I didn't know what forum to ask this in.
I’m not a potter, but during the off season I have been taking classes just for fun. I find that trying a new medium really shakes things up artistically, and then I bring more to the table in my usual medium.
In pottery class yesterday I made molds of some flat carved tiles. I had made 4 tiles to be wall hangings in a previous session. They were carved and textured, in Prairie / FLW style, to go in my Prairie-style bathroom. They had cracked in a raku firing. (if there is a next generation of these, I would just fire and glaze them conventionally) Since I had put so much effort into these, I didn’t want to lose everything, so my teacher suggested making plaster press molds from them. He had plaster left over from making bats for his own studio. The molds are made and I finally wrestled the last tile out at home last night. Unfortunately, even though the just-poured plaster was agitated, it was not enough: they are loaded with pits left by bubbles, probably due to the fact that they are flat with carvings. Bubble holes are between 5 and 1 mm.
Any ideas how I can best repair these? We used up all the plaster he bought. I have some plaster bought at a hobby store when we first had this idea. I thought of mixing a small quantity to over fill the holes with an eyedropper and then sand them down. What I DON’T know is if different brands of plaster are compatible. And, should I do it while the molds are still a bit damp, or wait for them to fully dry?
Or, should I fill the holes with some sort of glue or gesso? I can take pictures if that will help.
Thanks for your help.
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