How to breed alabaster?

In construction, various materials are often used for rough work or for decorative purposes. One of these compounds is alabaster, thanks to which you can close the holes in the walls, as well as create decorative elements. Depending on the purpose of this composition, it is necessary to be able to mix it correctly, know the proportions and use a suitable container for work.

Alabaster is a white powdery substance that, when combined with water, dries and hardens. Due to its properties and ease of work, this material is actively used by builders. Due to the ease of creating a durable product, alabaster was adopted by decorators.

Among the main types of work for which you can use alabaster, it is worth highlighting such as:

• rough work on sealing seams, holes, strobes;
• fixing the electrical cable during installation;
• putty work on walls and other surfaces;
• manufacturing of slopes and lighthouses.

In view of the great popularity of alabaster, it is worth mentioning its advantages and disadvantages. Positive traits include:

• fast setting;
• low density;
• flame resistance;
• good sound insulation performance.

An especially important feature is that alabaster is completely harmless to human health, so it can be used to repair a nursery and to create figurines with the participation of children.

The disadvantage of this raw material is low strength, under high pressure, the dried element cracks. It is important to store the powder correctly, otherwise its properties may change for the worse. When working, it is necessary to breed alabaster in very small quantities, due to its extremely fast drying.

Any building mixtures must be poured into containers, filled with a certain amount of water and mixed. Depending on the characteristics of such formulations and the purpose of their use, the size, shape and material of the container will vary. Since alabaster hardens very quickly, it will not be advisable to knead it in a bucket or bowl. In the process of using such a mixture, the residues will certainly remain on the walls of the container and dry there very quickly.

In order not to waste time removing alabaster remnants, you need to change the container for mixing it. The best option would be a rubber or silicone mold that does not have solid walls. Thanks to such a container, it is possible to easily remove the composition from the walls, deforming them. There is no need to purchase any specialized container, you can use materials at hand: a camera, a rubber ball, a silicone kitchen mold.

To dilute alabaster, there is a procedure that regulates the amount of powder and water that must be mixed together.For sockets, topiary, as well as for pouring decorative forms, a little composition is needed; for plastering work, a more significant amount of material will be required. The ratio of these characteristics and the procedure is as follows:

• pick up a rubber or silicone container with a volume of about a liter;
• pour half a liter of water into the container;
• add a kilogram of alabaster.

The amount of alabaster is twice that of water, which makes it possible to form a moderately viscous substance that copes with the task assigned to it. An important criterion for preparing the mixture is the gradual addition of the powder to the water and the constant stirring of the resulting mixture. When the entire composition is mixed, it must be used immediately, since after 5 minutes it begins to harden. Alabaster is completely petrified after 20 minutes.

Due to the peculiarities of alabaster, it is important to properly prepare the composition from it so that it does not freeze as long as possible and makes it possible to perform a larger amount of work. Let's consider the most important criteria in the kneading process.

• It is necessary to prepare the composition in limited quantities so that it does not dry out quickly. Otherwise, after 5 minutes, the mass will completely harden.
• Choose the right container in which the composition will be diluted. The best option would be rubber or silicone utensils with soft walls.
• Before starting work, put a plastic wrap or bag inside the container, fixing the edges.
• Correctly dilute alabaster with water, observing the ratio of the components. Otherwise, the mass will either be very liquid and will not fulfill its task, or it will be too dry and dry up in a matter of minutes.
• Observe the correct sequence of adding elements. It is necessary to immediately pour water into the container, and then add alabaster. It is important to constantly stir the composition so that it is homogeneous, without lumps and bubbles.

If you follow all the requirements, then working with alabaster will be easy and comfortable, and the result will please with its accuracy. When planning the breeding of alabaster, it is necessary to take into account the task for which it is being prepared.

Alabaster is used for various purposes, but the main one is repair and construction tasks. In order to properly prepare and use the mixture on different surfaces, it is important to know what types of alabaster are and what their functions are.

