File puptcrit/puptcrit.0606, message 269


Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 10:34:22 -0700 (PDT)
From: "EC Lindstrom" <elndstrm-AT-halcyon.com>
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Truly Waterproof/sweatproof finish?


I have no first-hand experience, but some thoughts:

To the best of my knowledge, a Marine Varnish might do the best in the
long run.  Per the name, it is intended to seal wood against salt water,
surely it could stand up even to the sweat of the actors ;-)

I have found in my own experience (furniture and figurines, never tried it
on masks),  with spray vs brush on that the brush on almost always forms a
thicker layer and a more complete seal but drying times tend to be up
since there's more liquid being applied to the surface.

A maskmaker friend of mine has this little perforated open-cell foam
(about 1/4 inch think) with one side sticky, might be sticky shoe inserts?
 She uses small roundels of it in her mask for fitting more precisely to
her customer's faces, but you might be able to use larger pieces to hold
the mask away from the face, and possibly provide additional ventillation
to reduce the amount of sweat staying on the face (are you doing something
like this already?).  Note that the foam over time will decay with sweat,
but it would give you a sort of ablative layer that could easily be
swapped out when needed and keep your 'decorative' layer of the outer mask
intact.

Something like that might be a good emergency fix for now until you can
solve the sealant issue.

Eric L.


> Hi all.
> I need emergency help!
> This is not really puppet, but masks are puppet related, and there are
> puppets involved in the show I've been working on that has the following
> problem...
> Also, a truly waterproof finish would be useful to know so i could
> sweat-proof my hand puppet's cones...
>
>
> As some of you know, I have made my first set of Commedia dell'Arte masks
> recently.
>
> They are of my strongest, lightest, most durable recipe of paper mache
> strips.
> I even used Weldbond as a sealer inside, then I sprayed two or three
> layers of lacquer (rustoleum Lacquer Clear).
>
> At first, they seemed like my most resistant masks ever.
> Even more so than the ones I've had for 4 years of abuse.
> Not so.
> Or the Commedia actors are mutants who sweat battery acid.
> Three of them have masks that have been damaged by sweat during
> rehearsals, no matter how many layers of lacquer I added (after degreasing
> with alcohol, of course).
>
> Now, one day before the Premiere, one of the masks that seemed completely
> fine has had some damage from sweat as well. I'll have to change my day
> schedule again, and go patch it up temporarily. No laquer this time, as
> the fumes take three days to evaporate. I,ll use plain old glue and paper,
> then add a fun foam sheet using hot glue.
>
> The problem is that the sweat slowly softens the lacquer, then the
> sealer(they get white), then it gets into the paper mache. I have to say
> they are used more heavily than I ever thought possible. The actors
> finished the dress rehearsals at midnight last night, meaning they probaly
> pulled a 12 hour shift again.  I thought 7 hours worn under the rain was a
> great test for my masks. I was wrong. Rain is not as acid as sweat, it
> seems.
>
>
> So, after the run of shows, i'll get ALL the masks back, and fix them up
> until they are indestructible. Now, what's missing is more techniques to
> try.
>
> I gave up on finding a non toxic alternative, as you can judge by my use
> of lacquer.
> Non toxic when in use, not once evaporated, of course.
>
> Here are the next attempts I am considereing so far (on test masks of
> course)
>
> Do you have a truly wonderful method opf waterproofing paper mache or
> something similar??
>
> Please, spare me the usual "drop paper, swith to fiberglass" speech. That
> stuff is deadly and I can't use it at home, not even outside (fibers get
> everywhere and on the clothes, and I have no washing machine).
>
>
> What other ways could i try?
>
> -Laquer, but liquid this time. I'm sarting to think that ALL sprays are
> much weaker than their oriignal counterparts that are liquid. Psarys are
> small particules deposisted next to each other on the surface, whil a
> liquid has more chance of truly covering everything, even bonding to
> itself.
> I just have no ieda what type of lacquer to try.
>
> -Epoxy-based countertop varnish (one coat =55 coats of regular varnish)
> I know 5 minute epoxy doesn't stick permantently to my paper mache strips,
> so there might be a similar problem with this varnish.
>
> -Marine varnish (the kind you paint on decks with).
> -"top coat" for cars (I have no idea where to get it, besides paying a
> garage to apply it?)
> -fiberglass-type resin (probably no fibers, just the resin)
>
> Any other ideas?
> Please?
>
> Who else here makes paper mache or wood masks?
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Mathieu René Créaturiste
> Marionnettes, Masques, Etcetera...
> Puppets, Masks, Etcetera...
> www.creaturiste.com
> creaturiste-AT-magma.ca
> (514) 274-8027
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