It's Coving Tips from Plaster Ceiling Roses Here's how to fill the perfect mitre. Ok, my plaster's now ready to be used but the first thing I want to do is dampen down the cornice with a wet brush. It just stops the suction of the plaster. So it's going to be more useable the Plaster of Paris. Make sure you get in that mitre with a wet brush. Give everything a good dowse. Now, the way I do it it's always a two coat system. I apply the tops and bottoms of the cornice first. I'm applying with a twisting action. To squeeze the plaster underneath the bottom of the cornice. Don't worry about getting anything on the face it's all going to get tidied up in a minute. And there's the top edge. Make sure you squeeze that plaster in behind the cornice. All the way across. I'll do the other side. Now Plaster of Paris you only have just over 5 minutes to work with it. So at this point you need to be working quick. and you do not want to put on as much plaster as me. Just put on as much plaster as you are able to take off. If it dries on you and it's left on the cornice that is when it will cause you problems. And now I'm just placing on the mitre as tidily as I can. I'm just adding to all the cracks. Using the Small Tool to get into the awkward areas. The only thing I haven't filled there are the screw holes. because they can be done last. So now using your Straight Busk to clean, to take off, and your Kidney Busk to clean. We put the Busk against the wall and we run against the wall. Don't run too tight to the cornice. You don't want to be scratching the cornice. We're just taking the plaster off. And again on the ceiling. Change it round if it can't fit. Like so! Again off the wall. And off the ceiling. Maybe have a little rubbish bag, so you can get rid of the excess plaster. Start working the mitre always keeping your busk at a right angle. Cutting away at the soft plaster that you put in. Working one way. Then working the other way. if you see any, you want to get all the plaster off the face of the cornice. There we go, that's stage one. At this point... I'll get my brush... and I'll just wipe off the edges to make sure there's no plaster on the face of the cornice. And then it's time to do exactly the same again. Apply the second coat. At this point you shouldn't need to use as much plaster because it's almost a topping out coat. Again adding the mitre on. Getting into the awkward bits first. Using the Small Tool to shape it as much as possible. And then never forget your screw holes. The screw holes being a little deeper than the tops and bottoms you need to just squeeze that plaster in there. And leave it on until you take it off. Ok time to take off again. Same process. Again if there's any plaster on the face just brush it off. Take it off the mitre. At that point I've noticed I haven't put enough plaster on one of the members, so the plasters still wet just add some on. So basically you're just carving away at the plaster you've added using the shape of the cornice to keep your lines. Don't try and be too exact otherwise you'll be there for ever. You can use your Busk to cut into the cornice or the soft plaster anyway with your lines. Always keeping it at a right angle. I'm more or less there. Screw holes. At this point the plaster is really starting to dry. So there's only so much you can get away with using. Last try to put the plaster into the holes it starts to go bitty it doesn't fill as well. As you can see. So these last... 60 seconds or so are your last chance... to get any plaster... onto any areas you've missed. Clean down your walls. Just using a brush now. Just to go over it. The plasters almost set. Just to go over making sure there's no crumbs on the face. The Plaster of Paris that we've used to fill when dry will dry exactly the same colour as the cornice itself. which is actually dry, If there are any scars, that you've made with your Busk or Small Tool that you are not happy with you can always use a wet and dry block or some wet and dry paper. Just give it a little rub, here and there, if you're a perfectionist like me. A final water. Let it dry for a day. A coat of paint, or a couple of coats of paint. Job's a good un! Lovely!