hi hildebrand, we had a similar problem with our lath and plaster ceiling and here is what we did: after we got as much of the wallpaper off and we could, we spackled the cracks ( earthquakes) and the places where the raw plaster showed through, ( i would do this for the places the base gypsum of the drywall is exposed) and then we primed and painted using a lighter base and a slightly darker paint using a"scrumble" technique. it came out beautifully and the mottled appearance of the wall color is very forgiving of the basically mottled surface. it had lasted many years, we still love it. before we did this, it was suggested that we cover the walls with a very thin 1/8" sheetrock and paint that or that we scrape, plaster and sand to a smooth finish. both of those seemed to be too much work for us after we had spent so much time on the wallpaper, but if you really want a smooth surface, the thin sheetrock solutions would be the easier of the two. hope this helps, sarah

I have a similar situation as sarahla. Will try that scumble technique in my next room, as I have the lathe and plaster, as well. But here is a suggestion if you want smooth walls. I scrape the wall paper off using the fabric softner technique. Then I use a scraper with an unusual angle on it. The handle is bent slightly, no more than 15 degrees. It works wonderfully. No scraped knuckles and the single edged razor blade gets up under the paper well. Still, there are always some irregularities and dings in the plaster when we are done. So, I use a product called Zinsser's Ready Patch. Works real well in the scenario you've described, Hildebrand. And remember, the flatter the paint, the more camoflaged the dings and nicks.