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We can only repair breaks, not repairs: If your piece has been broken, do not make an attempt to repair it. Because we use wet plaster to adhere pieces, we are unable to fix the break if there is any glue present.
How do you fix broken chalkware?
Apply a small line of Elmer’s glue to the broken sections. Press the pieces together and hold in place until glue sets. Wipe off excess glue that gets squeezed out. Let dry for 24 hours.
Is chalkware valuable?
Humble chalkware objects considered a form of folk art, once sold from peddler’s packs, are still modestly priced at $200 or more when they come to auction. However, the more unique and rare the form, the prices can be over a thousand dollars.
Can you repaint chalkware?
Chalkware is similar in appearance and texture to plaster. Since chalkware pieces are often considered collectable, they may need touching up or repainting to maintain their value. Chalkware typically refers to the small statues and figures that were popular in homes during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
How do you preserve chalkware?
Do not leave Vaillancourt Chalkware outside or in direct sunlight. Any long term storage should be in a dry location, wrapped in tissue and boxed. Wrapping your chalkware with plastic or bubble may cause damage to the piece’s finish if stored in a warm or humid environment.
Is chalkware breakable?
Because chalkware is made from a solid, plaster-like medium, the product isn’t as fragile as one may suspect. Regardless of its density, if one were to drop it onto a hard surface, or tip over at an awkward angle, the results may be tragic. If we are “lucky,” then the piece may “only” suffer a clean break.
Is vintage chalkware valuable?
American artists cast their plaster-of-Paris molds in the shapes of birds, animals and, sometimes, people and sold them for just a few cents each in the latter part of the last century. Today an authentic piece in good condition could carry a price tag of several hundred dollars.
What is vintage chalkware?
Chalkware is an American term for popular figurines either made of moulded plaster of Paris (usually) or sculpted gypsum, and painted, typically with oils or watercolors. Heavy, and easy to break or chip, chalkware eventually lost favor to ceramic and plastic alternatives in the 1970s.
How can you tell vintage chalkware?
Chalkware pieces are heavy on the bottom. All chalkware is hollow, but old pieces are lighter because they lack the heavy plaster base that chalkware artists began to incorporate to keep the figurines from tipping over. Reproductions are heavier than old pieces. Examine the bottom of the piece.
How do you clean an old plaster statue?
Begin cleaning by dusting the object with a brush, directing the dust into a vacuum cleaner. Padding the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner with cloth or thin foam plastic will help to avoid damage to the object.
How do you clean a chalk statue?
Care must be taken in cleaning them: they must never be soaked, rinsed or held under running water. Dust chalkware regularly, using a dry, soft cloth, to prevent an accumulation of dirt. Use a cotton swab or a soft-bristled paintbrush to gently work on embedded and stubborn dirt, especially in recessed areas.
How do you clean religious statues?
Make your statues or sculptures shine with an unscented soap without bleach. Typically, with materials other than concrete, you will usually want to use a linen cloth to scrub, not a soft scrub brush. No matter the material, statues should be handled with care and never scrubbed too harshly.
How do you clean plaster?
The Best Way To Clean Plaster Surfaces Soak a soft cloth in warm water and then thoroughly squeeze it out. Put a small bead of mild soap on your cloth and work it up into a few small patches of suds. Using circular motions and working from top to bottom, rub the plaster wall with the soapy cloth.
What is Carnival chalkware?
Carnival chalkware is an American term for the figurines made most often out of plaster of Paris (though some were made of gypsum) and painted bright colors using oils or watercolors that were won at carnivals and fairs of this time period.
How do you restore a lawn statue?
Apply the epoxy to the cement statue cracks or chips by squeezing it on, or applying it with a putty knife if it is in a tub. To reattach part of the statue, apply a 1/4-inch layer of epoxy to both the broken piece and the statue and press them together for two to three minutes.
How do you repair a stone statue?
Mix some filler epoxy with the stone dust that you saved. This will make the epoxy blend in with the statue. Fill in any visible cracks or gaps with this epoxy. If the statue is smooth, make the epoxy flush and smooth with the rest of the statue.
How do you make chalkware?
You can easily create your very own nostalgic chalkware at home. Spread a few layers of newspapers over a flat working surface. Run water into the 3D molds to wet the inside surfaces. Turn each mold upside down, with the fill hole up. Mix the plaster of paris according to the package instructions.
Where was chalkware made?
Chalkware blanks being produced within the pouring room at the Vaillancourt Folk Art studios in Sutton, MA. During the 19th century, chalkware was sculpted gypsum painted effortlessly with watercolors. Because most chalkware was sold by carnival vendors, it was considered the “poor man’s porcelain.”.
What is Rockalite?
Rockalite is a semi-brittle material as the amount of shortening for prior to failure by rupturing is between 5 and 10 %. ( Rupture occurs after the dashed blue line).
What is a Bosson head?
Have you ever seen the plaster painted heads hanging on someone’s wall and wondered what they were? They are called wall sculptures, or simply Bossons after the English company that made them between 1946 and 1996 as ornaments for every room in the home.
