Chad Fabry Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 I posted some pictures of plaster work on a ceiling medallion on my company FB account. I don't want to swamp you folks who are friends with me on Fb but I wanted to share the project with anyone who gives a crap. Here's the link if you're inclined: plaster medallion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Nice. What materials did you use for "gluing" the parts back together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted April 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Kurt, Mostly just plaster. For awkward pieces I used super glue after wetting the surfaces with water (or spit). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Admix? On second looks, that's a really fine medallion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted April 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 No, just plaster. Many of the breaks had gaps so the plaster worked best- it created 1/8" gap filler and adhesive all in one. Wet both pieces and join. The repairs are quite strong. At first I carved the contours while the plaster was still plastic, but by the end I was smoothing the contours with a wet tool I made shaped like a tiny spoon or a riffler w/o the barbs. It's a slow process building the sections in layers but almost all of the repairs are undetectable. It is a nice medallion with a lot of intricate detail that was obscured by thick gobs of latex paint. I'm open to suggestion for the re-mount on the ceiling. I was going to mount it to 3/4 birch plywood cut in a circle about 6 inches smaller than the medallion. The edge would rabbeted to leave just an 1/8" lip. Next I planned on removing the circle of drywall from the ceiling and inserting the circle of plywood screwing to the joists. The reveal created by the rabbet would overhang the drywall edge. Originally, it was mounted directly to the plaster with plaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted October 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 We tried white and it was too stark against a grey ceiling. The Chandelier is a BIG spanish revival with brass and iron circa 1920. Is this too gaudy? Click to Enlarge 68.4 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenT Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 We tried white and it was too stark against a grey ceiling. The Chandelier is a BIG spanish revival with brass and iron circa 1920. Is this too gaudy? Click to Enlarge 68.4 KB If the medallion fits the rest of the house then it is not too gaudy. I just bought a home that is circa 1855, although the earliest documentation I found so far is 1898. There are medallions in each room. Not quite as fancy as yours, but still beautiful. Luckily they are all in excellant condition. On another note, the Boss wants to get rid of the four fireplace mantles (and sides). I believe they are original to the home. I'm looking for an interested party. I'm probably going to end up putting them on Craigslist. If you are interested I will post a few pics. If you like them and are interested I'm sure we can work it out. Do you still shear sheep? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 Gaudy is not the right word. I have a general distaste for gilded finishes. They don't fit into any design scheme imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 On another note, the Boss wants to get rid of the four fireplace mantles (and sides). I believe they are original to the home. I'm looking for an interested party. I'm probably going to end up putting them on Craigslist. If they are original to the home, they should remain stored there for future owners to rectify. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenT Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 On another note, the Boss wants to get rid of the four fireplace mantles (and sides). I believe they are original to the home. I'm looking for an interested party. I'm probably going to end up putting them on Craigslist. If they are original to the home, they should remain stored there for future owners to rectify. That thought came into mind also. It does make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted October 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 Bill, what color do you suggest for the medallion? I said the chandelier was spanish revival, I meant spanish mission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 Bill, what color do you suggest for the medallion? Well, I agree with Kurt about the gold. I would do monochrome with different brown hues to enhance highlights and shadows of the relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 This is kinda what I was trying to describe. Click to Enlarge 22.53 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted October 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 Thanks for the feed-back. I wasn't sure about the gold because I suggested the treatment, not my wife. I have questionable taste, she has impeccable taste. She didn't love the gold but she didn't flat out refuse it. I'll start again and add some age to the look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 Yeah, that's not bad. Kind of a rubbed out bronze patina look. Burnish a few highlights, darken the shadow areas, it could look really good. What's the color bias on the grey ceiling? Warm or cool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted October 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 The color is Ben Moore Coventry Grey. My wife says it's a neutral grey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 Got out the color fan..... Yeah, I'd call it neutral. So, you can shift either way. I like the idea of that patina'd look but I'd keep it shifted warm and avoid any hint of gilding. Gilding with a Spanish Mission style light would be hideous. You need to transition from Spanish Mission into neutral grey. Lightly patina'd look like Kibbel said would be a good direction to explore. Spanish Mission lighting, a mildly patina'd medallion.....it could tie the room together....the Dude abides.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Like Chad, I don't do colors. Ain't got no sense of color matching at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted October 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 I finally had some time to mess around with some finishes. The one in the back is the original gold, and the other three are finishes that I'm considering. What do you think? Click to Enlarge 55.37 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 The only one I'd even begin to consider would be the "brown-ish" one at the lower right. The others are hideous. If you got a Spanish Mission light fixture, any type of gilding has to be understated. Really, really understated. Only a few burnished areas, and I'd be really selective with where they were located and how prominent they figured when I stepped back and got the overview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 I'm with Kurt. others are, or could be , a distraction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 It can also mean you got the wrong light fixture. Let's maintain the full interior decoration obsessive-ness, and throw all design elements into the mix. You should obtain the services of a licensed competent interior decorator and have them evaluate all possibilities. You might get it done by next year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 I think a vneed to see this light fixture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted November 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 So last Sunday, I asked a friend to come help me install the medallion. I mounted it on 3/4 inch birch, 7 ply, plywood painted the color of my ceiling. I agonized over what adhesive to use and settled on latex modified thinset. The first piece fell as I drove the first screw into the ceiling joist. By the time I backed the screw out, six more fell to the floor. After testing, I concluded that plaster medallion parts cannot withstand an eleven foot drop. It was one of those moments where you don't swear or shout, you just bend over and start picking up the pieces. It took a week but I glued 5 of seven back together enough to mend them with plaster and some time. I cast two from scratch. This time it's attached with OSI urethane and 36 trim screws that I countersunk and covered with plaster. So much for reversibility. I asked my friend to come back to help me again and he said he would. When I asked what time he'd arrive, he said "twenty minutes before the medallion crashes to the floor." He's hilarious. I'll post a picture after it's up and after I hang the chandelier. Click to Enlarge 37.32 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 I think you finally got the color thing going the right way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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