The Fiber-Reinforced Version of Alginate

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , , , Saturday, March 13, 2021 3:35 AM

There are alginates and then there is fiber-reinforced alginate. This comes with greater tear strength and delayed shrinkage which makes it ideal for larger life castings as well as for special effects works.

Alginate is the material of choice for making body molds. This is a natural compound that is actually derived from seaweed and is used to make dental impressions. Its quick setting and skin safe properties make it suitable for using as the base material for life casting.


A variation of the regular alginate – with a slower set time than the dental formula – is used for making body molds. This alginate is mixed with water and the paste is applied directly on the skin. It sets quickly while capturing a perfect negative impression of the body part – be it face, hand, foot, torso, abdomen or even full body. A good quality alginate, when used properly, it will capture all the fine details and indentations of the body surface down to the fingerprints as well. Everything can then be reproduced in clear detail in the life cast.

Now alginate comes in different varieties to suit diverse requirements. The traditional formula is in the form of a white powder that contains silica and offers a firm set. Yet, it needs to be reinforced with a shell mold as the alginate will not be able to retain its shape on its own after demolding.

In case artists want to steer clear of silica formulas, there are silica-free alginates that offer a softer set and are, therefore, gentler on the skin. This is especially favored when making life casts of a baby’s hands or feet.

Both these categories of alginates come in variants of slow set, regular set and fast set, to suit varying dexterity and applications. For instance, the slower setting formulas prove to be very useful when making molds of the torso or other large body parts. The slower set ones are again preferred when working with infants.

The best type of alginate is the fiber-reinforced alginate – like FiberGel alginate. This contains fiber which not only helps enhance the tear resistance and strength, but also increases the alginate’s capacity to hold moisture. It also serves to delay the shrinkage of the alginate mold, thus giving more time for the casting process.

Therefore, FiberGel is the best choice for larger molds and actually, all life castings. In fact, FiberGel E F/X Grade Alginate (available on the EnvironMolds website, https://www.artmolds.com) is specially formulated for professional high-production, high-end detailed E F/X work.

This FiberGel comes with a patent pending duo fiber matrix system that has been independently tested 40% stronger than the best options in the market.

What’s more, the fiber content also serves to prevent runs and drips. The alginate mix (when made using the prescribed ratio of powder and water) will stay where you put it. This makes it suitable for working on vertical surfaces too. The molds also stay soft and flexible far beyond normal alginates, thus extending the window for casting times without any loss of detail.
 


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Correcting Mistakes in Plaster Life Casts

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , , , Tuesday, March 2, 2021 11:12 PM

Errors are bound to happen at different stages of the body casting and life casting process. Here we take a look at the problems that can surface in a plaster life cast and how to correct some of them.


Life casting begins with capturing a mold of the human body and ends with a finished cast that is an exact reproduction of the model. The body mold is usually made using alginate or skin-safe silicone rubber while plaster is preferred for the life cast. The final piece is usually mounted and finished with a brass name plate.


Now there is a lot that can go wrong during the body casting and life casting process. While a lot has been written about working with alginate, let us take a look at the possible complications that can arise during the plaster casting:

Air bubbles – Like any other mold making or casting material, plaster also has a propensity to trap air that can show up as unsightly bubbles on the surface of the cast. Life casting artists are always advised to pour the plaster slowly and carefully in a thin stream from a corner of the mold. Tilting the plaster-filled body mold a bit or tapping the sides will also cause the trapped air to rise to the top and can be burst easily. However, if some bubbles still happen to appear on the life cast, they can be smoothed out with the thumb, back of a spoon or by applying some water. Some artists pop them gently with a knife and then fill the hole with more plaster. Rubbing with sandpaper will help level out the final cast.

Broken fingers – Features like nose and fingers are small and delicate when compared to the entire life cast. They are very likely to break during the demolding process – it could be that the plaster has not set enough or the artist has applied too much pressure or is working in a hasty manner. The broken part can be refastened by wetting both the edges and applying some plaster. Reposition the piece and hold it in place till it sets properly. The joint can be smoothed with a wet finger or some thin plaster.

