Aloha! 
I have a question on lime plaster. I am restoring a building in Hawaii 
that originally had lime plaster as an exterior wash over coral blocks. 
The original recipe for this plaster wash recorded in archival 
materials from 1832 was: “The receipt (sic) for the cement is as 
follows: take one measure of sand, two of wood ashes, and three of 
lime. Mix them together with such a coloring as may be fancied and let 
the materials be combined with as much oil as will allow of (sic) the 
substance being put on with a painters brush.”  On other buildings clay 
was added to the lime mixture. What does the wood ash do in this 
recipe? Is lime plaster being used today? Thanks!
Spencer Leineweber

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