Advice, please; crumbly plaster model

[FierceKitty]

I've just bought a very pretty but very fragile model Hindu temple, just about the right scale, The thing appears to be made of a low-grade plaster. I'd love to use it for a BUA in Moghul games, but fear it wouldn't survive. What can I do to make it more durable? Fifty coats of varnish?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Dip on a mixture of 50% water 50% pva?

[Squirrel]

Spot on Lemmy, that will work perfectly. The same mix is used in the construction industry to stabilise crumbly brick or plaster wall surfaces too. Just coat with car primer spray afterwards as water based paints won't adhere properly to the pva.

Cheers,

Kev

[Maenoferren]

yep PVA and water

[nikharwood]

Yep - diluted PVA will do the trick; I'd be tempted to give a couple of thin coats rather than one thicker one. You could [potentially] add in some pre-mix plaster / spackle [eg Polyfilla in the UK] to the thinned mix - this'll strengthen too...and if you want some additional texture, bung some sand in too.

I've said it before & I'll say it again...mad feckin scientist, me 

[GordonY]

OR make a Latex mould and recast it in Heculite II, it'd survive being smacked with a 3lb hammer then.

[nikharwood]

OR make a Latex mould and recast it in Heculite II, it'd survive being smacked with a 3lb hammer then.

True, true 

[Maenoferren]

I use Kerramin for my plaster, solid stuff