Milk on plaster?

[DaveyB]

I saw a website today that suggested painting plaster sculptures with 2 or 3 coats of milk. Is this wise? Does anyone have any experience or knowledge, pros & cons? :confused:

[Landseer]

I saw a website today that suggested painting plaster sculptures with 2 or 3 coats of milk. Is this wise? Does anyone have any experience or knowledge, pros & cons? :confused:Wise if you want to attract bugs or cats to it, otherwise what is milk puported to DO other than dry up, smell like spoiled milk or attract ants?

only reference I found was this;

Last, 2 to 3 coats of milk is painted over the plaster. Yep, milk. This is absorbed into the material, helps to seal it and gives it a translucent shine.

[F.C. White]

Sodium Silicate (water glass) would work far better and is tough as nails once it sets up. You can set it instantly with an application of CO2 gas.

[DaveyB]

Thank you both.
I just like to know about stuff like this when I come across it. I've found 3 references to finishing plaster with milk now, but none of them say why and neither do they they say if this compromises the piece in any way apart from the smell initially.

[sculptor]

Hi Davey:

dont think milk
think casein(protein in milk)
casein was a common base for paint in colonial america and northern europe of 2 centuries ago

mix locally obtained and ground pigment with (scalded?) milk and paint on barn

practice continued till the paint/chemicle companies made it easier (and cheap)to buy a can and slap it on

here's a google link
http://www.google.com/search?f=q&hl=en&q=make%20casein%20paint&tab=lw

and from there,
http://www.networkearth.org/naturalbuilding/paints.html

there are lots of variations to casein paint recepes
probably based on what was available locally

hope this helps
rod
sculptor (http://home.mindspring.com/~mandali/index.html)

[Landseer]

Ive used milk paint, trouble is the dogs kept trying to lick it off the walls!