davemm1779

Hi everyone, I currently work with gypsum plaster (Crystacal R) creating ceramic pieces for the home such as vases (to be used with artificial flowers). The issue I have had for a long time is finding a hard glaze or varnish so as to stop the item from scratching. Whilst the plaster itself is very hard, it can scratch fairly easily, so I have to sell my pieces with a warning to look after with care. If acrylic painting over it then scratches are even more noticeable. I've been looking for gloss varnishes or something similar that can give a hard shell finish, and that is safe to use and don't contain any harmful toxins as most of my work is done indoors at home. I've tried a number of varnishes on the market but have had poor results. These seem to be more useful for protecting artwork than ceramics. They don't stop scuffs and light scratches. The best I've come across is Decoart (duraclear varnish), but this is an American product with very few resellers in the UK. It is also quite difficult to apply. If done incorrectly, you end up with a milky patch that doesn't dry clear and you end up ruining the whole piece. On occasions I've also been able to pick the varnish off once dry. I recently came across Rustins clear glaze which I understand is for clay pieces which are then fired but I've heard it can be used on plaster as well. This seems to be the ideal thing but I don't fire my plaster no do I need to, so would Rustin's only work on fired items? Is there anything that maybe more suitable for plaster items that can provide a hard shell gloss finish similar to a glazed effect and that doesn't yellow over time? Any help greatly appreciated.