Similarly, other distortions or squashed features can also be corrected with some careful resculpting. However, it is always better to make the corrections in the body mold itself as far as possible rather than risk disfiguring the life cast.

Rough surface of the casting – At times, the plaster surface of the casting may seem coarse and bumpy in places. This can happen due to various reasons like skewed ratio or improper mixing of the plaster. Either way, the best recourse it to smooth out the surface with sandpaper.

These techniques will work for minor errors and corrections. In case of a major blunder, it is better to redo the life cast rather than keep trying to correct an inherently flawed or inadequate piece.

And when the perfect piece is ready, it can be mounted on a marble or wooden base and finished with customized brass name plates engraved for that wonderful gallery finish!

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Precautions for Using Sodium Silicate

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , , Wednesday, February 10, 2021 12:28 AM

Sodium silicate is an extremely useful material that lends itself to varied uses; but it needs to be handled with care and caution. In fact, it comes with its own set of safety and handling information.

Sodium silicate is formed from the reaction of sodium carbonate and silicon dioxide in a molten state. This universal compound finds multiple uses across diverse platforms. In the world of art, it is commonly used to give an antique finish to ceramic creations. It is also used as a clay slip defflocculant apart from aiding in making sand molds for metal castings.

The same sodium silicate serves excellent bonding and coating applications as well. The high-temperature can form a tight bond between any two materials; it also works to help harden cardboard cartons or applying labels. Also known as water glass, it is used to seal plaster, gypsum and stucco surfaces thus making them impermeable and water resistant. The same property comes in handy for sealing cracks in concrete floors, sidewalks and driveways.

The industry usage of sodium silicate ranges from cements, passive fire protection and refractories to textile and lumber processing and automobiles.



Care and caution


Like most other compounds, sodium silicate needs to be handled carefully. While it is essentially non-toxic, the solution can still irritate or even burn the skin and eyes on contact. Inhalation should also be kept to a minimum.

Therefore, users should make it a point to wear rubber or PVC gloves and overalls when using sodium silicate to make sand molded castings, clay slips or other usage. Wearing splash-proof goggles and rubber boots is also recommended, especially when using large quantities or where heavy contamination is likely.

These are the general precautions that should be carefully adhered. In addition, it is always advisable to vigilantly read the product label and get a handle on the safety measures that will be duly mentioned on the packaging. Following safe work practices will prevent untoward injuries or accidents when working with the compound.

Where to buy?


EnvironMolds offers a complete range of materials, supplies and equipment for making molds, casts and life casts. It is the favorite art store of all kinds of artists as they can find whatever they need and then some more.

ArtMolds Sodium Silicate is just one of the varied components on its broad menu of items that will be handy in the art studio. It is available in 1 pint, 1 gallon and 5 gallon packages. And it goes without saying that like all the other products, this water glass compound is also of top quality and offered at a reasonable price. The regular properties of sodium silicate also hold good – it is odorless, non-toxic moisture resistant, non-flammable and resistant to temperatures up to 3000° F.

The label on the bottle of aqueous solution obviously specifies the safety precautions to be observed while using the sodium silicate. In addition to this, the company website, https://www.artmolds.com also provides supplementary Material Safety Data Sheets for all its products as further guidance.

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Varied Uses of Plaster

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , , Wednesday, January 27, 2021 6:24 AM

 Plaster is a simple powder that is mixed with water before use. The material cures slowly to capture the shape in a solid form. This plaster can be used in varied ways to suit different purposes in the arts.

Plaster is a humble white powder made with a combination of lime or gypsum with sand and water. It is mixed with water to form a stiff paste before application. It dries to a solid form in some time. It is usually known as plaster of Paris as the gypsum was mined in abundant quantities in Paris.

The most common use of plaster mix is to coat walls and partitions to make the surface smooth. It is used to make false ceilings apart from stucco work and rendering. It also lends itself well for decorative architectural moldings like cornices and corbels.

Plaster is also used in the medical field to make casts for immobilizing broken bones and supporting the fracture till the bones can set properly once again.

A variation of the regular plaster also finds its way into the world of mold making and casting. This is different from the regular plaster of Paris which tends to become chalky and flaky over time, does not hold detail well and is hydroscopic in nature.

