Here is my old plaster nativity restored. I had to coat each figure in plaster to fill the holes. Then wash each one with a brush to remove excess plaster. After sanding each figure, I repainted each one over the last month. I coated the paint with a clear coat to protect the porous surfaces. I was able to match metallic paints by mixing several colors with new metallic acrylics. With careful packing these figures should last another 50 years.
(commenting almost four years later)
ReplyDeleteWhat an excellent job of restoration. I just googled images of large 40's nativity set images, and these pics came up. My family's old set is the same style, but I believe a bit smaller. (kneeling Mary is about 4" tall) Dad got them for Mom in 1947.
I have found a youtube video on how to repair them, I just hope I can do half as good a job as you did on the paint/coloring.