Introduction
First Semester
BATW 301 Intermediate Trowel Trades III / Intro to Modeling and Casting (6 Credits)
Third year at the American College of the Building Arts, seeking a degree in Architectural Stonemasonry and Trowel Trades (Plaster, Brick, and Stone Masonry). Beginning with an introduction to casting and reproduction of details in plaster then the class will go forward with the introduction to the Reproduction of Cast Element and cleaning of resin for final production of Theatre Charleston Award. The class is focused on the cleaning of the Drayton Hall plaster cast for new mold to be made, introduction to casting a one piece mold casting in rubber, introduction to two piece mold, mixing and pouring plaster, and the design and carving fountain for the city of Charleston.
Second Semester
BAAS 302Architectural Stonemasonry Specialization I/ Stone Arch Work and Masonry Installation (6 credits)
This course is designed to take the student into the creation of more extensive template making and Architectural Carving. The carved work will include internal carved work where by template are placed on the outside but turns mean that the molding becomes blind to the template.
Develop the basic skills required to produce finish quality products and masonry for new building structures. Conceptually understand how to see 3d objects on Paper and projecting this 2d into an object. Understand a basic principle of creating a worksite proposal.
Fountain
Design Process
The design was based off of the center sunflower piece from the Drayton Hall ceiling that I spent the majority of the semester recasting. Having more of a traditional and classical mind set compared to my professor caused for different ideas from all the pieces from the ceilings plaster pieces.
It is meant to be coming down from the center piece and gradually having a floret blowing in the wind look and feel. Using the re-casted center piece to get an idea of how to form it, I then sketched ideas and final drawings shown to the right. Originally made for the idea if it were to be a sixteen foot by twelve foot fountain placed in a upcoming park renovation in the Ansonbourough area of downtown Charleston. (Sketches are the outside images and the center pictures are the final designs and layouts for the carving)
The entire fountain has the elegance to flow and have water streaming off of the tips and into a pool of water. Haven created all the pieces for the ceiling and choosing the sunflower as the main go to for the fountain has been a great choice. 
These are the final drawings that go with the two on the other page. The ones on the right show the fountain at its final stage at the park and the top right picture is the template used for carving. The pictures on the left are the exact measurements and drawings that are also used in the design. They show the long and short sides of the carving. Then in the middle is the plaster casted piece that we used to get an idea of the piece in the shape that I drew up.
Carving
Using the Drayton Hall ceiling and the reproduction of all of its pieces; this fountain is to resemble the ceiling. Being carved out of Indiana Limestone to form the beautiful sunflower fountain piece. 
After designing it to resemble the center sunflower and adding life to it with flowing curves the fountain will be carved with hand tools and roughed out with angle grinders. The fountain will sit at three feet in length, a foot and a half wide, and a height of ten inches.
Fireplace
Bolection Vs. Tudor
Using three large Indiana Limestones from the jail yard, we designed two styles for a fireplace. The fireplace was selected to be carved for a client in Charleston, South Carolina. With the Bolection being chosen for the size of the stones available and it being the more difficult to carve. So it is perfect for learning! The size of the opening is approximately sixty inches wide and thirty two inches tall. The two jambs have been cut and are being worked at the moment. The under mantle has been cut as well. Drawings will be put in later after they are returned from the architect and client.
Liberal Arts
During the third year, the classes focus on Business Management, Historic Preservation, Italian (Foreign Language Class), and Advanced Design (Elective).
Business Management taught us how to run a business and how to write a business plan to help us understand the ideas and concepts that go into running a business.
Historic Preservation showed us the differences in past architecture compared to current preservation. Going through the ideas and concepts to help us realize what our work could come from.
Italian was to further our knowledge of another country, culture and to learn how to speak their language t make us more diverse and open to other forms of learning and life lessons.
Advanced Design was another drafting class focusing in on Traditional and Classical architecture. Reading books such as Vitruvius and Get Your House Right to further our knowledge in the orders and concepts of designing a building or house. We then spent the second half of the semester drawing up sketches of our individual houses and making them into a fine detailed hand drafted drawing.
Production of Awards
This was the first exercise of the semester focusing on production of a project. They were trophies for an awards ceremony for the theatre companies in Charleston, South Carolina. We casted twenty trophies with resins with a strong focus on cleaning and finishing. We poured the plaster into the mold with the mother mold containing the trophies. We cleaned the molds afterwards with a knife, sand paper, and a drimmel. The bottoms were sanded down with a grinder. We then continued by painting the molds to fit a more elegant look.
(Some sections may be inter linked with others and over lap in processes.)
Cleaning of Plaster
In order to be able to remold these pieces we had to clean up the original ones. Using files, chisels, sand paper, and clay shaping tools to work the plaster into a cleaner piece. Having to fill in holes with wax and work as an example on the large sunflower leaves; the entire bottom side had to be worked down into being flat and straight as well as reshaping it to clean the piece up. Also added to bring some pieces back to their original size and shape. Some pieces were worked down too much or too damaged over time. We cleaned up over six pieces during the duration. Now we can pour around ninety six stars all at once.