• Alabaster powder - sold in powder form in containers from 5 to 50 kg. The choice of a specific option depends on the scope of work.
• Fast-acting compound (A) - used to eliminate minor surface imperfections, cracks. It can be used to fix decorative items. The composition is set in 2 minutes, and completely dries up after 15 minutes.
• Composition with medium drying speed (B) - convenient for plastering walls. Sand is added to its composition, which increases the viscous state up to 6 minutes.
• Slow drying alabaster (V) - suitable for creating decorative elements and shapes. Setting time is 20-30 minutes.

To make a solution for treating walls, you need to understand how much work needs to be done and what problems will need to be dealt with. For finishing the outer surface of the wall, the mortar must contain cement; for plastering the internal elements, lime is added to the composition. The mortar needed to seal holes and cracks must be alabaster.

To make the desired composition, it is necessary to combine all dry components together, and then dilute them with water and alabaster. The process of creating a squad consists of a number of steps.

• Pour the required amount of sand into the prepared container.
• Add lime paste. The ratio of the elements should be 1: 5.
• Stir the resulting composition with improvised tools or a construction mixer.
• Add water in small doses, continuously stirring the mass. The resulting composition should be similar to sour cream in density.
• Knead a small amount of alabaster. The finished dough should be correlated with the previously prepared mixture in proportions of 1: 4.
• Add the alabaster composition to the previously obtained solution and mix well.

The process of mixing the mortar for construction work should take only a couple of minutes, and the amount of the finished mass should correspond to the working time for this composition. You should not prepare a large amount of solution, as it will dry out quickly and will not be able to perform the assigned tasks. It is important to know that it is impossible to dilute the frozen mixture with water, as this destroys the composition of the alabaster, and it becomes brittle and crumbles from any impact.

One of the very interesting and exciting activities is the creation of crafts and figurines from alabaster. Due to the strength, lightness and safety of the material, not only decorative elements for interior design are created from it, but also toys for children. To make the product strong and beautiful, it is important to be able to properly dilute the composition for it.

There are several techniques for how best to create handicraft mixes.

• Dilution of water and alabaster in a ratio of 7:10. This creates a mass that is easy to handle. The resulting products with such a composition will be fragile, therefore it is recommended to add 2 tablespoons of PVA glue to the process of mixing the solution. It is important to pour the powder into the water in small portions, stirring it thoroughly.
• Dilution of alabaster with water and slaked lime, these components should be taken in a ratio of 6: 10: 1. When mixing components in such a concentration, strong products are obtained that serve for many years without changing their appearance.

In addition to creating decorative monochromatic figures, there is an opportunity to experiment with colors, making the finished products brighter, more interesting and unique. To obtain a colored composition from alabaster, you must have:

• alabaster;
• water;
• gouache;
• bank;
• containers for mixing components;
• product, which will be used for mixing the components.

Let's look at the process of creating a colored mass for crafts.

• Choose a gouache of the desired color, pour the paint into water. It is necessary to pour into the container as much water as is needed to work with alabaster. It is more convenient to dilute the paint in a jar, since it can be covered with a lid and shaken for faster and better dilution of the coloring component.
• As soon as the paint is completely mixed with water, it must be poured into a container where the alabaster will be kneaded. The powder is poured gradually, in a small amount and is constantly mixed.
• The stirring process should be carried out until no lumps remain in the solution, and the consistency resembles liquid sour cream. It is important to pay attention to air bubbles, during the kneading process they must be eliminated, otherwise there will be holes in the finished craft.

By correctly creating an alabaster mixture, you can make a large number of different figures: imitation of pets, cartoon characters and fairy tales, angels and other products of any theme. If you make the composition more liquid, then it can be used to create a tree from beads. In this case, several layers of liquid alabaster are applied to the wire frame with a brush. There are a lot of options for crafts that can be used to decorate rooms, buildings and other structures. This is a creative and very exciting process that a child and an adult can do.

In the process of creating decorative products, you can also use plaster. This material is practically indistinguishable from alabaster. Gypsum is completely white, alabaster has a gray tint. Gypsum mix dries a little longer than alabaster, which sets almost immediately. It is safer to work with plaster if you create children's figurines.

In the next video, you will find a simple way to regulate the plastic phase of alabaster.