Contents
v Editorial
preface
v Note of
acknowledgement
v A
prefatory note
vAuthor’s
preface
vPlasterwork
generally – A glimpse of its history, by G. T. Robinson, F.S.A.
Prehistoric; in the dawn of history; in early Egypt; amongst the Greeks
and their colonies; Roman work from the commencement to the decline of
the empire; its oriental development; in the Middle Ages; in the
Renaissance; its culmination in the sixteenth century; its decorative
growth in France and England; under Francis 1 and Henry VIII; under the
Stuart Dynasty; its decline under the Hanoverian Influence; its low
condition at the end of last century; its hoped for revival
vEastern and
continental plasterwork
v Saracenic; Persian; Spanish and
Moorish; Indian; Chinese; Italian; French; German; Austrian; Belgian;
Russian
v Lime-Stucco Plasterwork (Stucco-duro) in
principle and
practice, by G. P. Bankart
v Modern
plasterwork, by G. P.
Bankart
v
Modelling and design in relief – as specially
applicable to plasterers’ work, by G. P. Bankart
v
Tools and
appliances. Plasterers’ tools, appliances, and plant; labourers’ tools;
scaffolding; the worshipful company of Plasterers; the plasterers’
craft
v
Materials
v
Plaster of Paris: manufacture, boiled
plaster, baked plaster, quick and slow setting plaster, tests, chemical
properties, setting qualities, colour, compressive and adhesive strength
of French plaster; limes: hydraulic, lias, chalklimes, rich versus short
limes, Scotch limes, Irish limes, calcination, slaking and tests;
Mortar: grinding coarse stuff, lime putty, protection of lime putty,
setting stuff, haired putty setting, lime water; hair: ox hair, fibrous
and sawdust substitutes for hair: sand: pit, river and sea sands; masteric: Scotch and London mastics, mastic mouldings, Hamelein’s
mastic, mastic cement; stearate of Lime, “pytho” plaster
v
Materials (Continued). Cements: Portland cement, super-cement, white,
Portland cement, water-proofing cements, slag, Roman, Martin’s, Keen’s,
Parian, Robinson; selenitic: hydraulic cements and plasters, granite, sirapite;
lathing: expanded metals, Jhilmil, Bostwick, Johnson’s, patent
metal sheet lathing, patent reed lathing, slate laths, Hy-rib
v
of Decorative ceilings generally: solid work. Panelled, “figured” and
ribbed ceilings; rib brackets and lathing; floating panelled ceilings;
setting out panelled ceilings; panel mouldings; coffered ceilings;
planted panel mouldings; setting ceilings; lime putty finish; hard
finish; fine finish; cement finish; Portland cement ceilings; fibrous
plaster ceilings; working plans of panelled ceilings; classic panelling
v
Running diminished and
circular mouldings.
Diminished columns; diminished floating rules; column trammel;
constructing diminished plain columns; setting out flutes of diminished
columns; constructing diminished fluted columns; forming diminished
fluted columns by the rim and collar methods; diminished fluted
pilasters; panelled coves; pressed screeds; diminished mouldings; double
diminished mouldings; running double diminished mouldings; diminished
rule method; top rule method; cupola panels and mouldings; panelled
beams; trammel for elliptical mouldings; templates for elliptical
mouldings; plasterer’s oval; circular mouldings on circular surface;
trammel centre
v
Exterior plastering and sgraffito. Sgraffito
or “graffito”; fresco; buon fresco; fresco secco
v
Model and
running mould making. To draw a truss; to make a model of a truss;
hinged running moulds for diminished models; to make a keystone; to set
out and make a Corinthian column capital; to make a pilaster capital; to
make composite, Doric and Tuscan capitals; to set out and make Ionic
capitals and entablature; to draw the Ionic Volute; centre flowers; cast
enrichment mitres and abutments; running moulds; running moulds for
enriched cornices; twin slippered mould; arch radius mould; hanging
moulds; notes on running moulds
v
Moulding and casting. The
plasterer’s shop; plaster box; squeezing wax; moulding wax; clay
squeezing; clay piece moulds; plaster waste moulding; moulding from
life; plaster piece moulding; modillions and blocks; model making of
balusters; plaster piece moulding balusters; casting balusters; oiling
plaster moulds; solutions for moulding and casting; gauging plaster;
plaster casting; hollow casts; strong plaster for casting; casting white
cements; casting Portland cement; water-seasoned plaster moulds; casting
cement mouldings (waster mould process); pressed cement work
v
Gelatine moulding. Its use for moulding; gelatine manufacturers,
tests, insoluble gelatine, preserving, indurating, dissolving; seasoning
plaster models; shellac seasoning; oil seasoning; paraffin wax
seasoning; seams and blebs in jelly moulds; oiling jelly moulds, gum
oil, chalk oil, petroleum oil; to make a plaster case; cases, joggles,
to separate cases; gelatine moulding; to jelly mould a truss; to jelly
mould a bust; brushed jelly moulds; moulding white models; moulding
casts; open jelly moulds; straight moulds; glue mould; rubber varnish,
copal varnish, shellac varnish; soft and spotty casts; gelatine casts;
preparation of the material; making the mould, making the cast, making a
plaster bed for cast, to paint the cast; India-rubber moulds; fibrous
plaster and concrete fireproof; to make a fibrous plaster case; casting
balcony fronts; casting in large jelly moulds; curved balcony fronts; to
mould and cast concavo-convex mouldings; stiffening rules; balcony
front; interchangeable moulds; combined gelatine and plaster piece
moulds
v
Fibrous plasterwork. Patented and introduced into
