18 - Plaster cake

Plaster cake

The ability of plaster to transform from a liquid state into a permanent solid makes it a very useful casting medium, while the in-between curing period can allow for more direct working as the mix thickens (see object 44).

The "icing" in this case displays the thixothropic nature of plaster during the latter stages of the process; the usual term for a correct mix of fresh plaster "single cream', becomes perhaps "double cream", "whipped cream", "custard", and finally "cold custard".

See also; object 44, object 3, object 40.