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Dec. 21st, 2006 11:05 pmI cast the last of the plaster mask thingies today, and I swear it's going to end up cursed.
PROBLEM THE FIRST: While I'm mixing up the plaster, the phone rings. It is Stepmom, and so I must answer. I am trying to cradle a slim cell phone between my shoulder and ear so I can keep the plaster moving so I don't end up with a Gladware-shaped chunk with a spatula embedded in it. Okay, no, it doesn't set that fast, but.
PROBLEM THE SECOND: Because this is not a mold that will sit level unassisted, I lay it on a pot until the plaster sets up. That way, if something Bad happens before the plaster sets, any spillage will go into the pot instead of, say, all over the counter. I have done this five times now with this mold and never had any sort of stability problems. Until today, when I tweaked the mold just the slightest bit... and dumped the entire payload of liquid plaster into the pot.
"SON OF A BITCH," I said, quickly poured the plaster back into the Gladware, quickly set the mold back on the pot, and poured the shit back in.
PROBLEM THE THIRD: The mold is where it should be. The plaster level is still good. Now, to set this whole assembly in the microwave until it sets. No, the microwave doesn't actually get turned on, it's just that there's about two square inches of counter space in my kitchen and that's about the only place I can put this damn thing where it'll be out of my way. Which works great. Again, done it many times, no problem.
Well, except for the thing where this time I had a spatula in my hand when I went to put the shit in the microwave. Which did not quite clear the top of the door. Which made the mold jerk and spill shit all over the microwave floor. Fortunately, there was still just enough plaster left in the mold that I didn't need to ditch this or mix more to top it off.
PROBLEM THE FOURTH: All my worries about the plaster setting up too fast? For some reason, this time they were totally unfounded. Because normally I wait ten minutes and then set the hanger thingy into the half-set plaster. This time I waited ten minutes... set the hanger thingy in... and watched in horror as it began to do its Titanic impression.
"OSHITS" I said, and quickly rescued my sinking hanger.
Waited another five minutes. Still pretty liquidy.
Another five minutes. Still too liquidy. And Mom was on her way over to take me and Stepmom to dinner, I could not sit here all day and wait for this shit.
So I made this little doohickey with a fireplace match and a little string and of course, the second I got the angles and heights right, the fucking plaster went "OH YEAH I'M SUPPOSED TO SET, RIGHT?" and did so. At least I got the hanger in before it went totally solid.
THIS MASK IS CURSED, I TELL YOU. I decided I'm going to do this one Masque of the Red Death style, just because.
PROBLEM THE FIRST: While I'm mixing up the plaster, the phone rings. It is Stepmom, and so I must answer. I am trying to cradle a slim cell phone between my shoulder and ear so I can keep the plaster moving so I don't end up with a Gladware-shaped chunk with a spatula embedded in it. Okay, no, it doesn't set that fast, but.
PROBLEM THE SECOND: Because this is not a mold that will sit level unassisted, I lay it on a pot until the plaster sets up. That way, if something Bad happens before the plaster sets, any spillage will go into the pot instead of, say, all over the counter. I have done this five times now with this mold and never had any sort of stability problems. Until today, when I tweaked the mold just the slightest bit... and dumped the entire payload of liquid plaster into the pot.
"SON OF A BITCH," I said, quickly poured the plaster back into the Gladware, quickly set the mold back on the pot, and poured the shit back in.
PROBLEM THE THIRD: The mold is where it should be. The plaster level is still good. Now, to set this whole assembly in the microwave until it sets. No, the microwave doesn't actually get turned on, it's just that there's about two square inches of counter space in my kitchen and that's about the only place I can put this damn thing where it'll be out of my way. Which works great. Again, done it many times, no problem.
Well, except for the thing where this time I had a spatula in my hand when I went to put the shit in the microwave. Which did not quite clear the top of the door. Which made the mold jerk and spill shit all over the microwave floor. Fortunately, there was still just enough plaster left in the mold that I didn't need to ditch this or mix more to top it off.
PROBLEM THE FOURTH: All my worries about the plaster setting up too fast? For some reason, this time they were totally unfounded. Because normally I wait ten minutes and then set the hanger thingy into the half-set plaster. This time I waited ten minutes... set the hanger thingy in... and watched in horror as it began to do its Titanic impression.
"OSHITS" I said, and quickly rescued my sinking hanger.
Waited another five minutes. Still pretty liquidy.
Another five minutes. Still too liquidy. And Mom was on her way over to take me and Stepmom to dinner, I could not sit here all day and wait for this shit.
So I made this little doohickey with a fireplace match and a little string and of course, the second I got the angles and heights right, the fucking plaster went "OH YEAH I'M SUPPOSED TO SET, RIGHT?" and did so. At least I got the hanger in before it went totally solid.
THIS MASK IS CURSED, I TELL YOU. I decided I'm going to do this one Masque of the Red Death style, just because.