The art variant of plaster is harder which allows it to capture crisp details and set to a smooth solid. Yet it can be carved or tooled as desired. This is used in mold making and latex slush molds while plaster bandages are used to make shell molds or even form molds.

Plaster can be used for general mold making, but care should be taken as the material tends to emit heat due to the chemical reaction. Therefore, it can damage the product or harm the model when applied directly on the body. Some people have been known to get burns when plaster is used in large volumes!

A better application of plaster is for making the life castings. The plaster mix is poured into the alginate or silicone body mold and allowed to cure. After demolding, it turns out a bright white life cast that is a spitting replica of the original body part. It can then be finished as required before being put up for display.

Plaster is coated over gauze to form plaster bandages that can be used to make shell or mother molds. The wet bandages are smoothed out over alginate or rubber molds. They dry to a rigid form and thus lend the required stiffness to the flexible molds that would otherwise flop over themselves making it difficult to cast properly. The same bandages can also be used on the skin to make rough body part molds like the abdomen as they do not have much detail. Artists also use the same technique for making a face mold for making masks.

EnvironMolds offers a range of plaster options for pottery, casting and the ever-popular Plaster of Paris bandages.
 

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Difference Between Plastic and Silicone Molds

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , , Monday, January 18, 2021 9:05 AM

Which is better – plastic or silicone molds for making castings of resins and other materials? Both options come with their own pros and cons. Generally, silicone ones are preferred by professionals.

The technique of making a cast begins with a mold. The casting artist will either make a mold or use a ready mold for making the cast. The casting material is usually poured into the mold and allowed to set before being demolded. Once it has cured properly, it is finished and is ready for use. How to make a mold for the casting is another story for another day.



However, here we shall take a look at the type of molds to be used for making a cast. Let’s consider plastic and silicone molds for instance.

Plastic molds usually have a lot going for them. They are easily available in the market in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are flexible, reusable and quite inexpensive at that. Being quite easy to work with, these molds are considered apt for novices stepping into the world of casting. Even if the molds get damaged, they can be easily replaced or even discarded if someone loses interest in the hobby.

On the other hand, silicone rubber molds are more sophisticated and top quality molds that are preferred by professional casting artists around the world. They may seem like a substantial investment initially, but this does pay off in more ways than one.

The biggest thing working in favor of silicone molds is that they can be customized as desired. The mold maker can make single or two part molds of any item that is to be replicated as a cast. However, making a plastic mold calls for specialized techniques and equipment for working on vacuum forming sheet plastic around a template. Therefore, making casts from plastic molds can be limiting based on the ready molds available.

Then again, casts made in plastic molds do not turn out glossy enough. The molds tend to get scratches easily, which also affects the quality of the castings. The surface that is touching the mold will have to be recoated with either the casting material or a sealer to make it shiny. On the other hand, castings from silicone molds have a smooth and shiny finish that is pleasing to the eye.

These molds also lend themselves well for making complex castings. Demolding is especially easy even for complicated shapes as silicone does not stick to anything except itself. It should be kept in mind that silicone molds are extremely durable, but only as long as they are cleaned and stored properly.

EnvironMolds offers a range of materials, supplies and equipment including a great selection of high quality silicone rubber formulas that are suitable for both mold making and casting. Indeed, most silicone mold rubbers can double up as casting rubbers too. However, artists should bear in mind that silicone rubber should never be cast in silicone molds as they will tend to stick to each other.

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Gypsum vs Plaster – Know the Difference

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , Thursday, December 24, 2020 8:44 AM

 Gypsum is usually considered to be the same as plaster. However, it should be noted that gypsum occurs naturally and plaster is derived from the gypsum by treating it with heat to eliminate the water.


There are very many materials used for making molds and casts. Plaster and gypsum are one of the common casting materials as plaster casting is quite a popular medium with casting artists.

The terms gypsum and plaster and used interchangeably and most people consider them the same thing. The confusion abounds as both of them basically contain the same calcium sulfate compound. However, there are intrinsic differences between the two materials.



