The Master Plasterer!

Many people have asked how Moroccan plasterers manage to make such wonderful shapes and designs. Well, here is a simple demonstration of one such undertaking
.

The plasterer is Abellkader and his task is to transform a hammam doorway into a more traditional style.


His first job is to mark out the curved template, which he does on a piece of plywood.

Next comes the cutting of the template. This is the only point in the work where Abellkader uses a non-traditional tool.

Abellkader checks the template against the door.

Unlike other countries where plaster mixing is often done with a large electric mixer, Abellkader prefers to mix by hand. "With my hand I can continually monitor the mixture and get it perfect. A machine can not do that," he says.

A small notch has been made in the door frame and nails hammered into the top of the door. Abellkader balances a traditional clay brick into the notch and the secures it with a thick, quick drying rough plaster.

It takes the plaster a couple of minutes to make the brick secure.

Using the same rough plaster mix, Abellkader fills in behind the brick and strengthens it by pushing small scraps of brick into the mixture.

Once both sides have been given the rough shape, Abellkader checks with the plywood template.

The bottom of the design must be straight on both sides, so Abellkader adds a wooden guide.

The template is then attached with a small amount of plaster and the shape of the design is refined.

The final touches are added.

Next the template is removed and the already hardening plaster is scraped into the final shape, leaving a good surface that is the correct shape, but with a texture that allows a good grip for the final addition of fine plaster.

Abellkader - happy with the final outcome. Total time? Three hours.



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18 comments:

Lireva said...

I was so sad to see no new posts here, and so glad to see it up again! I want more! I love plastering, having plastered my strawbale house, and learn a lot from these posts. I'm excited to try new things!

JohnTiedemann said...

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Anonymous said...

As a wall covering, plaster is applied in two coats. The first coat is called primary coat and it's intentionally laid on with a rough texture. This roughness helps the second coat stick to the first coat. The second coat is applied much more smoothly with a trowel. This second coat is what you'll see when you look at an unpainted wall.
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Unknown said...

Fantastic post! This could aid lots of people find out about this matter.

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Manny Amadi said...

That arch - pure class!

Unknown said...

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Toby, it's the old, blurry line between truth & "the facts." Sometimes, they overlap, but often, they don't.

Twenty-five years ago, I spent six months flat on my back with a dislocated disk, unable to much of anything but nap & read. One day, my once-a-week cleaning woman was dusting my bedroom, and she paused as she picked up a paperback copy of "Bleak House" that was lying near my sickbed. She looked at the cover, which showed a painting of a woman in an somberly decorated 1880s interior, then looked around. "Looks like this place."
The room in the painting was much more elegant than mine, but I took her words as a compliment. "That's a really great book" I told her.
She turned the book over & looked at the blurb on the back. "Is it true? she asked.
"Actually, it's a novel."
"I see. So it didn't actually happen?"
"Well, no. It's a novel."
She made sort of a face. "So it's just made-up storying..."
"Well, yes, basically."
She put the book back down & wiped her hands on her apron, like they were soiled and looked at me like I was a spoiled child. "Then I wouldn't be interested. I don't read things that aren't true." If she could have sent me to bed for the day, she would have, but I was already there.

I'm reminded of Jesus' words to the persnickety Pharisees: "You have strained out the gnat & gulped down the camel."

Unknown said...


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Unknown said...


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I'm reminded of Jesus' words to the persnickety Pharisees: "You have strained out the gnat & gulped down the camel."

Unknown said...

Seriously, Excellent work your team have done for wall renovation.Its look nice and beautiful.
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product&medical services said...


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Unknown said...


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Nayem said...

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Hi There, I just spent a little time reading through your posts, which I found entirely by mistake whilst researching one of my projects. Please continue to write more because it’s unusual that someone has something interesting to say about this. Will be waiting for more

Nayem said...

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Hi There, I just spent a little time reading through your posts, which I found entirely by mistake whilst researching one of my projects. Please continue to write more because it’s unusual that someone has something interesting to say about this. Will be waiting for more

Unknown said...

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Hi There, I just spent a little time reading through your posts, which I found entirely by mistake whilst researching one of my projects. Please continue to write more

because it’s unusual that someone has something interesting to say about this. Will be waiting for more!

Unknown said...

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Kevin said...

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