Costs 41 



depending on where and how the mounts are to be displayed. 

 Casts in compound or in plastics require a two-piece mold to 

 reproduce a whole fish. 



All molds require attention and preparation, however, before 

 the casting medium can be applied. The mold should be thor- 

 oughly dry. If sand or asbestos has been used for the shelf in 

 producing the mold, all bits of loose material should be swept 

 out of the hollow impression by gently using a 2-inch paint 

 brush. The shelves of the mold can be swept with a scrubbing 

 brush. 



Show Side of Mold 



The show side of the mold is that half which will reproduce 

 the show side of the fish. If the mold is intended for reproducing 

 a mount in plastic or casting compound, give it a preliminary 

 thin coat of shellac. This preliminary coat will make it easier 

 to detect small holes or pockets caused by air bubbles, foreign 

 material, or damage. Fill these defects with modeling clay or 

 small pieces of wax. If necessary, model the repaired surface 

 with an appropriate tool. Sometimes the detail of the lips or 

 parts of the head in the mold may be broken off when removing 

 the original fish from the mold. Now is the time to model in any 

 detail that might have been snapped off. 



Now, apply another coat of shellac, thinned 50-50 with al- 

 cohol, to the mold. When this has dried, apply yet another coat. 

 Several brushings of shellac will be required until the mold 

 begins to acquire a gloss. The next step is to apply the separator 

 —formula No. 6 (see Chapter 12). The mold is now ready for 

 casting. 



Rear Half of Mold 



In a two-piece mold the rear half reproduces the back por- 

 tion of the fish, the side that goes against the wall. With a soft 

 pencil or crayon, outline the areas of the mold that are to be 

 sawed off or chipped away ( Fig. 39 ) . In the illustration the line 



