Artex - Yes you can still get it!

Workshop time was foreshortened, here at Laughton Towers this week, by a trip to Ironbridge last weekend to attend Meccanuity 12 one of the bigger Meccano shows. If you want to see want we got up to and a huge selection of photos of the show go and check it out on our Meccano website HERE. We decided to stay an extra night after the show meaning we did not get back to base until late on Tuesday. So it was a three day week and it is Friday already!  

The messy bit

 So it is back to the workshop and time to play with that big bag of Artex that followed me home last week. In the 'old days' Artex was a pain to use having to mix it with hot water and then let it cool down before it could be used. The modern stuff can be used with any temperature of water between 10ºC and 40ºC No matter how hard I try, I can always be relied upon to get the stuff everywhere. One of the big advantages of Artex is that while it is still soft it washes off much easier than plaster of Paris or good old parrot stuffing (Polyfiller - get it?) Mix the Artex by adding the powder to clean water until it is the constancy of double cream.

That's enough Artex for one day, now it just has to sit there to go solid

Leave it to stand - it will be fine for a good hour or two - while some more of the kitchen wipes are cut up into squares. these are then dipped into the liquid Artex  and applied to the previously constructed layer which, is now bone dry and tight as a drum. layer it on until the landscape has bee covered. while it is still wet apply more Artex using a brush until the whole are has been covered. The damp will re-activate the PVA, making a very secure bond once it has all dried thoroughly. This first stage of application may take up to 48 hours to dry out thoroughly. More on this next week.

Ralph.