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Plaster Molds 



Once your fish has been brought away from the waterside with 

 a minimum of damage, there are a number of different ways in 

 which it can be transformed into a striking and decorative 

 trophy. Perhaps the most realistic method is a cast produced 

 from a mold of the fish's body. 



Molds and Casts 



A mold and a cast are not the same thing. The two are 

 sometimes confused. A mold is the poured or flowed plaster 

 which sets in a solid form around the object which is intended 

 for reproduction. A mold may be constructed with rubber, 

 specially mixed sands, glue, molding plaster, or other materials. 

 In this volume we are concerned mainly with plaster molds. 

 The cast is the object reproduced from the mold, a replica. In 

 other words, a mold is the negative form from which the cast, 

 a positive form or imitation of the original object, is reproduced. 



In making fish molds use only a Grade A or No. 1 mold- 

 ing plaster ( plaster of Paris ) . Stay clear of the material which 

 is used for wall plastering. Of course, plaster should not be 

 confused with the cement used with sand and gravel to form 

 concrete. Molding plaster is used mostly by artists and museum 

 workers for producing molds and casts which retain fine detail. 

 The best grade of molding plaster, which resembles a pure 

 white powder, is inexpensive— about $1.80 for a 100-pound bag. 



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