ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on surface treatment. Through sanding, texturing, painting, and other treatments, prop builder transforms their prop from a collection of disparate materials to a finished masterpiece. Sanding is used to remove tool marks and other defects from materials, to smooth and refine the shape, to prepare a surface for paint and adhesives, and to remove rough spots that can cut or scratch an actor. A putty knife is a thin and flexible piece of metal or plastic with a long flat edge used to apply fillers; they come in a variety of widths useful for different situations. Paint is really just a colored coating; its main purpose is to change the color of a surface. Masking is a material applied to the surface that protects it from paint. A prime coat is a coat of paint that completely covers prop builders' prop and gives subsequent coats a uniform base to stick to.
