I've got some questions about LifeCasting.
| Alginate is a powder. When water is added, it forms a thick liquid. This liquid is applied to an object or body part. In a few minutes, the alginate liquid changes into a rubbery solid. When it is removed the surface of the alginate that was in contact with the object or body part has captured an amazing amount of the detail of the surface. A casting material is poured against the alginate and this detail is transferred directly to the casting. Its a two step process- Molding and Casting. |
| The actual alginate is a powder made of between 5 and 15 chemicals compounds, including "alginic acid". Alginic acid is a powder derived from seaweed that consists of long, chain-like molecules known as polymers. Depending on how much water is added, the consistency can range between the thickness of pancake batter and that of cream cheese. Certain applications require a thicker mix and some require a thinner one. |
| On the molecular level, calcium ions (individual atoms) are freed from the calcium donor, Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4), and they act like molecular glue. They glue the alginic acid polymers to each other in a flexible three dimensional matrix similar to a sponge. The other chemicals in the mix affect mixing properties, setting time and final set properties. |
| This sponge-like structure can hold water for a time, but the water wil eventually evaporate out of the alginate matrix and it will shrink in direct proportion to the percentage of the initial water that has exited. |
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| LifeCasting is an artform that dates back at least as far as Ancient Egypt. Various molding materials have been used over the centuries, but today there are three basic materials used: plaster bandages, alginate and platinum silicone. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but the majority of lifecasting done today uses alginate. |
| LifeCasts can be made of any body part- indeed professionals can use alginate to mold an entire body. Beginner projects include baby hand casting, child hand casting, adult hand casting and face casting. Intermediate projects include foot (feet) casting, head casting and partial or complete torso casting. |
| The amount of detail that can be captured is truly remarkable- right down to the fingerprint level. |
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| There are two considerations when choosing an alginate: "Setting Time" and "Type of Mold". |
| In general, the smaller the project the faster you want the alginate to set. We make alginates with setting times ranging between 1 minute and 8 minutes. See this chart for alginate recommendations for various types of jobs. |
| There are basically two different types of alginate molds. One is a "bucket mold" and the other is a "layup mold". |
| In a bucket mold, the alginate is mixed and poured into some sort of a rigid container (bucket). The object to be molded (hand, foot, etc.) is placed into the alginate and when the alginate is set, the object is removed. The bucket is the "mother mold" or structural support for the alginate. The hole in the alginate is the mold. |
| In a layup mold, the alginate is applied to a surface (face, torso, etc.). It is applied fairly thinly (typically 1/4 - 1/2 inch). Since alginate is very flexible, a "mother mold" must be applied over the surface of the alginate so it doesn't flop around like a deflated balloon. Typically, a several layers of extra-fast set plaster bandages are applied to the alginate and when they harden, they maintain the shape of the mold. In this case, the exposed surface of the alginate is the mold. |
| In a bucket mold, you want the alginate to flow easily so it goes in and around all the nooks and crannies of the hand, foot, etc. A flowable alginate will get better detail and result in fewer air voids. For baby and child hand casts, we recommend 380-CC. For larger hand casting jobs, we recommend our 570-PGV or 580-CC formulas. |
| In a layup mold, the last thing you want is a high flow alginate. Most alginates flow too much for this type of work keeping the operators busy "catching" the alginate as it flows down off the model. Accu-Cast 590-IBG, 680-LS, GENESIS and 880 formulas have our unique "LowFlow" property so where you put the alginate is where it stays. It still is easy to apply and push around with your fingers, but once you stop pushing, it stops flowing. |
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| Skin-Safe Silicone is a wonderful product. We don't offer one because Alginate is OUR business. It makes extremely high quality molds. The great thing about silicone is that it doesn't dry out like alginate. The bad thing about silicone is that it is several times more expensive than alginate. Accu-Cast does not currently sell a silicone product. |
| Our recommendation is- "If you're making a production mold (one that can product many castings), you are much better off going with silicone." The extra cost for the material is paid for by the elimination of making multiple molds. We figure if you need to have 4 castings of a single object, silicone is a better deal. |
