Run cornice in-situ

cognis0

New Member
Hi, I'm looking for someone who can run about 3.8m of plaster cornice in-situ. This is to match the existing Victorian plain cornice.

Is this a dying art? I can't seem to find anyone in my vicinity who can do this ~ I'm in Melksham, Wiltshire, a few miles east of Bath.

If you can, or know someone who can, please let me know.

Many thanks.
 
Hi, I'm looking for someone who can run about 3.8m of plaster cornice in-situ. This is to match the existing Victorian plain cornice.

Is this a dying art? I can't seem to find anyone in my vicinity who can do this ~ I'm in Melksham, Wiltshire, a few miles east of Bath.

If you can, or know someone who can, please let me know.

Many thanks.
Your a plasterer you do it
 
Why does it have to be run in situ?
I had a guy did a job for me when I lived in London ~ extended the fire breast, and did an in-situ cornice very quick and simple it seemed to me ~ no messing about doing a template and making up the cornice off-site. He was a youngish guy, but certainly knew his stuff...
 
I had a guy did a job for me when I lived in London ~ extended the fire breast, and did an in-situ cornice very quick and simple it seemed to me ~ no messing about doing a template and making up the cornice off-site. He was a youngish guy, but certainly knew his stuff...

Yes fair enough so you will have to go down the template route if you can’t get any help from here?
I did a job in November and the template cost £250 we only needed 2 pieces cast.
 
Yes fair enough so you will have to go down the template route if you can’t get any help from here?
I did a job in November and the template cost £250 we only needed 2 pieces cast.
They don't have to make a mold to cast them, they can run them on a bench.
It's just a part of the trade that hasn't allowed itself to get sucked into the undercutting mentality.
 
Was that for the template, mould or running horse? I se a business opportunity here

There are a few around. Go on youtube and you will find there are still some about.

I can run but wont as the money isn’t there for what is a very rare breed so on principle I wouldn’t.

But you dont need to. There are more fibrous plasterers around than in-situ.

They can come and take a template of you don’t know how and then re-produce the mould on a bench, come out and fit it.

Easier to get perfect, lighter and less mess.
 
There are a few around. Go on youtube and you will find there are still some about.

I can run but wont as the money isn’t there for what is a very rare breed so on principle I wouldn’t.

But you dont need to. There are more fibrous plasterers around than in-situ.

They can come and take a template of you don’t know how and then re-produce the mould on a bench, come out and fit it.

Easier to get perfect, lighter and less mess.
I do appreciate your answer but we can and do run our own cornice and can copy pretty much anything by just taking a squeeze and knocking out a mould so we can churn a few out on the bench
 
I do appreciate your answer but we can and do run our own cornice and can copy pretty much anything by just taking a squeeze and knocking out a mould so we can churn a few out on the bench
When I took down my old chimney they'd used some sheet zinc instead of lead. My son was going to skip it until I shouted "nooooo!". "That'll be perfect for making molds". He just gave me 'that look' as if to say "daft old prat, when was the last time he made a mold"? I get 'that look' quite often.
 
When I took down my old chimney they'd used some sheet zinc instead of lead. My son was going to skip it until I shouted "nooooo!". "That'll be perfect for making molds". He just gave me 'that look' as if to say "daft old prat, when was the last time he made a mold"? I get 'that look' quite often.
See that’s kids of today just throw it away and buy it later when you need it. I have the same problem with my son, “what the f**k are we going to do with that?” Followed by the same look your son gives you. I knew I never clouted him enough
 
Hard to get hold of zinc plate.

I have used oil cans and tupperware plastic before now.
We used those small ally sheets they used to cover the roof of ware house units with, they have a couple of grooves in them but there’s enough flat metal to make a fair few running moulds
 
can you use acrylic? How thick/thin does it need to be?
I don’t know if you could use Acrylic or not as long as you can get the patterned edge smooth enough, I don’t see why not, thickness I suppose about 1 to 2 mil. You nail it to a piece of wood which has the rough pattern cut out at a slight backward slope and nail the zinc or Acrylic in your case about five mil further out than the pattern on the wood, this strengthens your mould bit and the sloping edge allows any salvage to be run off without jamming the running mould
 
I don’t know if you could use Acrylic or not as long as you can get the patterned edge smooth enough, I don’t see why not, thickness I suppose about 1 to 2 mil. You nail it to a piece of wood which has the rough pattern cut out at a slight backward slope and nail the zinc or Acrylic in your case about five mil further out than the pattern on the wood, this strengthens your mould bit and the sloping edge allows any salvage to be run off without jamming the running mould
I'm not sure that a piece of acrylic that thin would stand up to the pressure put on it, and at that thickness would it cut off the excess as cleanly as a nice thin piece of zinc?
 
I'm not sure that a piece of acrylic that thin would stand up to the pressure put on it, and at that thickness would it cut off the excess as cleanly as a nice thin piece of zinc?
I think you are right I just wondered wether the wood behind would be enough o stop it from flapping around, myself I will stick to zinc or my warehouse roof metal
 
Yes fair enough so you will have to go down the template route if you can’t get any help from here?
I did a job in November and the template cost £250 we only needed 2 pieces cast.

Sorry I meant the cost to produce the mould was £250 he said they then just skip it.
 
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