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Ali Webber
Joined:
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27-May-2009
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Started On : 03-Feb-2010 at 03:37:33 PM, #Views : 12972
Topic Subject : Re: Hands & Feet Casting |
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Hi
A few things i have found are below, i have had some of the same issues and sometimes they come out perfect othertimes have a few corrections to do.
1) How to avoid bubbles and holes in the plaster cast even though I have tried tapping the container dozen of times in order for the bubble to escape.
I have been told to fill the mould then pour out then refill again - im not sure i have a conclusion as to whether this does anything for me. But all you can do is try everything and keep a record. My bubbles do normally come to the surface in which later down the track are sanded off anyway.
Ive also tried getting a vibrating mechanism and putting near the mould and against it to vibrate some of the airbubbles out. And obviouslt tapping continuously is ultimatley what works well.
2) What is the best time to demold? I have try to demold after 3 hours, but sometime the surface of my hand cast is still wet (especially on rainy day) and i loose all the hand prints? Any idea why?
I was told about 2 hours at my training, then i bought someones cd on casting and they said within 1/2 hour 45 mins because according to them the mould gets damaged if left for too long. I cant say i have found mines been damaged at 3 hours of leaving. I do find that sometimes if i demould sooner then fingers snap so easily.
Humidty can really effect curing times. So your weather does play a huge role.
3) Should i touch up or repair my cast straight after demold or? I have tried to touch up the little holes straight after demold and i found that the cast is still very weak and i end up causing more damage. (Scratch all over the hand cast cause from my fingernail and toothpick when i was trying to get rid of the alginate)
I try and get rid of all the alginate straight away because once it goes hard its difficult to remove. This does seem to be time consuming as you have to be so careful not to slip as you will mark the cast. I then normally wait at least a few hours and it could be days to repair. Then i just emmerse in water until all the bubbles have disappeared and then add fingers etc.
4) What is the best way to touch up or repair holes, bubbles, missing finger and broken finger?
Clean breaks are easy to fix, i normally just glue with 2 part epoxy making sure none leaks out, wait for it to dry at least 24 hours, then paint little bit of stone on if crack is visible.
Missing fingers annoy me so much, i cant wait until im that good that i never have to worry about it!!!! But you are not alone experiencing that. I get so disheartened when i have poured on the right angle done little bit of stone, tap, tap, tap little more stone etc and still happens. But when you repair again emmerse in water, mix stone to approx same consistency you normally use and wait for it to thicken, then score the broken finger bit on the cast and start adding stone to it, i find using a thin paintbrush helps, try and mimmick the finger shape, once your happy with the shape wait for at least 5 - 10 minutes for it to harden and then start using your wet paintbrush to form more shape. I normally wait a while to draw the fingernail in as its still quite soft at this stage and you dont want it to break off. Go to cheapest chips or a shop and get a set of those prescision screw drivers i use them to draw detail in and to scrape the sides of the fingernail so it appears that it is rounded.
As for holes and bubbles, emmerse cast in water, i normally do this before the broken fingers, then add stone with paintbrush filling hole, wait for about 5 minutes then wipe off with a dry hand.
5) Should I apply the clear sealant before or after painting?
I get mixed opinions on this one, i normally use gesso primer then from a time perspective it was takign too logn so i used a can of primer but have gone back to gesso as i find i loose more detail with the can. (strange i know) Then i paint and then i seal with a clear sealer. I am however on the hunt for a sealer thats not gloss, as i think gloss sometimes ruins the finished product.
6) What is the best way to level the base of hand cast? Should I do it while it is still wet or when the cast is completely dry to avoid loosing the details?
I sand on a belt sander weeks afterwards in the shape i require. However when i pour the stone i also try and position on the right angle so im already 90% of the way there. I do my moulds slightly different i was taught with bags not containers and still have not been able to crack a container that works for me. This way i can still repair if baby puts its hand or foot thru the mould. Some people can use plastic cups but i just dont find they are big enough i still have a few more different containers to try. This does have its downfalls as sometimes the way a limb is held is different to the other one you may have just done whether this does not happen with the containers. So thats something i really want to try and crack. Just need some more time to practice.
I really hope this helps, i know how frustrating it is when you are learning and i also know that know one other than this forum seems to like to help you. Any questions feel free to contact me, im by far not the most experienced but i know the issues you are talking about and can only try to throw some ideas around.
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