Experiments: 2008 May 5 & 8: Molding experiments. Washington, DC

Tonny Beentjes

Pamela Smith

PLANTS

I. 2 parts plaster

1 part bricks

½ part alumen plumosum (asbestos?, leave this out)

iron filings

water mixed w/ sal ammoniac

May 5: Tried this one with a juniper branch. About 2 TBS of iron filings.

May 21: after burning out at the back of the kiln, this one was slightly cracked.

II. 2 parts plaster

1 part bricks

½ part talc

iron filings

water mixed w/ sal amm

May 5: Tried this one with yarrow. About 1 TBS of iron filings. Set very quickly. Was still very damp after 2 days, very soft and damp.

May 21: after burning out at the front of the kiln, this one completely intact, although very soft, it seemed very strong.

III. 2 parts plaster

1 part bricks

½ part snow-white filler (burnt gypsum = burnt alabaster)

iron filings

water mixed w/ sal amm.

May 8: Yarrow. Very liquid when we poured it in. Venting system as per ms. illustration.

May 21: burnout at center of kiln, this one in very good shape.

IV. 2 parts plaster

1 part bricks

½ part terra alba (unburnt gypsum)

iron filings

water mixed w/ sal amm.

May 8: Juniper. On the 1^st try, the plaster set before we could get it into the mold. The second try it was terribly lumpy, so we had to pour it in two stages. Venting system as per ms. This one failed entirely. It did not set or dry at all. After 1 day, we threw it away.

V. Platt

3 parts plaster and burnt alabaster in equal parts

1 part bricks

May 5: Tried this one with a large bouquet, but the plaster set too fast (perhaps due to Sno-White filler?) and we didn’t have enough, so it was a failure.

Thickened the pansy petals with butter and it worked well.

May 8: tried this with yarrow plant; set quickly, but added a lot of water, so it was very thin, and we poured it quickly. A smell of rotten eggs on pouring, as happened last time also. Venting system as per ms.

May 21: After burning out at back of kiln, this one cracked but ok

VI. 2 parts plaster

1 part brick

½ part feldspar (from Ubaldo Vitali)

iron filings

water mixed w/ sal amm.

Pansies strengthened with butter and dipped in aquavit

Venting system as per ms.

May 21: after burnout at front of kiln, this one slightly cracked but fine.

Dipped all plants into 190 proof alcohol—Everclear—before pouring the plaster.

May 8: CRAYFISH

Bought the crayfish live at the fish market by the Potomac. Boiled them gently to kill them.

Tonny and I both used the back-into-the-clay method, building up around the crayfish’s body.

My crayfish got pulled slightly out when I took off the clay base after pouring the first mold.

For molding, we used 2 parts plaster, 1 part brick dust, iron oxide (about 1-2 TBS) and water with sal Amm. I forgot to paint my crayfish with aquavit.

May 21: after burnout, pretty badly cracked, especially after I pulled one apart too quickly (should have done it more carefully)

May 9: Grasshopper

Attached to wax feeders after pouring butter into space between the wings. Butter everywhere!

Used the same molding plaster. Did not dip grasshopper in aquavit.

May 21: After burnout at front of kiln, this one in very good shape.