A Life Casting Kit for Pregnancy!

The pregnant belly is a lovely memory of the beautiful journey of pregnancy. Looking at a replica of this swollen abdomen can bring back touching recollections to the fore every time, courtesy a belly cast.

Pregnancy is a beautiful experience full of ever-lasting memories. While the culmination is the most precious gift possible, the journey itself is something to be cherished forever. People try to capture the wonderful moments with pictures and other favored measures. However, hardly anything can do justice to the treasure trove of delights like a life casting!

Indeed, one of the best ways to preserve the experience is making a three-dimensional representation of the pregnancy in its full glory – in the form of a belly casting.

Come to think of it, capturing the shape of the pregnant abdomen is one of the easiest aspects of making a life casting. It does not even call for an expert hand – pregnant couples easily manage to do it by themselves. And a home kit makes the process all the more simple and straightforward, given that itcontains all the materials needed to create a beautiful belly casting work of art!

Getting Inside the Maternity Life Casting Kit


The Maternity EZ Cast Kit is characterized by quality materials and easy to understand directions.Each kit contains:

  • 90 yards of 4' plaster impregnated bandages-precut (6 rolls)
  • 3 ounces MoldEZrelease agent
  • 1 pair surgical grade rubber gloves
  • 1 plastic drop cloth

To begin with, spread the drop cloth on the floor, don the rubber gloves and get going. Keep in mind that while most other kits come with around 4 rolls of plaster bandages, this one provides 50% more material. This will be more than sufficient for a 160 lbs. model and the cast will have extra strength to last for years to come. It is advisable to order an extra packet of plaster bandages per 50 lbs. additional weight.

Making the casting requires you to simply follow the directions in the guide book to the T. Roll out the bandages, cut them into strips and keep a couple of bowls of water handy. Apply the release agent on the body before starting the process.

Each strip has to be simply dipped in the water and squeezed before applying on the abdomen. Smooth out each bandage to remove air bubbles but do not press down too much either.

Build up the thickness by adding a couple of layers while keeping each layer in a crisscross fashion. Ensure that the layers are thicker on the edges. Once it has dried sufficiently, the mold can be easily demolded by squeezing the tummy a bit or inserting the fingers from the edges.

The best part is that this mold is the belly cast itself! It just has to be finished as desired.


In fact, there are a range of life casting kits, apart from Maternity EZ Cast Kit, like for casting baby's hands and feet, adult hands, faces, torso, breasts and even a full body. They range from beginner to experienced and advanced level; therefore, users can select based on their experience and comfort level.

Mold Making Methods for Silicone Rubber

Silicone rubber is the ideal material for mold making. There are different methods of making silicone molds – from general to inversion and vacuum – and each delivers top quality molds every time.

Silicone rubber is considered the material of choice for making both molds and casts. The rubber is suitable for making molds of all kinds – from reproducing figurines and giftware to making automotive parts, toys and other prototypes - and gives quality results every time. Moreover, it is easily workable, flows well and is non-exothermic in nature. The rubber always cures uniformly, irrespective of the thickness. It will demold easily as well because silicone rubber does not stick to anything except itself.


SkinRite10

Mold making methods


Molds of silicone rubbers can be made using different techniques. The most common are the general molds which easily replicate the surface details of the model in a negative mold. The silicone rubber is mixed with the catalyst and is simply poured over the model (which is affixed inside a mold box). The mold is easy and quick to make while giving efficient results. It does not require any special skills either.

Otherwise, there is the lamination method, wherein the mold making rubber is painted on the model one coat after the other. This creates a skin of even thickness and the mold can be reinforced with a shell mold if needed. These molds will be lightweight and do not use much of the material either.

Some artists prefer the inverted mold method, wherein first a silicone rubber mold is created and resin or gypsum is poured into it to make a replica of the original model. This method is used to create subsequent molds as part of the inversion process. The subsequent molds can be used anytime for making castings of choice. The lost wax method is a popular method of inversion mold making.

Then there are high precision molds which are made created using a vacuum device. The mold is placed inside the vacuum chamber and the casting material – usually resin or other rubbers – is poured before being vacuumed so as to eliminate any possible defects and air bubbles.


BakeSil

Where to buy?


EnvironMolds offers a wide variety of silicone rubbers, both for mold making and casting purposes. First there is the standard silicone mold rubber that lends itself well for general mold making. Then there is the faster acting silicone mold for making quick impressions without using a mold box, called 5-Minute Mold Putty. In addition to this, there are food safe and skin safe silicone mold rubbers – BakeSil is FDA approved as food safe for making food molds and baking containers while LifeRite, can be used on the skin for life casting and duplicating body parts. And what tops the charts is SkinRite10 - a translucent silicone mold rubber which can be tinted and used for special effects and applications to duplicate skin surfaces, making it the ideal material for realistic masks apart from doll reborning.

The Essence That Makes Polyurethane Resins What They Are

 When it comes to the resins, polyurethanes are the most popular and versatile of the lot. Here is a look at the properties and benefits of polyurethane resins which work in their favor for making molds and casts.


Resins are the most commonly used type of casting materials. While synthetic resins are of different types with specific properties and uses, the polyurethane ones turn out to be the most diverse and versatile of the lot.

When it comes to polyurethane resin casting, there are options like fast-setting resins, slow-setting resins, clear resins, opaque resins, foaming resins, semi-flexible resins and more. These are two-part formulas that are usually mixed in equal quantities to form a hard and durable plastic.

 



These resins can be used to produce an array of products. The liquid is poured into the mold and will capture all the details to form a rigid cast. It should be noted that the resins have low viscosity which works well in the shaping and casting in the most optimum manner. The material also flows well which allows it be mixed and processed with ease.

After casting, the resin sets quickly and can be demolded in a short period itself. There is minimal shrinkage in the process and it displays heat resistance as well. Again, note that the resins lend themselves well for casting very small and thin-walled items which still come with high stability. It sets quickly and can be demolded in about 15 to 20 minutes itself.

The best part is that the resin is receptive to additives like fillers, color pastes and even inhibitors. Water clear casting resins are commonly used for making jewelry like pendants, earrings and bracelets by encapsulating leaves, flowers, buttons, stones, pictures and other keepsake items.

It is noteworthy that the finished polyurethane casts display excellent chemical, oil and grease resistance. Even the abrasion resistance properties are exceptional which ensures that the casts do not tear easily.

However, artists need to keep in mind that polyurethane resins tend to be sensitive to moisture and ultraviolet light. The latter can even cause yellowing, especially in the water clear resins. It also emits a strong odor during the curing process which can become a health hazard.

Special care has to be taken in the pouring as clear resins are prone to bubbles. Casting in a pressure pot will suffice here as the pressure compresses the trapped air till the resins set to a hard plastic, not leaving any space for the bubbles to expand once again.

When it comes to AquaClear Clear Casting Resin, it can be easily sourced from EnvironMolds. This is a storehouse of all types of materials, supplies and equipment for making molds, casts and life casts. For instance, it is not just about the resins alone, the website also provides access to resin pigments, medium and more. Additionally, there are photo luminescent pigments and a complete line of skin-safe body paints as well.