CT 16 Historic Millwork

College of the Redwoods Historic Millwork

Students projects were revolved around several major projects for the Spring of 2012. These projects included the turning of newl posts and balusters for the HPRT field school. Also on the project list was the milling and construction of redwood cabinets and counter tops to furnish the field school. Students had to mill their own profile knives to create the details that were to be replicated on the newly milled picture rail, crown molding for cabinets, the raised panels of the cabinet doors.

Shay Omran turning the newl post

Megan Carver turns the newl post top that consists of a sphere on a convex return with two donut details

Sarah Issacs-Myers and Quinn Kalish glueing up

The cabinets took the most length to prepare due to the stock had to be squared up and planed to the proper thickness then calculated for each style and rail that it would take to create each individual panel. Further more a special router set up was needed to create the radius profile seen on the door pictured top left

Redwood cabinets getting shellacked in the finish room.

Between three different classes, Millworks, Cabinet Making, and Interior Finishes the project is moving forward and is nearing completion.

CT 3 Interior Plaster

Quinn Kalich attaches wooden lathe back to the fire place

Peter Santino, master plasterer and interior finishes craftsman, is instructing students are learning traditional plastering  mixing and application, as well as, learning how to remove, repair and re-install broken plaster keys and lathe. Seen here is student, Quinn Kalish (left) replacing lathe on a fire place prepping it to receive a traditional lime putty, sand mortar mix as a base coat then a final finish coats  of joint compound and small mixture of Plaster of Paris (gypsum) for the final finish coast. Plaster walls and ceilings provide a great sound and thermal barrier when they are in proper shape, and most importantly are of craftsmanship that is HISTORIC!!

Peter Santino applying Lime Putty and sand as a base coat
showing proper "Italian" style throwing the
mud onto the wall

Peter feather boarding the second base coat to thickness to prepare for  the beggining of the finish coats

Using a "scarifier" to sctratch the base coat
 for the application of finsih coats

applying  fiber mesh is tedious work because sometimes surfaces and adhesive may not be ideal so dabs of joint compound can be used to help stick the fiber mech to the wall or ceiling surface

Jordan  Stull-Barnes and Elliot Kane apply Fiber Mesh and Joint
compound to the entry way of the field school

Shown at right are College of the Redwoods HPRT students applying fiber mesh to original plaster ceilings and walls to provide a reinforcement layer to the plaster which will receive three finish coats of joint compound for a nice smooth finish

Greg DeAngelis working the trowel and his hawk

CT 8- Casting and Moldmaking

(right) Professor Bill Hole, College of the Redwoods, explains how to separate flexible molds from models. 

This spring College of the redwoods HPRT students are leaning and studying the aspects of plaster work and replication and creation of models and molds. Students learn  how to make clay models, make mother molds of plaster, latex 74, Polyurethanes, and resins in order to cast models. Advanced techniques include using oxides to add pigments to plaster to gain color attributes and mimic marble patterns, as well as, making an "horse and slipper" in which a wooden hand tool is fitted with a profile knife made of tin and fastened to wood stock with the same profile negative cut into it using a band-saw.

A running mold designed to  do mold a radial ceiling medallions (as seen below)

 Here students learn the basics of model and molds and how the shape of the model will indicate how easy it will be to remove the model from the mold. The extraction of the model form the mold depends heavily on what type of mold release is used and  what is also referred to as "undercuts". Mold releases help prevent the casting agent from sticking to the interior of the mold. Mold release can be anything from shellac, potters soap, universal mold release, vasoline, and a few other commonly obtainable products. Undercuts are where the shape of the model has a negative profile or recesses on its surface which can create a area of contact that will not allow the mold to separate from the model

Students Jordan, Chris, Elliot, and Paul pouring up a three part split mold held together by rubber bands to keep its form

Iron oxides were used to color  this garland  as an experiment in color pigmentation of plaster, as well as the decorative tile shown beloew

Rubber Mold Compound used for making a very rigid mother mold that will produce numerous castings withous loss of details. (above is the two part mix with an abalone shell as the model)