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Hi.
I'm new and rarin' to go after buying and downloading Jackie's inspirational book.Just one query really, although I'm not exactly at the stage of being able to use the advice straight away!
When I was a wartime baby my Mother bathed me and my subsequent siblings in a baby bath made from papier mache. It was a bought one, not home-made and was incredibly strong although light in weight. Right throughout my teenage years Mum was still using it to bath her little dog in. It was pale blue and appeared to be 'enamelled' rather than varnished, although I could be mistaken and the bath is no longer available for me to check.
I know with current safety regulations that certain paints etc would probably be frowned upon for this purpose nowadays but I was wondering how I could make something as waterproof and sturdy as that old baby bath, able to withstand so much heavy constant use. I've read Jackie's waterproofing article with great interest but wonder whether the 'winner' would be enough for years of protection.
All advice very welcome.
A big 'thank you' from MitziB.
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Hi MitziB and welcome to the world of papier mache!
I'm so glad you have found the inspiration you need to get started. It really is very addictive and you just want to go on challenging yourself and trying out different ideas and techniques.
I have heard about those papier mache baby baths, but have never actually seen one. I don't know how they were made, but I can only guess that they had something added to the papier mache to make it waterproof, rather than just a coating alone. The Victorians put bitumen in with the papier mache so it could be something similar to that. I bet you wish you had hung on to it? It would quite a rare, collectable item now.
Maybe someone here knows more about them?
Good luck with your projects and look forward to seeing your artwork in the future.
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Yup, I was bathed in one too and it lasted many years thereafter. From memory, I would guess that it was a compressed pulp, possibly with a linseed oil additive and a strong multiple layer of oil paint. That's hindsight, of course. Pieces of furniture, trays etc. mainly late 19th century were made with linseed oil and heated pressure. Some still exist.
DavidO
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From what I've read, David is probably correct. Papier mache was a big business for a while, and there was machinery dedicated to making items from it. Some of the pieces didn't even have adhesive in it, it was held together by the heat/pressure method so well.
If you have any kind of museum around, keep an eye out for PM items. Even if you can't check them out personally, the curator may be able to provide more info.
Sue
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