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Thurston James

The Prop Builder's Molding & Casting Handbook Paperback – Illustrated, November 15, 1989

by Thurston James (Author)

196 ratings

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The Prop Builder's Molding & Casting Handbook

This is the first book to contain, in one comprehensive volume, every molding and casting procedure of use to the theater props builder (no matter what his or her level or proficiency). The author demonstrates the techniques involved in using more than thirty different materials ranging from papier-mache to breakaway glass.

While the use of some materials–plaster and polyester resins, for example–is covered to some extent in other publications, information on the selection and use of rubber materials (latex, neoprene, silicone, and the urethanes) and the procedure for making breakaway windows and bottles is available only in The Prop Builder's Molding & Casting Handbook.

Written in an easy, conversational style, the book will be useful to anyone involved with theater properties, puppetry, and costuming (as professionals or amateurs). It will also serve admirably the needs of students taking classes in those subjects.

Completing the book is a special section on designing and building a vacuum forming machine suitable for use in constructing theater props. More than 450 photographs illustrate the step-by-step procedures explained throughout the entire text.

Print length

238 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Betterway Books
Publication date

November 15, 1989
Dimensions

8.5 x 0.58 x 11 inches
ISBN-10

1558701281
ISBN-13

978-1558701281
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The sequel to James's The Theater Props Handbook , this is the second book in the author's crafts trilogy. Properties master of the UCLA theater department, James provides concise, step-by-step instructions on molding and casting procedures using some 30 different materials from papier mache to the new rubber materials. Some 450 illustrations enhance the text. LJ' s reviewer called the previous volume "a marked improvement" over earlier efforts on the topic and an "extremely clear, comprehensive manual" for the professional and novice ( LJ 3/15/88). Be on the lookout for a third book on mask-making in the fall of 1990.
-Francine Fialkoff, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product details

Publisher : Betterway Books; Illustrated edition (November 15, 1989)
Language : English
Paperback : 238 pages
ISBN-10 : 1558701281
ISBN-13 : 978-1558701281
Item Weight : 1.5 pounds
Dimensions : 8.5 x 0.58 x 11 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #435,401 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #154 in Stagecraft (Books)
- #1,175 in Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement (Books)

Customer Reviews:
196 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		72%
4 star		18%
3 star		6%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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John Howling Mouse

Great info, just beware that this is a somewhat poor-quality reprint

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

NOTE: Amazon, do not remove this review---the image shown is NOT copyrighted material. It's just a sample of the printing quality using the Library of Congress info from the original book and this current Amazon product. I also have a copy of the original 1989 version and you can tell this current offering is a somewhat poor quality photocopy of that book. The info is still as great as ever but the photos are not as clear and even the type is not the best photocopy (see attached image). I sure hope this is a legal reprint.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Paul Michaud

Abrams is pretty spot on

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2015

Verified Purchase

The review by C. Abrams is pretty spot on. Due to the lack of other printed resources, this book gets a lot of credit. This book really needs a new edition. Yes, the writing is good conversational style, but often the instructions are a vague, leaving you to your own understanding of the subject matter or trial and error. The pages are two column, but the text does not follow the standard convention. Sometimes you read across the columns or the paragraph starts in the second column because the first column contains a photo. The black and white photographs might be described as mediocre, but then again by today's standards you might say they are awful. The text says to study a photo to gain a better understanding, but you can't make out any of the details in the picture. All that being said, I'm glad I have a copy and I'm sure I'll learn from it. If it was an expensive text I would be upset though.

8 people found this helpful

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Jack Sandberg

Essential reading for molding and casting almost ANYTHING

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2020

Verified Purchase

I owned this book a long time ago, and lost it. Countless times I wished I had it handy, especially for technical information of what material is compatible with other materials for casting and molding. I replaced it, and couldn't be more pleased. It's like having a mentor around for advice when you need it. Easy enough for a beginner to get started, and plenty of useful information for the more advanced to refer to. Great techniques for prop artists, fx artists, statuary casters, and more. A great book on mold making, and a companion to more advanced special effects books like Savini's Grande Illusions 1 &2, and Debreceni's Special Makeup Effects.

One person found this helpful

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Michael D. SweeneyTop Contributor: Violins

Start Here

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2012

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The main reason -- as unfair as it is -- I am not giving five stars is the age of the book. There are so many products being offered to the young artist today, with various inflated and contradictory claims, one wishes there was a book this calm and straightforward that could cut through the marketing gloss and get back to what the basic processes are, what the chemicals do, what will probably work and what to watch out for. This book is solid and good, but the materials it refers to are not so often found in their original form in the shopping mall crafts stores of today.

Anyhow. Read this book. Whether you are about to pull a resin cast for the first time, or whether you (like me) got a basic familiarity back in college but have forgotten many of the details, this offers grounding in How Casting Works in a more-or-less step-by-step, from simple to complex, way.