England; use for fibrous plaster; for renovating old ceilings; fibrous
plaster for panelled ceilings; fibrous plaster nomenclature; materials;
cutting canvas; fibrous plaster wooden laths; size water; fibrous
plaster casting; casting plain fibrous plaster columns and pilasters;
casting fibrous plaster centre flowers; undercutting fibrous plaster;
fibrous plaster cornices; mitre and join stops; casting fibrous plaster
plain cornices; casting fibrous plaster enriched cornices; bedded
enrichment system; moulding and casting fibrous enrichments; fixed and
cast enrichment systems; fixing fibrous plaster cornices; fibrous
plaster measurements; fire-resisting fibrous plaster; expanded metal
lathing; fibrous plaster decorative sheets; muslin plaster casts; tow
and plaster casts; rapid plastering; fibrous plaster slabs; fibrous
plaster slab moulds; fibrous plaster slab making; setting fibrous
plaster slabs; Fire-resisting slabs; combination slabs; patent simplex
partition blocks; external slabs; ‘Mack’ patent fire-resisting slabs;
reed slabs; grooved slabs; perforated slabs; pugging and deafening
slabs; hardening and damp-proofing fibrous plaster slabs; litharge oil;
fibrous plaster blocks
v
“Reverse” moulding. Its uses and
terms; to set out a reverse template; to make a reverse casting mould
for cornices; panel mouldings; rib mouldings; plain capitals; diminished
and fluted columns and pilasters; plain columns; hollow cores and column
casts
v
Compositions. Gesso; woods; Walter Crane’s recipe;
ceiling in gesso; gesso duro; how to begin to lay pictures; method of
making and manipulating; how to fasten linen on panels; laying grounds;
preparing a fine ground; preparing a ground for Gesso Sottile; to smooth
the surface of a panel; planning Gesso Sottile surfaces; Smith’s Patent
Metal
v
Compositions (continued). Papier-mâché; manufacture
and uses for decorations; stage properties; papier-mâché moulds; paper
casts without moulds; to make paste; permanent paste; Carton-pierre;
recipes; English and French Carton-pierre; fibrous slab or patent wood;
pâte coulante; paste composition; making sulphur moulds for composition;
recipes; London composition; sulphur moulds; casting and fixing
composition
v Plasterers’
memoranda, quantities, weights and
recipes. Quantities of plastic materials required for various works;
concrete quantities; water quantities; weights of materials; chemical
names; measuring plasterers’ work; squaring dimensions; recipes for indurating, fireproofing and waterproofing, and polishing plaster;
cleaning plaster figures; whitewashing; distempering
v Appendix: Notes on
some recent developments in American plastering
v Index to
text
v Index to
Illustrations
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Mr Millar was a Scottish
plasterer active during the second half of the nineteenth century, the latter
part of which was spent in and around London. He was descended from a large
family of plasterers, and was able to draw upon first-hand knowledge and
experience stretching back for generations.
George Percy Bankart was an
architect highly influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, who had
chosen to work as a decorative craftsman. He was born in Leicester on 20
January 1866 and his career as an author started in 1909, with the
publication of The Art of The Plasterer (also available from
Donhead Publishing).
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If the first edition of
Plastering Plain and Decorative is the plasterer’s bible, then the
fourth edition is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the
revolution of design in the early twentieth century. Architects,
designers, conservators, plasterers will all enjoy this book, whether
using it as a reference or reading it from cover to cover. There is much
repetition of the first edition, but the additional chapters provide an
extraordinary insight into the mood at the time. The extra plates
illustrate a whole new world of the plasterer’s craft, and are in
themselves worthy of investment in the book.
Marianne Suhr, JAC
Read the full review
Is it worth purchasing this book? Well, if you are a house restorer,
either professional or serious amateur, I would say it is essential. As
a general TATHS member, all I can say is that I am reading it in bed at
night.
Brian Read, Tools and Trade History Society
The quality of the
reproductions throughout is excellent. Donhead are to be congratulated
on bringing these books back into print. They deserve a place on any
conservation architect’s, conservation officer’s or construction
historian’s shelves.
Bankart’s 1927 revision of
Miller’s work is a completely different book from the 1897 original. He
keep the historical introductory chapter but he removes most of Millar’s
technical material and completely changes the order and sense of the
rest. The result is a shorter book that is written more for the
architect than for the plasterer and firmly promotes an Arts and Crafts
approach.
If you want a comprehensive idea
of what plastering was like in 1897 and of the techniques that had been
going on for centuries, lists of recipes for plasters and cements etc.,
then there is no doubt that the first edition is far more comprehensive.
However, if you want to read what Bankart thought about plastering or
see how the trade had changed by the 1927, then the later edition is the
one you need. Conservation architects and professionals will probably
want both on their office shelves to dip into as required.
CHS
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