Casts From the Past VIII

Casts From the Past is a recurring retrospective of select Palladio GFRG projects.

Doves take two weeks to hatch, so we’re pretty pleased ours was carved from scratch in only two days. Once mated to its scribed sunburst background, it will be gilded and added to an altar’s canopy.

These large GRFG -- Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum – pieces are part of a large theatre restoration in NYC. GRFG pieces are similar to traditional plaster castings but much lighter and stronger.

A cast of a coffered vault is released from its silicone mould. A few dozen of these will be used to complete a project in Montreal, Canada.

Ensuring that drying plaster does not exceed 150 Fahrenheit prevents cracking and leads to optimal strength. Fans and a powerful air exchange system allows us to evaporate surface moisture and desiccate pieces gradually at 85 degrees.

Restoration work – like these pieces from a prominent NYC concert hall – can involve everything from removing layers of paint to deepening the details of past craftspeople’s art. And if we said this wasn’t fun then we’d be “lion”.