pargeting?

[robgil]

if i was to put a green man onto daub which is still a bit wet what would be best to use, daub/clay or plaster?
my clay is from the garden and is quite stony and for plaster i have lime putty , chalk and goats hair. the face will be within an arch that will also have a shelf that can hold a candle etc , the whole thing will be 10 inches or so high.
i am gunning towards plaster as it will be easier to work but will it work with the wet daub?

 

[fjpdesigns]

If your daub is stony then that will cause problems. You could really soak it down and then sieve out the larger stuff, then let it dry out again to the required consistency. Alternatively, and this would give a longer lasting finish, mix up some lime putty, hair and either sharp sand, or for a finer finish, silver sand ( kiln dried from Jewsons). It's lovely to work with. I've never tried putty and chalk mix but know from others who have that it is very sticky and a lot harder to work with. 10 inches high is rather small for pargeting but if you keep the design relatively simple it should be OK. Whichever you decide to use, you'de be well advised to scratch the daub that's on there while it's still wet to give yourself a good key to work on.
p.s. The next pizza party is on Tues 24th Aug. We could discuss the finer points of this noble art over a glass and a nibble.
Joe

 

[robgil]

Joe thats an excellent idea , , i went for daub in the end , partly because i had a bucket of it to hand and partly because i didnt read this first. its cracked to buggery. i have found that adding hair to daub works very well at holding it together.