CHAPTER XV. 



MAKING PLASTER CASTS. 



The first knowledge I received concerning the value of making 

 casts for taxidermic purposes was from the late eminent sculptor, 

 Thomas D. Jones. Describing to him the dermoplastic method of 

 mounting mammals, he remarked in words to this effect : " Do you 

 call this process stuffing animals? If you do, I beg to differ with you 

 on this point. Your method involves the highest principles of art. My 

 young friend, I should never think of mounting an animal on the prin- 

 ciples you have laid down without taking plaster casts of the carcass. 

 To obtain accuracy in the size and form of the muscles you should de- 

 pend on something more than mere measurements. You should learn to 

 make casts of the carcasses of the animals you intend to mount, and I 

 will agree to teach you the process." His oflfer was quickly accepted. 

 I spent one-half day with Mr. Jones in making " piece moulds " of vari- 

 ous objects, and a " w'aste mould " and cast of a raccoon head. 



I should advise those who intend to practice taxidermy to any great 

 extent to learn by all means the simple art of making plaster casts. 

 Casts of mammal heads, legs or other parts, or casts of fishes and rep- 

 tiles will serve to secure accuracy in the form of mounted specimens 

 better than any other means you may adopt. A quick, skillful hand, 

 with a knowledge of how to proceed, is all that is necessary. When 

 the object you are to make a cast of has elevations and hollows in it 

 you will be compelled to make the mould in several pieces, because the 

 mould will not "draw" away without breaking. For illustration you 

 can make a mould of one-half of a perfectly round object and it will 

 "draw" off readily because there are no " undercuts" in which the 

 plaster can catch. Therefore, for an object having hollows or eleva- 

 tions, of which several casts are to be made, the mould must be of 

 several pieces, and is called a 



Piece Mould. — All references to figures refer to Plate LXXXIX. 

 We shall take for our lesson in the making of a piece mould a pear. 

 The first thing to do is to wipe it oflf clean and imbed the smaller end 

 in damp sand up to a point just before the oval begins to turn (Fig. 1), 

 and the larger end, which is exposed, should be coated with sweet oil, 



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