Randy Schaffer of Boise Designs came to Mr. SW's first period APUSH class on May 22 to demonstrate his expertise in the art of scagliola, or plaster design. Boise Designs and Mr. Schaffer are currently working on restoring the scagliola on the inside of the Idaho State Capital building.

Over the course of an hour, Mr. Schaffer mixed plaster with color, poured it into a mold, covered with hemp, and filled the mold with more plaster to create a piece of scagliola design much like he does in his restoration work.

This is the rough example he made in class. It is sanded with a 1000 grit and then a 2000 grit sandpaper, real fine. Then the scagliola is sprayed with a finish and buffed to a high shine so that it is practically indistinguishable from marble.