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My Cat Waxton

The big day: in late August

I went to Zeeland for the crock-pot and got the wax going. Then I started to take the mold apart. I was pretty negative about it. I expected problems.

My camera battery was dead, so I used the video camera to capture the events, before and after the moment of truth. I have been letting my hair grow. Michelle doesn't like the whiskers, which I figure are a part of being a real artist. I thought I'd try long head hair. It hasn't been this long since high school. I like the way it feels, but not the way it looks. I'll cut it off this weekend. It's not helping anyway.

I exposed the seam between the top and bottom rubber parts. I suddenly remembered that there is no seam in the rubber under the plaster seam over the ears. I had decided to cut that in later. That means I really do have to try to separate the plaster from the rubber.

I got it off. I lost a few pieces, but it barely worked ok.

This is the piece. It's thin and weak, but it might help.

Then I cut the rubber, in order to remove it. I hinged it back over the ears and tried to pull the plaster and rubber up and back, sliding it off the tail. The plaster broke at the tail - it had to. There's no way to get it off in one piece.

The clay is deformed, but its job should be over. The top rubber part looked ok, except for the broken and sagging tail. The bottom was to be a different story.

I pulled the feet out of the bottom rubber and the whole thing fell apart.

You can see the detail in his paws is gone. It's all deformed from pulling out of the rubber.

Michelle was to remind me later that this is my hobby and that I should be enjoying myself. She's always trying to help.

Stupid me. You can see that there are voids in the rubber. This is evidently why you start with a thin coat. I ended with a thin coat, to make it smoother so the plaster might come off. It turns out that I probably didn't even need to take the plaster off this bottom part. Aargh!!

The plaster is on the pavement to the left, thin and light, but not strong. The bottom rubber is the thing that looks like a deflated balloon. That could be my ego lying there. I had the wax ready, so I put the plaster pieces back together under the top rubber part. I used rubber bands to hold the plaster pieces together. Then I slopped in the wax.

I had to pick it up to get the wax into the tail and mouth. When I did that, I squeezed and deformed everything. I didn't expect it to work right, I was just getting a feel for how things might work. (or not)

Right then it started to rain. I dragged everything into the garage. This is when Michelle came home and reminded me to like everything.

I generally learn something this way: I feel bad, then someone tells me what to do. A better way would be for me to think of something to do. That's what I did just then. I put the rubber back on the clay and applied another thick coat of rubber. (I'm running out.) I couldn't smooth it, so I pressed a piece of plastic against it. That smoothed it pretty good. I wondered if the rubber would cure with no air, but figured it would. Otherwise, they wouldn't sell it in two parts that I have to mix together. I planed to smear Vaseline over this and then apply a thick coat of plaster. I probably won't need to take the plaster off anyway - so this is probably not necessary. But it will be stiffer next time. As for the small voids everywhere? It's the under side. I'll patch them up as best I can with wax.

Michelle says the wax and rubber are the same color.

I pulled the wax out and was relieved at the results. I don't intend to keep it, but I'm encouraged. When the bottom part is ready, I'll take the clay out and put the top rubber back on. I'll stiffen up the plaster and try again.

The ears have voids. Maybe part of the clay is still in the rubber. I'll try to clean it out. I can always patch the wax if I have to.

The tail broke because it was too thin on one side. I was hurrying things along. Next time I'll be able to hold it better.

I'll show you more when I accomplish something. Actually, I'm hopeful now.

Wax Cat 2

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