What is Plaster

Plaster is dry powders that are mixed with water to form a soft but brittle solid.There are many different uses for plaster.

It is used to create art and for coating walls and ceilings.  Investigators use plaster to make duplicates of footprint impressions or tire marks, dentists use plaster to make castings for dental work, and doctors use plaster for putting a cast over a broken bone. The most common use of plaster is for general repair and maintenance around the home including repairing dents and holes in walls and filling in holes before painting.

Gypsum plaster, or plaster of Paris, is produced by heating gypsum to about 300 °F. Artist use gypsum to simulate the appearance of wood, stone and metal, on movie a sets. This is the typical material used for art sculpture and mold making.

Lime plaster is a mixture of calcium hydroxide and sand or other filers.  Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes lime plaster to set by transforming the calcium hydroxide into limestone AKA calcium carbonate. To make lime plaster, limestone is heated to produce quicklime, which is calcium oxide. Water is then added to produce slaked lime, or calcium hydroxide. This is sold as a wet putty or a white powder. When exposed to the atmosphere, the slaked lime very slowly turns back into limestone through reaction with atmospheric carbon dioxide, causing the plaster to increase in strength.

Cement plaster is amixture of plaster, sand, cement, and water.  This is normally applied to masonry interiors and exteriors to achieve a smooth surface. Cement plaster was first introduced in America around 1909 and was often called by the generic name adamant plaster after a prominent manufacturer of the time. The advantages of cement plaster  are good strength, hardness, fast quick setting time, and durability (for outdoor use).

Plaster, plaster of Paris, or other versions such as hydrocal or ultracal, may be used as a casting material just like other materials such as soap, wax, concrete, or plastic resin. The benefits of using plaster is its relatively low cost, simple ingredients, and good castability. Depending of the version of plaster used, casting times range from 20 minutes to 24 hours. Like cement, the plaster castings become stronger over time and typically reach its strongest after about a month.

There are many types of mold making material that will work while using plaster as a casting material including latex, silicone, and ComposiMold. When casting with plaster, the finished product can be painted with most types of paint.

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