When my wife's Veterinary Hospital had expired (best before date) leftovers, she brought them home for the RR. I have some really old stuff that was fine when opened. Funny thing is I prefer to use big squares of old sheet, or tea towels out of the kitchen drawer dipped in a bucket of plaster of paris. I have given a lot of the other stuff away to fellow modelers.
I like to cut the cloth to fit before I dip. I find the rolls a pain to work with, but that is probably just me.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
riogrande5761 I bought a couple rolls of WS plaster cloth back in the late 1990's and never had the chance to use it until early this year. I had kept it for the past 17 or 18 years in boxes and lived in a number of basement apartments which all had some water problems and guess what, I pulled it out and it worked just fine. I never kept it in a sealed container, just the plastic it came in was never opened. That plastic was unopened so apparently that was good enough to keep it usable. When that ran out, I found out I could get almost twice as much for the money by ordering Activa plaster cloth on Amazon 5 lbs for about $20. I bought that roll and it lasted me enough to finish the rest of my scenery.
I bought a couple rolls of WS plaster cloth back in the late 1990's and never had the chance to use it until early this year. I had kept it for the past 17 or 18 years in boxes and lived in a number of basement apartments which all had some water problems and guess what, I pulled it out and it worked just fine. I never kept it in a sealed container, just the plastic it came in was never opened. That plastic was unopened so apparently that was good enough to keep it usable.
When that ran out, I found out I could get almost twice as much for the money by ordering Activa plaster cloth on Amazon 5 lbs for about $20. I bought that roll and it lasted me enough to finish the rest of my scenery.
Usually the unopened plastic inner wrap will prevent moisture problems. However, it doesn't always work when exposed to water or high humidity.
Joe
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Joe'ss right, your Low Country humidity killed it.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Willy
I don't know how your cloth has been stored but moisture (humidity) can degrade plaster and cause the symptoms you describe. Plaster and plaster-containing materials should be stored in a tight container in as dry condition as possible to insure good results.
Does plaster cloth go bad? I tried using some WS plaster cloth the other day and it would not smooth out or harden. The package it came out of had been opened and sitting on the shelf for awhile and it didn't have that normal powdery residue.