Gypsum is a naturally-occurring material containing calcium sulfate dihydrate. It is formed in the seas at the right temperature. It is considered a rock-forming material and can grow up to large sizes. Gypsum has a crystal structure but contains water. The crystals are either transparent or translucent – they can be colorless or white, though other shades like grey, red or yellow are also found on occasion. Gypsum is soft, flexible and slightly soluble in water.

When gypsum is heated at temperature between 150°C to 180℃, it loses water and takes the form of calcium sulfate hemihydrates. Certain additives are added during the heating process and it is then ground to powder form which is called plaster of Paris.

Therefore, plaster is a man-made material – the white powder is basically derived from gypsum. It is mixed with sand and water – and some fibers at times – to form a smooth solid. The moist plaster is used to mold different items and will turn hard as it dries to retain the desired shape. Therefore, plaster of Paris is commonly used as a protective coating on walls and ceilings as well as for making decorative castings. It is also used to make orthopedic casts for setting broken bones and the like. At times, the same plaster is used to make toys, statuettes, chalk and even cosmetics.

However, it should be kept in mind that plaster of Paris in its original form is not actually suitable for casting purposes. This is because it cannot hold details well and also tends to turn chalky and flaky over time. The plaster powder is again treated with heat to make it suitable for fine art casting. Only then will it be able to create hard casts that can hold detail, not turn chalky and also resist chipping and cracking. The cast will have a natural white finish and will turn out to be extremely durable. This plaster cannot be used directly on the skin as it tends to emit heat during the curing process.

EnvironMolds offers a range of plaster options for making plaster casting along with plaster bandages. The latter can be used to make shell molds that support flexible molds like silicone rubber, latex rubber and alginate. They can also be used directly on the body to make form molds, like of the abdomen for belly casting.

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Painting on Silicone Casts

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , , Tuesday, December 1, 2020 3:35 AM

 Finishing silicone casts with paint is a challenging task as regular paints tend to crack or chip off very soon. EnvironMolds brings a special dye and paint system that will easily incorporate into the silicone.


Silicone rubber is a versatile material that is used to make both molds and casts to suit different applications. It is easy to use – just mix in the required quantity of base and catalyst in the prescribed ratios and you are ready to go. Moreover, as silicone does not stick to anything but itself, the mold making and casting process is relatively straightforward and effortless. The rubber can be specially formulated to be food or even skin safe, thus lending itself well for making food and body molds.

However, the problem arises when the artist tries to paint on a silicone cast. Indeed, you may feel like finishing the cast with a beautiful color of choice, however, regular paints will start cracking, chipping and wear away with time.

Alas, the smooth finish and waterproof qualities of the silicone weighs against it in this regard. Even if you use oil-based paints for their better adherence, the inherently flexible nature of the rubber will cause the paint to wear off easily.

At times, people try making the silicone surface rough by soaking it in denatured alcohol or rubbing it with sandpaper. While this can work for regular silicone caulking, the coarse facade will end up marring the silicone cast and render it unpleasant to the eye.

It is only special silicone paint and dye that can adhere to the silicone rubber and yield the desired finish. EnvironMolds (www.artmolds.com) offers the special Cirius silicone formulation for painting and dyeing silicone creations. The silicone base of the dye comes to the rescue here as silicone will definitely stick to itself! Try bending and twisting the silicone rubber cast as much as you wish – but the color will not crack, peel or even rub off as it has become chemically incorporated into the silicone!



How to use?

You can mix a few drops of the silicone dye with the base before adding the catalyst to give an intrinsic uniform hue during the casting process itself. Swirling one or two drops of dye in the mix can also create a lovely marbled effect in the silicone cast.

On the other hand, there is also the option of diluting the dye with a silicone medium for coloring after the cast is ready. It can then be painted, sprayed or air brushed on the silicone surface to get the desired finish. However, it is important that the cast should be cleaned and prepped properly prior to painting. The brushes should also be cleaned quickly after use.

This silicone paint is considered compatible with both tin and platinum cure silicone variants. However, the dye can interfere with the setting of platinum silicones.

Twelve different hues are available, including the famous ‘Quinn Blush' used by renowned doll rebirthing artist Terry Quinn to add skin blush to her silicone dolls.

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