File puptcrit/puptcrit.0911, message 89


From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Mathieu_Ren=E9?= <creaturiste-AT-primus.ca>
To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 15:19:14 -0500
Subject: [Puptcrit] Papier mache: correction and warning


One learns from mistakes, and this one is just a confirmation for me.

I was just about to go photograph my halloween costume for my portfolio, 
when an accident, totally avoidable, happened. Well, I'm glad it did.

I was carrying too many large items at once, including my mask planted on 
one of them, and everything fell down. One horn on the mask was broken off 
by the weight of my sculptor trestle.

Well, that horn had broken once before the mask was finished, but I had 
fixed it with a better glue and paper mix. I had even strengtened most of 
the horn to prevent any other acccident. So of course tis time it broke 
where it hadn't been re-enforced.

It just confirms what I have been saying for a while: Weldbond is a much 
better glue to use for paper mache on thin protruding appendages, such as 
horns and claws. The horn and mask were made of paper  mache strips of 
coffee filters and exterior wood glue (Lepage), which is a good choice 
because stiffness and strenght is of the utmost importance to prevent 
warping.
I should have done the horns entirely in weldbond. It has been a proven ally 
over the years.

Easily fixed, it's just an annoyance because now I must repair it before I 
can take my portfolio pics.
Which means it won't be today for the photo session, as I see the light 
fading fast already.

Lesson learned. I shall start my old habit again, despite the protestations 
some people have brough forward about respecting one's creations: throwing 
my paper mache sculptures at walls and floors, to absolutely confirm theuir 
strength before I paint them.

I'm going to strengtened both horns on their entire surfaces, and repaint.

Lesson:

Flexible glue for things that could possibly face lots of impact (Weldbond).
Stiff glue with a little bit of "give" to absorb shock and prevent breakage 
(exterior wood glue+water).

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