Replies

1. 
   Jim_K_ | Dec 08, 2000 12:42am | #1

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   >Any ideas on how to bend the blueboard in 3 dimensions?

   Don't. If the crew doing the skim coat has lots of experience, they'd be quite able to do a three coat plaster over metal lathe. Better curves and easier to form. Mostly that's what we did on our curved walls and they look great and are strong as all getout. On a coupla of our larger radii curves (>12' D) the crew wet and bent the blueboard, and I can see where each 2 x is be/c the blueboard is straight and then bends slightly--not a pure curve, but a series of small planes. I'm sure it can be done this way, but we just didn't achieve it.

   On an 8' D wall w/ only a single curve I didn't even use blueboard. For a compound curve, I'm guessing it'd be nearly impossible to bend the blueboard so that a skim coat would be smooth. If it was my money, I'd demand 3 coat plaster over lathe. Good luck.

1. 
   Gabe_Martel | Dec 08, 2000 01:28am | #2

   *Nice detail Joe.Gabe

1. 
   Joe_Fusco_ | Dec 08, 2000 02:05am | #3

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   Thanks Gabe.

   View Image © 1999-2000

1. 
   Jim_K_ | Dec 08, 2000 02:28am | #4

   *Joe,Did you use blueboard/skimcoat with that? Trying to read into picture 2, but eyes are failing me. The formwork would serve both plaster methods it seems. If BB, does that mean you attached pie shaped pieces of BB to the (what looks like) 32 3/4" spokes? If so, hats off, be/c the crew I hired couldn't have done it. Curiosity, what determined the choice of one method v the other? Did the plasterers achieve final roundness in one coat?

1. 
   Jim_K_ | Dec 08, 2000 03:49am | #5

   *OK, thanks. So it wasn't a blueboard solution. We also used Structo-Lite for our scratch and brown coat. Used Diamond Imperial for the finish coat. We could mostly get by with pool trowels and well worn plaster trowels for our curved work. They took a few to the bench grinder, but not too often.

2. 
   mark_cadioli | Dec 08, 2000 06:23am | #6

   *Joe Joe Joe,You've been holding out on us!! Come on now..more details please. Oh...one thing..did the homeowner mind that exposed lead running up the dome? I woulda put a light in from the top...but I suppose there is no accounting for taste.I think this would make a great article for FHB.

3. 
   Joe_Fusco_ | Dec 08, 2000 06:41am | #7

   *Mark,

   How the hell are you? BTW you mostly made Mr. Engel break out into a cold sweat with your remarks. . .I can assure that FHB wants nothing to do with Me. I'm just to damn controversial for them, kind of like a "social outcast" with good hand skills but bad manners, and you said there is no accounting for taste! LOL.

   View Image © 1999-2000"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich W. Nietzsche

4. 
   mark_cadioli | Dec 08, 2000 07:18am | #8

   *I think you're wrong on Andy's take. You may be suprised. Good handskills like good manners are an accquired skill.

5. 
   Tim_Kline | Dec 09, 2000 03:38am | #9

   *b WBA At Your Service Andy....???

6. 
   Gary_Rochman | Dec 11, 2000 05:25pm | #10

   *Joe:Thanks for your reply to my question, and the great photos. I tried to look at the description of the process you used, but couldn't access the page properly, I also tried email directly to you (unsuccessful). I sounds like structo-lite is a plaster coating used as a scratch coat or brown coat, applied to wire mesh. Is that right? Do you have any experience in bending blueboard into a dome shape? Alos, I just found a product by Focal Point, which is a prefabricated fiberglass type dome, 7' diameter, that gets installed and taped into a flat ceiling. Any experience with Focal Point, or heard about these?Thanks.Gary Rochman

2. 
   Gary_Rochman | Dec 12, 2000 12:58am | #11

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   I am looking to build a drywall/plaster dome in a reading room's ceiling, appx. 8' diameter, 2' high. The ceiling is skim coat plaster.

   Any ideas on how to build the structure? Any ideas on how to bend the blueboard in 3 dimensions? If it is over a form, how do I build the form?