Cast of timber moulding

[paulb33]

Hi Folks,
Is there a simple way to take a cast from this timber drip ball? Goal is to send to a joiner to help ensure its copy matches it exactly….
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Paul

 

[middi]

Hi
Just tell the chippy the exact dimensions of the square post with the photo's and he should be able to scale it and make a copy.
Better still, tell him/her to come over and measure it for themselves and make a copy
Middi

 

[Zebra]

I have a friend who's a glass sculptor. She often takes casts of very complex things, like flowers, in wax, I believe. OK, this'll be a complete nightmare to do, but suppose you got a big pot of molten wax, and could fix it securely in place around the thing until it set, then cut it in half with a saw or knife and got it off, then fixed it back together by melting it a bit, then poured plaster of paris in?
???????
Don't know if that's the answer you were after. Middi's is more straightforward! Perhaps you're like me, and if there's a more difficult way of choosing to do something, that's what you'll do!

 

[DJH]

Yea, nick some plasticine or play dough from the kids, smear some soap or Vaseline on one elevation and press the play dough/plasticine on to it making sure to go around the arrises. Carefully pull it off and then mix a little plaster of Paris or even plaster and fill the indent in the mould and after a while when it sets...bingo.

Doug

 

[paulb33]

Middi: Its a specialist job and my woodturner can't get on site. I was trying to eliminate the 'should' that you mention….

Zebra: Indeed. If there's a difficult way that means the job never gets done, thats the one i'll choose… :roll:

Great (again) Doug. Here's latest on the finial, by the way (excuse naff drawing….):

 

[Zebra]

Naff drawing? That's amazing.

This would be a naff drawing!

 

[paulb33]

Naff drawing? That's amazing.

This would be a naff drawing!

Ha ha! I traced a photo. The finial is the only real drawing (hence the poor perspective…).

 

[Flyfisher]

Assuming that you'll have to remove the existing finial to fit the new one, would it not be possible to do that first and then give the carpenter the actual piece to copy?

That's what I did when I had to replace three rotten finials on our dormer windows.

 

[paulb33]

Sadly, nothing remains of the upper part. I'm piecing it together based on the lower pendant.

See here www.redhouserestoration.wordpress.com

 

[Flyfisher]

Ah, fair enough. That's what happens when I get the wrong end of the stick and start beating about the bush with it.

Might still be worth removing what remains though. That would give an accurate outside dimension as well as one profile section, which could then be duplicated for the upper piece. The remainder should be fairly easy to copy from the photo.

I can see the problem regarding fixing the upper piece in place - well not so much fixing but sorting out an effective weatherproof seal. I'd be worrying more about that than the fact that upper piece is exposed to the weather - a bit of good quality oak should easily last 100 years up there with the drying effect of any wind.

I wonder if there's some method of lead-flashing that could be used, or would that risk trapping water in any groove cut intot he wood to fix the lead?

Perhaps DJH has come across this sort of problem before?

 

[paulb33]

I wonder if there's some method of lead-flashing that could be used, or would that risk trapping water in any groove cut intot he wood to fix the lead?

Perhaps DJH has come across this sort of problem before?

Indeed DJH (Doug) has been extraordinarily helpful. Hours of emails and telephone calls. We're getting closer to solving this...
Paul

 

[plasticpigeon]

You don't need a cast, just a template of one side is enough.