Of the many things to salute Thurston James for, is the extremely practical viewpoint. Thurston is THEATER. If you haven't done theater, you may not understand. It is about letting go of "the usual way" and doing what gets it on stage by opening night, under budget, without anyone getting hurt and in a way that will hopefully stay in one piece until the show closes. Some books might artificially limit themselves, saying "here's how to cast in resin, here's resin." Thurston says "Here's resin and how to do it right. And here's some cheaper substitutes if that works better for you." If he was writing today he'd almost certainly say "And you can just skip all these steps and have it 3d printed -- but here's the downside to that, and here's resin for when that just plain works better."

Right at the very start, he tells you it will be messy, you are going to be dealing with chemicals that could damage your health, and you WILL fail; sometimes a mold will break or a fresh batch of resin refuse to cure. It happens. You have to be prepared for the mess and for the occasional "learning experience." Which are words which should be at the front of EVERY "how to" book.

What this book is not, is a step-by-step hold-you-by-the-hand. It does go into detail, and it does basically follow a complete cycle from original model to duplicate (over and over, with different methods) but it isn't a tutorial in book form.

What it is, is nearly encyclopedic. Now, I learned theater crafts at a high school shop that believed in touching on everything. The first show of my first season was wing-and-border and we got to play with cut drops and roll drops. The next was a box set and we built standard and hard-cover TV flats. The next was sculptural and we carved blocks of styrofoam and covered them in glue and cheesecloth. Before we left that school we'd worked with hot melt, celastic, vacuuform products (we didn't have our own machine)... For decades after, I'd be working on a set or prop and I'd say "Hey, there's this material I used once in high school that might work here. Lemme see what I can dig up on it."

Well, that is this book. Plaster molds. Dental alginate. Silcone RTV. Latex casting. Slipcasting. Fiberglas, celastic and paper-mache. Paraffin, sugar glass, expanding foam, and Durham's Rock Hard. And vacuumforming! If you've read through it, then you will be -- despite the age of the book -- prepared to go into your local store and actually make sense of the packaged casting and molding products being offered there. And you will be much better prepared to actually use them.

7 people found this helpful

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Lionheart Glassworks

so cool because

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2017

Verified Purchase

This book is so cool because it shows you how to use materials from the hardware store. The pictures are a little dark but the information is priceless . I'll bet you take your time and figure out what is in the pictures . I'm very happy I ordered this book . It's one of my top books in my art studio . I really recommend it if you are trying to reproduce something in a small studio or at home .

One person found this helpful

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A. Burchfield

Good tips for mold makers, even if you aren't theatrical

Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2013

Verified Purchase

I've looked over the descriptions of several mold/mould making/ casting books here at Amazon, even have a couple of them. This book is a little light, maybe, on some details (and could use more & better photos) but I think a person can get a lot of good out of it in any molding/ casting project.
If you really want to get into the subject I think you should try to get a few more books (which ones depends on what material you want to cast), many of which Amazon will point you to in their recommendations as you look at this book. Some of those books are more up to date, this one is pre-internet, and might list current sources for materials (you can also probably get some of the stuff here at Amazon) but this one actually lists your local hardware, and maybe grocery, store as a place to look for substitutes. I like that about this one.

3 people found this helpful

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Bianca W. Araujo

The book has great information, but the typesetting is terrible and makes ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2015

Verified Purchase

The book has great information, but the typesetting is terrible and makes it confusing to read at times cause it doesn't follow the regular rules. The pictures quality is really low too, so if you are looking for a more visual teaching book I wouldn't get this one. The writing in the other hand is great and easy to understand, feels like you are actually talking to someone.

4 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Peter

It Helped Me .

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 25, 2017

Verified Purchase

This book arrived before the date on the order which was great . I needed a book moulding and casting as I had never done this before and wanted tips on how to do things and what not to do and this book gives that , which was enough for me . I felt able to go ahead with and start to make the products I wanted with confidence .

Elizabeth C. Colley

A 'Must Have' For Anyone Interested In Prop Making

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2015

Verified Purchase

Excellent book for anyone interested in prop making. This beautifully written book covers every aspect of planning, techniques and finishing of props in down-to-earth terms. Lots of tips from the author, with lovely illustration. An absolute gem of a book that I guarantee will inspire and inform.

One person found this helpful

fedup11

good price

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2017

Verified Purchase

fantastic book at a good price now I can learn how to make molds and do some casting

Steven Walker

Must buy for propmakers

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 27, 2016

Verified Purchase

Absolute must for a propmaker, or anyone interested in how to duplicate your pieces of art. Had this book years and i still refer to it to this day! Some newer techniques arent included but the old techniques are always the best anyways. Its a must buy!

kwol

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2016

Verified Purchase

Brilliant book. Well written and clearly explained. Thanks to seller and author.
Highly recommend.

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