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Body Casting
Manual
Gluing.
It is possible that some small parts of your casting
broke off if you have not been careful enough when unmolding.
(Nipples for instance.) Use some household glue to glue it back
while the plaster is still fresh.
Drying.
Let your casting dry for several weeks, depending on the
weather. This can be accelerated by placing it in front of a fan on
low speed.
Cleaning the contour.
When the plaster is dry it becomes easier to cut
off the rough edges (with a hand saw or an angle grinder) and sand
down any imperfection. Tools and sand paper would instantly clog
with wet plaster. You can also use a belt sander with a coarse
grade belt to reshape the contours. This will make lots of dust and
is best done outdoors.
Sealing.
There are many ways to do that but you can also decide to
do nothing and leave the plaster bare.
- A
traditional way to seal plaster is to paint it with full milk. This
will give it a nice egg shell finish. The only problem is that a bad
smell will persist for several weeks. Several coats are required.
- I
often simply spray paint a couple of thin layers of white automotive
filler. Wait till the plaster is bone dry (3 weeks).
- You
can also paint your sculpture. First seal it with a primer as
described above.
- My
favourite finish is a couple of layers of white shellac varnish.
White shellac is dissolved in methylated spirits (denatured alcohol)
and painted on. The advantage is that shellac can be applied
on wet plaster. Shellac is found in good artist’s supplies shops.
- Another
simple and excellent sealant is PVA glue diluted in water to a ratio
of one to one.
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