I have some plaster buildings on my workbench... The plaster is dusty and I think I have to wash it in order to get rid of the dust before gluing and painting. How do you guys work with plaster?

Mario.

Wash plaster? Won't that ruin the casting?

You can use a stiff bristled tooth brush to clean it a bit, for example. Even if you make some scratches or take some bits apart , you can fix them with wall spackle compound diluted in water a bit.

Nope - no washing. Use the previous suggestion or use your airbrush with no paint to 'blow' the dust away - or both.

If you wash the kit, you will 'soften' the detail and rub some away or weaken the entire piece and it could break.

I thought water could damage the plaster, but I thought I should ask anyway. Airbrushing away the dust seems like a good idea... one more way to use the airbrush.

Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it!

Mario.

hi there, I make buildings of my own, and after scribing in all the little details they get verry dusty.
So I just spray them with a liquid filler that is used to brush onto newly plastered walls.
It lays a tinny layer of 'plastic' onto the model en makes it easier to paint without the paint being absorbed in the plaster.
Hope they have a hobby market in your area, I bought mine in a place called Gamma ( all u Begians or Dutch will know what I talking about:) )

greetz Peter

Hi Mario. The few plaster pieces that I have used, I did pretty much as Peter suggested. I mixed up some white glue and water 50/50, and painted it on with a soft brush, making sure none pooled in the detail. The plaster will soak in some of the glue-water mix, leaving the surface not as pourous or dusty when dry, making it ideal for painting.
Do all your dry fitting before this stage, so any sanding or other work can be cleaned up in the same process.