Pieces that were worked were: Stars, Magnolia Flowers, Center Sunflower, Center Sunflower Seeds, Tobacco Leaves, Tree Leaves, Vine Leaves and the “V”.
Single Pour Mold
On most of the single pour molds we painted the first several bits on to ensure we got into the corners and where it continued to run off the plaster. After we did this for approximately three times we added more to the mix to thicken it up. We then proceeded to add this newer mix all over as well. Thusly creating the picture to the right. Then we went further to make the mother molds (see the mother mold section for further information).
Using the single pour mold to do the majority of the pieces for their lack of intricate or curved undersides. After cleaning these pieces and pouring the resin; the pieces came out cleaner and smoother then the ones we had originally.
Double Pour Mold
In order to fix the existing problem of having too hard of rubber molds we used a different urethane with more leverage. The double pour gave us the chance to have a bottom and a top urethane.
It allowed us to successfully remove the newly poured plaster pieces cleaned without having to bend around corners. We did this for three of the pieces (Tobacco Leaves, Tree Leaves, and the Magnolia Flowers).
The process of plastering the pieces onto the wood, shellacking them for protection, and then clamping wood to each other around it to form walls for a mother mold like exterior. Pouring halfway up the pieces and waiting a full day for that first pour to dry, then the second day we came back and poured the second.
Thin Painted Molds
We used thin painted molds for half of the pours. In order to get it onto the plaster piece better and more accurately. Taking a paint brush to spread the urethane around the plaster piece.
This took more time on the large sunflower floret piece for it continued to slide off the tips of the florets; however, the urethane set around the piece and came out lovely. Big relief to finish the largest piece successfully. Using this method on the “V”, Vines, and the Sunflower Florets.
Mother Molds
In order to keep the safety of the pour contained we made mother molds. In other words we made boxes to keep the plaster and urethanes square and protected. Using clay to fill the gaps as well . Shellacking the wood for protection on a permanent basis; however, we used vegetable shortening to keep the rubber and plaster from sticking to anything. With a few pieces of burlap in the plaster to help in grab onto to each other and hold strong (One thing I did not enjoy dealing with when cleaning the original piece). These all came out clean and have held up well.
Urethanes for Casting Mold
To make our molds better than the old ones we made new ones for every piece. After making all of the mother molds and cleaning of the urethane . We poured and mixed the urethane by hand and with a mixer. The proceeded to pour the mixes onto the plaster pieces, ether straight onto or by using a paint brush to make sure it got onto the corners and tips. We ran into one problem when the shellac stuck to the rubber on a portion of one pour. It can do that in some urethanes but it should not have with our urethane. |
| All pieces made during the semester to fully replicate the Drayton Hall ceiling |
Running in Plaster
BAXX 202 Intermediate Trowel Trades IV/ Running Plaster in the Workshop (3 credits)
This course will introduce students to the Building Art Practice and Theory based on the above course description. Be exposed to the Theory and Practice of Applying and running Plaster from Basic Flat work and template making for running plaster
Designing and Running
Designing for a house on South Battery Street in Charleston, S.C. There are three door ways we will be designing and running for and two of them are arches with slightly different dimensions. And then we will be creating a slight dome in the middle of the house on the first floor. (Drawings, Running, and Pictures will come later once we get started).
Installation
Have not reached this point yet in the semester.
Extras
Veneto Tradition
Got the chance to learn how to use Marmerino and Sgrafitto plastering from Franco Saladino. Franco is a is a master plasterer from Venice, Italy. Spending a weekend with Franco and learning and watching the methods he learned from the masters before him.
Marmorino– Describes an entire system of lime plastering inherited directly from the Romans as recorded by Vitruvius. It enjoyed a vibrant revival during the Renaissance, spreading from the Veneto region, where it had continued as a craft tradition, to the rest of Italy.Sgrafitto- This technique of carving into a plaster to reveal a contrasting color underneath is very much associated with the Italian tradition from whom we have directly borrowed the word sgrafitto meaning scratched.
Drayton Hall
The house was begun in 1738 and completed in 1742, using both free and slave labor. The seven-bay double-pile plantation house is within a 630-acre site that is part of the plantation based on indigo and rice. Seven generations of Drayton heirs preserved the house in all but original condition, though the flanking outbuildings have not survived: an earthquake destroyed the laundry house in 1886 and a hurricane destroyed the kitchen in 1893.
Installing Stone Fountain Insitu
Carved by Professor Warren, this fountain was needing to be installed at a home on the battery. Originally the water did not flow off of every side of the fountain but we helped it along during the install to where the water flows off the tips of the darts.
A beautiful Texas limestone fountain in the yard of a beautiful home. Keeping the yard clean during the install and washing out any stone dust from the fountain afterwards. This was another opportunity to learn something in class that is not in the curriculum but of course certainly needed to learn.
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