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CJ Munn
Joined:
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20-Apr-2004
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Started On : 07-Jun-2009 at 12:06:20 PM, #Views : 5931
Topic Subject : Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Alginate volume |
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I must say I'm with John on this one. All this talk of weighing
measuring, exact temperatures, exact ways to mix could give a lot of
people the heebie jeebies that they are not doing it right. I do it
'the wrong way' according to many experts, and deliberately so. I
feel I have better control and less waste when I add water to powder.
I do everything by feel and eye and teach my lifecasting students to
confidently do the same rather than get bogged down with volumes and
measurements and exact timings which can be so easily thrown out by
someone's skin temperature or the air temperature on the day anyway
or just a batch of alginate that's got its own ideas of how to
behave. I don't have any real problems doing it this way and mix my
plaster with water second too and then get my hands right in there to
quickly mix it myself by hand because to me it's the best and
quickest way of getting rid of lumps or any dry bits that might have
fallen in. I've had other lifecasters wince at the way I do it only
to be converted when they see how much faster it can be.
I wouldn't say there is a right or wrong way myself. I would just
compare it to cooking and say there are many styles of chef. Other
Brits will understand my references when I compare those who prefer
to weigh and measure to the Delia Smiths of the lifecasting world and
those of us who do it by eye and throw it together more casually as
the Jamie Olivers of the bunch. It also really doesn't matter to me
how much air goes into my alginate when I mix it because the way I
apply it disperses most air from the skin surface anyway.
I am always amazed when I work with other lifecasters just how many
different methods there are out there. I will always try out anything
knew I see at a demo to see if it works for me. But often I will
return to my own tried and tested methods or develop combinations of
techniques that work even better for me. I've even had my assistants
or students teach me the odd trick just because coming to it afresh
they can sometimes see something obvious that those who have been at
it for a long time might have overlooked. And of course new materials
and technologies are being developed all the time that can change
things yet again. So you never stop learning even if you have a good
way to work.
When working on full bodies or more complex work with other
lifecasters, we always have to have a chat beforehand about which
method we will use so that everybody's happy. It very rarely makes
any difference to the final outcome which method we use
though...again, another reason for saying there's no right or wrong
(as long as your method works for you).
CJ 'Naked Chef' Munn :o)
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