set faster.
Wait for at least 24 hours before using a newly made 100% silicone caulk mold. Otherwise the out-gassing will make bubbles in the casts. (It’s better to wait a week, or soak the mold in a bucket of...Use cold water only. Warm water will cause the plaster to set faster.Always add plaster to the water, neverwater to the plaster.Let the plaster set for 1-2 minutes before mixing so it has a chance to settle and unclump. (I mix the glue and paint while I’m waiting.)I started out using the measurements on the ‘spoon’ side, but swapped halfway through to using the measurements on the ML side. Sorry for the ensuing confusion! 1. A teaspoon (TSP) is 1/3 of a tablespoon (TBS) and 5ml-ish. 2. A dessert spoon (DSSP) is 2/3 of a tablespoon and 10ml-ish. 3. A tablespoon (TBS) is 15ml-ish. 4. 1 fluid ounce (OZ) = 2 tab...
1 DDSP
Nice color tint when mixed with the glue, but it fades a lot when mixed in with the plaster. However when it dries out it’s very close to white, so it would be great for a white or light colored paint job. Some of the other colors I tried below… not so much. This is about the feel of the mixture when I do it by eye instead of measuring, so I’m going to use this as my default. It’s solid, but a little too easy to sand. Still it’s not bad if you’re looking to make things a little more solid, bu...
1 DDSP
This was a very light color and didn’t tint well, even when just mixed with the glue. Once the plaster was introduced into the mix it was almost impossible to see. So ‘no’ for the paint color– I ended up trying the ratio again since it did so poorly. The resulting cast was pretty good, not too soft and there was only a slight glue layer on the back (probably because of the mixing fail). It sands well and seems relatively solid, however there were a few more bubbles in this one than there were...
2 TBS water, 3ish TBS plaster, 1 TBS wood glue, 1 drop Apple Barrel 21471 Spiced Carrot
I forgot to take a pic before I did the skim coat, but it looked almost identical to Mixture 2, 4 and 7 only more orange. Now this is a color that has some punch! Very easy to tell how well everything was mixing, makes me rather inclined to test more ‘warm’ colors going forward. I do, however, need to use a lot less of it or only use it on things where an orange tint to the final color is a bonus. There was a very minor glue layer to the back and it seems quite solid. It does still sand, but...
10ml Water, 20ml Plaster, 5ml wood glue, 1 drop Apple Barrel 20591 Bright Magenta
This is a repeat of the recipe I tried before just to see what the color does. Also I needed a good small batch test since the Sailing Sky didn’t mix as well as was hoped. Nice solid cast, not too many air bubbles this time. Pretty good mix! The pink looked like it was going to hold up well when I mixed it with the glue, but as soon as it hit the plaster it paled a LOT. But overall it had a nice tint to it and I was able to make sure the glue mixed well, which is the overall point.
15ml Water, 30ml Plaster, 10ml wood glue, 1 drop Apple Barrell 21484 Admiral Blue
This one I haven’t tried before, but I was pretty sure would be too heavy on the glue end of things… and I was right. So right. All of the back of the casts collapsed in on themselves in these odd ripple pattern. I’m assuming it’s because the glue shrank when it dried and there wasn’t enough resistance from the casting mixture to keep it from ripping apart. I had to repour the backs on some of the casts just to make them solid enough to come out of the molds. The cast did not want to demold,...
- Martha Bechtel
In this video, we experiment with solutions to make Plaster of Paris casts more durable.-----...
- 26 min
- 64.4K
- WarscapeStudios
- Safety first. We touched on this on our previous plaster tips article, but it’s worth another mention. Look after yourself and always wear a dust mask and latex gloves when you’re working with plaster of Paris.
- Making the master. The first step in plaster casting is to create a master to make your mould from (this is also called a plug). A ‘master’ is basically the original sculpture that will form the shape of your mould.
- Creating the mould. Once you’ve made the master sculpture you will need to coat it in a release agent to stop the plaster mould from sticking to it. There are plenty of release agents on the market, but a good DIY option is to mix petroleum jelly with white spirits.
- Choosing the right mould. There are 3 main types of moulds that work in different ways: a waste mould, a single piece mould and a multi-piece mould. The type will depend on the material you have used for your master and the number of casts you need.
Adding glue to the plaster of Paris and water mixture can strengthen the plaster and make it last longer. This also makes the plaster of Paris harder so that it can be strong enough to be sanded with fine-grit sandpaper. The basic glue and formula are ideal for small plaster projects.
Feb 5, 2024 · Let’s dive into how to make plaster of Paris moulds, so you can DIY dynamic sculptures and designs. Unlike a modelling clay relief mould, plaster of Paris mould making lets you create fully 3D models, casting over and over again for identical figures.