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| Yes. Alginate has been used in dental offices in people's mouths for over 50 years. The only problem with alginate has been the potential hazard of chronically (over years and years) breathing the dust of the dry powder. Accu-Cast has a "dustless" formula that virtually eliminates this hazard. Since its not a good idea to breathe any kind of dust, we do recommend a "Nuisance Dust Mask" when mixing ours or anybody else's alginate. |
| That having been said, it is still not recommended to get mixed alginate in people's eyes or to get large amounts on their clothes. When doing a face or head casting, it is important to watch the subject's nostrils to make sure that they have an unobstructed airway throughout the procedure. Even if it does get up their nose, they can still open their mouth to breath. It may ruin the mold, but nothing more serious than that. |
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| A better questions is what body parts CAN'T you mold with alginate. |
| So far we haven't heard of anyone molding their OPEN eyes with alginate. We haven't had the nerve to do so and we're not sure what would happen so we caution against it. |
| Also you don't want to FILL the mouth with alginate to make a mold of the inside of the mouth because we think it could be very, very hard to remove it. Same goes for the inside of the nostrils. If you're going to do the ears put a piece of cotton down deep into the ear canal to keep the alginate from flowing all the way to the ear drum. We don't think the eardrum would be damaged by contact with the alginate, but it would form such a tight seal in the ear canal that removing it might cause a suction that could hurt. |
| Other than that- if you can imagine it- someone has done it. Alginate is considered extremely hypoallergenic and is really, really safe even against the most delicate mucous membranes. We have never heard of a documented case of an allergic reaction to alginate. |
| One trouble area is hair. Alginate doesn't actually STICK to hair but it will flow completely around it and "encapsulate" it. This can make removal very tricky. Each hair must be pulled out of the alginate and that can take quite a while. For that reason, if you want to make a mold and have the "form and volume" of a mass of hair (think moustache) in your casting, then you'll need to fill the space between the hairs with something that will not allow the alginate to flow there. |
| We sell a product called Cholesterol. This is a hair conditioner that works perfectly for this and is easy to rinse out afterward. Some folks have even filled the entire mass of hair on their heads this way. |
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| Alginate will stick to porous surfaces- and this includes clothes. If you want to make an alginate mold of a dressed figure, you'd need to seal the surface of the clothes so the alginate doesn't flow down amongst the fibers of the cloth. Do not use Vaseline or any oil based products for this. If you do, the alginate will stick to your hand much more strongly than it will to the greased up cloth and you won't even be able to apply it. |
| We recommend coating the clothes with Cholesterol water-based hair cream. You can rub it in to the point where the texture of the fabric still shows, but the alginate won't be able to stick. |
| Alternatively, you can do a nude figure and put "real" clothes on it later. There is a product called Paver Pol Fabric Stiffener. You wet the clothes with this stuff, drape it on your lifecast and wait for it to dry. Its like a super duper starch. The fabric can even be painted afterward. |
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| From years of experience, we've found that: |
| 1. infants are easy. |
| 2. toddlers up to about 6 months are pretty easy. |
| 3. between about 6 months and 3 years is almost impossible. |
| 4. After 2 1/2 to 3 years, it gets much easier again. |
| Our EASY Baby Hand Casting Kit is the easiest way to learn this procedure. |
We wholeheartedly recommend our color-changing 380-CC formula for babies and small children. |
| We recommend that you use 95°F water with it. This is the same as baby skin temperature and this will make distracting them MUCH easier. |
Get a clear plastic cup (16 ounces or so) that the baby's hand can comfortably fit into. If you're using a 16 ounce cup you'll need about 3 ounces of alginate and about 14 ounces of 92°F water. We like the "mix-in-the-bag" technique because cleanup is much easier. |
| Position the baby so their hand can hang downward freely. Asleep on mom's shoulder is just about the best position. |
| Mix the alginate, put it in the cup and wait for the alginate to change from pink to white. |
| When it turns white, push the filled cup up over the the baby's hand. Watch carefully to make sure the baby's hand is not touching the inside of the cup. If you use a clear cup, you'll be able to see this. Move the cup or the baby's hand if necessary. |
| 30 seconds after the alginate is no longer sticky on the surface, break the seal around the baby's wrist and gently begin to pull the cup off the hand. Twist a little to assist your efforts. Slower is better than fast at this point. |
| Mix up about 1/2 pound of LiquiStone with 3-4 ounces of water and pour into the mold. Wait one hour and unmold your casting. |
| A copy of our written Baby Hand Casting Kit instructions can be found HERE. |
Asgard Studios.