Tips & Tricks Casting plaster mold idea

OK I have come up with an idea and I want to know if you guys/girls will think this will work or not and I need some tips. Ok my idea is that if you take plaster bandages and apply to say...your arm and let them dry(or at least harden enough) then cut the plaster bandages of from a cut straight down your arms length let it dry over night. Then put it together again by "Duct sealing" it and then apply release agent. Then pour plaster into that and wait for it to dry then take the bandages off then you would have a mold of your arm to use for size , or to sculpt on.


I understand that plaster does get warm and mybe hot with plaster so i'm willing for that part but will it work and if not tell me why and if anyone has ideas please reply

Thank-you

 

You'll be better off getting a friend to help and doing the mould in two pieces (top/bottom).Then proceed as planned.

It's relatively safe to apply plaster bandage directly to skin. I've done face casts that way with only a few problems. All I can say is grease the heck out of any body hair you have.

Make the mould at least 4 layers thick and consider using a piece of a wood along the arm for ridgidity. Attach it with more plaster.
Overlap the bottom over the top by about an inch and grease the part of the bandage where the plaster will overlap.

 

Ok thanks and will the wood like help support it? Anyway I was planning to get a release agent from the same site as the bandages. Not only for my arm but to put it inside of the mold to.

Thank-You

 

Use Vaseline. Much cheaper.

 

You might find that an alginate mold gives you better detail. No matter what you use, I second the vaseline (from experience). If you're going to make something tight fitting from your arm mold, make sure that your arm is flexed when you make it.

 

KY jelly also works.

(plus you have the value added bonus of seeing the look on the cashiers face when you're checking out 3 large bottles of store brand KY... making chest casts is fun!)

 

what is ky jelly What size containers do they come in same with vaseline but I know what that is.

 

KY is an....intemate...lubricant. It comes in smallish bottles. You're better off with the Vaseline.

 

thanks alot xath i was looking online for ky but couldnt find sizs....

 

Yeah do one half at a time, cutting it would be a very bad idea. Shave your arm if you can, or you can use tin foil or saran wrap if you just need rough proportions of your arm.

I've done it by myself a few times, but it wasn't fun. Get a friend.

 

So do one half at a time? And I do have a frined to help me.

 

Yup. Plaster's cheap. You can afford to experiment.

 

Another alternitive is to buy a bag of plaster of paris, mix it in a bowl till it's a creamy consistansy and run strips of burlap through it. If detail isn't a priority this is much cheaper.

 

I would do that but my craft store doesnt carry the plaster and i cant find much burlap... but thanks for info and just an FYI its not a detail peice i'm just using it for rough sizeing

 

I think they have burlap at pretty much every fabric store. And you can get plaster at Lowe's. It's like $4 for an 8 lb. bucket.

 

Also look to see if you have any sculpture supply stores in your area. They'll often carry different types of Plaster and Gypsum cements suiitable for casting. Also university stores if they have an arts program will often carry plaster as well.

 

hmm guess I never thought of that I should expand my search. Thanks for everything guys.....

 

I'm thinking about making a clay mask... but I don't really know where to begin. It's similar to that of say an ancient Spartan.

 

We bought store brand KY and it came in huge jars for 3$ or something. Really cheap. ~shrug~

I don't know where you are located, but around here (USA) a lot of craft stores (like Micheals) carry the plaster bandages near the clay and plaster of paris...

The burlap suggestion is good too - sounds much cheaper.

 

Cheaper, but doesn't look as nice.

 

Cheaper vs. look........I guess cheap but I dont want it to look crappy lol. Of course I giuess it doesn't matter since i'm just using it for size....