How do I Choose an Alginate?

See what alginates we offer.

When choosing alginate for LifeCasting, there are three considerations:

  1. Type of mold
  2. Size of mold
  3. Your experience level

Type of Mold-

There are two basic types of molds used in LifeCasting- the BUCKET MOLD and the LAYUP MOLD.

A Hand Cast is a perfect example of using a bucket mold. In a hand mold, the alginate is mixed and placed into a container (bucket). The hand is pushed down into the alginate mixture and left there until the alginate sets. Ideally, the alginate should be on the thin side so it flows well around the fingers and into all the little nooks and crannies. This minimizes the entrapment of air bubbles. (We recommend our 380-CC, 390-S2, 570-PGV or 580-CC formulas for bucket molds.)

A Face Cast is a perfect example of using a layup mold. The LAST thing you want when applying alginate to the face is an alginate that is thin and runs all over the place. What you really want is an alginate that goes on a lot more like Cake Frosting rather than Pancake Batter. (We recommend our 590-IBG, 680-LS, 880 or Genesis formulas for layup molds.)

Size of Mold-

In general, larger projects require a longer setting alginate. It just takes longer to mix and apply a larger quantity of alginate than it does for small projects. Accu-Cast makes alginates with a variety of setting times from 2 minutes to 10 minutes. The name of the alginate is a code that gives you the setting time AND recommended water temperature for that alginate. For example, 570-PGV alginate sets in 5 minutes when you mix it with 70°F water and 880 sets in 8 minutes with 80°F water.

When doing a Baby Hand Cast, you should use a pretty quick alginate. We recommend our 380-CC alginate mixed with 95°F water. The warmer water causes the alginate to set faster than it would at 80°, and the alginate mixture will be the same as "baby skin temperature" to make the experience more pleasant for everyone involved.

For really big hand casting jobs, use our 570 or 580 formulas so you'll have more time.

A face cast can be done easily with our 590 formula, but a large torso cast would probablyl require more working time so we'd recommend our 880 formula or perhaps our Genesis"X" (which has a set time of 10 minutes).

Your Experience Level-

Beginners always need more time than experienced LifeCasters. Choose an alginate with a little more working time and you won't feel as panicked during the procedure. As you gain experience, you won't need all that extra time so you can adjust your alginate choice then.

For example, in our Hand Casting Kit, we include 570-PGV alginate with a five-minute setting time. Experienced LifeCasters usually use our 390-S2 or 380-CC formulas for all but the largest hand casting jobs.

Here's a very useful Alginate Application Chart if you're not sure which of our alginates your project requires.

Accu-Cast sells our alginates in the following package sizes:

Pkg. Size Price Price per pound
1-pound $8.75 $8.75
2.5-pound $21.75 $8.50
5-pound $40.00 $8.00
10-pound $77.50 $7.75
25-pound $187.50 $7.50
50-pound $325.00 $7.25 (call to order)
100-pound $700.00 $7.00 (call to order)

For larger orders, please contact us- info@accu-cast.us

We're here to help you decide what alginate would be most appropriate for your skill level and job type. Call (866) 618-8461 toll-free (US), (541) 388-1795, or e-mail us a info@accu-cast.us.

 

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