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Your greenware casting should be
completely dry before using these cleaning methods.
Although this casting has lots of sharp
detail, it is possible to further refine and enhance the
detailing, and prepare the overall surface to provide a satiny
smooth casting on which to paint, and a highly detailed finished
doll. |
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Begin by removing
all mold seam lines with an X-Acto knife or scalpel. Hold blade
across the seam lines, and remove with soft, smooth strokes.
Do not chip or hack away at the seam line! |
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Use your nylon
bristled brush to sand the seam areas smooth. |
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Seam line areas
can be smoothed even further by using a nylon stocking stretched
over your finger.
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Use a soft
circular motion to rub gently over the seam areas. |
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The entire
surface of the porcelain casting will fire more smoothly if it is
disturbed in the greenware stage. Gently smooth the face
using a soft cat's tongue brush. Don't rub away details,
just gently smooth the surface of the face. |
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If you wish to
deepen details such as eyelids, eye outlines, etc, you can do so
using a finger tool. Use gentle strokes to prevent chipping
of the greenware. |
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In the mold making process, it
is usually necessary to fill in nostrils more than I prefer to see
them on a finished doll. Nostrils can be carefully deepened
using the finger tool. |
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A ball stylus
works wonderfully to further detail ear modeling. |
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Any of the
detailing you have done with your finger tool or ball stylus must
be gently smoothed with a soft 10/0 brush. These areas are
generally the places where you will be applying the most paint,
and you want a very smooth painting surface. |
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The surface of
the eyes must be extremely smooth to facilitate a good paint job
too. Gently rub with your 10/0 spotter. |
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Check the
armholes to make sure they are smooth, with no jagged edges.
Lightly dampen your cat's tongue brush, and run it around the
inside edge of the armhole. If there are ragged edges, many
times they will cause stress cracks in the firing. Smoothing
helps prevent this, and also gives you a nicer doll to assemble. |
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Use your scalpel
to gently clean the bottom opening of the torso. |
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Again, use a
dampened cat's tongue around the inside of the torso opening to
smooth. |
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Use your finger
tool to inscribe your signature, initials and/or date on the back
of your head. |
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Carefully examine
your greenware piece. Are there any rough surfaces that need
additional attention?
I always finish up by gently cleaning the
surface with a nylon stocking over my finger as a final touch up.
Use care never to rub too hard, or you will soften all the details
you have just put in!
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Use your china
mop to remove all dust from the casting. This is vitally
important before firing, as any dust remaining on the piece, (in
the mouth crevasse nose, and eyes and eyelid creases collect the
dust very easily) will vitrify in the firing, and leave you with a
white ugly crust that can not be sanded off.
Set your torso aside, and let's clean
some limbs. |