Mixing Tools

The very WORST way to mix alginate is with your hand. There are many better ways and we have the tools for you.

1) If you are mixing a Small Amount (say 4 ounces for a Face Cast), use a small bowl and a small kitchen whisk. Mixing with a spoon isn't nearly as good, but its better than mixing with your fingers.

2) If you are mixing a Medium Amount (say 0.5 to about 1 pound), use a large bowl and a large kitchen whisk. We have nice sturdy ones for sale HERE for your convenience. Its possible to mix up to about 1.5 pounds this way but it takes a lot of muscle. Remember you'll be mixing about 3 quarts of water into your 1.5 pounds of alginate powder. That's a lot.

3) If you are mixing a Large Amount (1 pound up to about 5 pounds), use an electric drill with a Jiffy Mixer attachment. A Jiffy Mixer is a small propeller on a shaft that is designed to mix paint. They can be purchased at a local Home Improvement Store, or we've got them HERE on our site for your convenience. If you're buying one at Home Depot, DON'T get the little one (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) as its just not big enough to mix alginate. You can mix up to about 5 pounds in a 5-gallon plastic bucket. Be sure to run your drill in reverse (anti-clockwise). This will pull UP from the bottom of the bucket and not pull air DOWN the shaft of the mixer into the alginate. If you're alginate has lots of bubbles, you've done it backwards.

4) Mix-In-The-Bag: Our LifeCasting Kits feature this mixing method. Essentially the alginate is put into a thick plastic bag. The water is poured into the bag, the air is squeezed out and the alginate is mixed with the flat of the hand against a counter top. It's pretty easy and there's no messy bucket to clean up afterward. This works just as well for mixing LiquiStone as it does for Alginate. The pre-measured "Mix-In-The-Bag"s are available HERE or you can just purchase the empty Mixing Bags HERE.