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Plaster of Paris
Plaster of Paris is a common, very inexpensive plaster that is good for use in children's craft projects. It is very soft and cures to a compressive of just 2,000 PSI strength.
Plaster is very alkaline and and exposure to high dust levels may irritate the skin, eyes, nose, throat, or upper respiratory tract. Wear a dust mask, eye protection, and rubber gloves when mixing plaster.
Do not wear contact lenses when working with plaster.
Plaster generates a lot of heat when setting .
Keep away from children or pets
PLEASE NOTE!- Plaster crafting is fairly safe. Once hardened there is little or no hazard from handling plaster items:
Most molds will not sit flat on the counter so it is necessary to support them for use. You can use a zip lock bag with a few pounds of rice in it.
Plaster Craft Instructions
1. Take the water in your mixing bowl and slowly sprinkle plaster into it until it mounds above the surface.
approximate amount of plaster is 1/2 inch mound for small amounts and a 1 1/2 inch mound for larger amounts.
2. Sprinkle plaster slowly to allow it to absorb into the water. Never just dump the plaster in, because this will produce water absorption.
3. Pour the plaster into one corner of the mold and allow it to flow across the entire mold cavity.
On deeper molds it is good to actually pour it down the side of the corner. This will minimize trapped air.
4. Once the mold is poured, tap and wiggle the mold to dislodge any air that may remain inside the mold.
De-Molding Plaster Molds
Gently flex the edges of the mold to break the sides of the casting loose.
Do not flex it too far or you likely to crimp the mold.
Apply gentle pressure towards the center of the mold with your thumbs while holding the edge of the mold with your fingers.
Work your way around the mold in this manner until the casting comes out.
Use a knife to cut the sharp edge off the back of the casting.
failure to do this step may cause the piece to crack or chip when set on a hard surface.
After the plaster dries out, the pigmented casting will lighten. At this stage the casting still contains a lot of moisture.
Allow air to circulate over front and back.
Cleanup
Once fully hardened, most of the plaster in your mixing bowl will flake off when flexed.
Remember! plaster hardens in water so it can clog your pipes.
Wipe down your molds with a wet cloth.
Painting your Figurines
NOTE: Plaster is very absorbent, it tends to soak up paint.
Place your plaster figurine on a canvas drop cloth
Apply a single coat of diluted plaster primer to the figurine with a craft brush. Let the plaster figurine dry for two hours
Paint your figurines with plain acrylic paint.
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