Eliminating Estimation in Material Calculations

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , Tuesday, August 18, 2020 8:58 AM

Why should artists rely on guesswork about the quantity or volume of materials required for making a mold or cast? EnvironMolds provides a Volume Calculator that throws up the exact amount needed.

There’s a lot of planning and coordination that goes into making a mold or cast. The artist has to not only choose the most suitable technique and material for making the mold/cast, but also assemble the requisite mold making or casting materials, supplies, tools and equipment.

 

For instance, making a block mold with silicone rubber will require plastic cups, gram scale, mixing sticks, electric mixer, mold box, release agent, glue gun, vacuum chamber and pump, gloves, knife, silicone rubber, etc.

While the artists pay careful attention to the requirements and collect the items before commencing the project, they rely on eyeball estimations for the amount of material they need to purchase or mix. For instance, if the artist mixes much more silicone rubber than actually required, the extra rubber will have to be thrown away – a sheer waste of money and resources. And if the rubber falls short, it will entail extra work of mixing more material or even rushing to the store to buy some more. The delay can even cause the artist to leave the project midway or if continued, mar the quality of the mold.

Newbie mold makers and casting artists are especially flummoxed about the amount of material they should use.

EnvironMolds comes to the rescue with a handy volume calculator on its website https://www.artmolds.com/volume-calculator. All the artist has to do is measure the dimensions of the mold box and model before feeding them in the calculator. A square or rectangular box requires the height, width and depth while cylindrical ones need the radius and height. The same rule applies for rectangular and cylindrical models respectively. Undercuts in the model can be ignored and the maximum outside dimensions will do.

This will throw up the net volume of the box, the model and finally the material needed. The calculator goes a step further and converts the net volume into the exact amount of rubber, plaster or resin required in grams or fluid ounces, as applicable.

For those who are looking for more detailed information on how to make molds and casts, EnvironMolds provides instructional books, videos, website links and blog posts as well.

 

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Making Body Molds With Silicone

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , , , Wednesday, July 29, 2020 11:34 AM

Silicone rubber can be formulated to be applied on the skin for making body molds. And LifeRite is leading the pack as the most-favored skin safe silicone rubber. Let’s find out more about the same.

Silicone rubber is a high-quality and durable material that is favored by artists for making molds and casts. Art stores’ aisles feature a range of specially formulated silicones that are suitable for almost any application ranging from general mold making and casting to food molds, baking containers, mask making, special effects and even duplicating skin surfaces.

Apart from this, there is a unique silicone rubber that can be safely used on the skin for life casting! Yes, you heard that right – alginate does not have to be the main staple for making body molds as a silicone formulation can be applied directly on the body to capture the shape of the face, hands, feet and other body parts. And these silicone body molds are long-lasting for multiple castings unlike their single use alginate counterparts!

In fact, LifeRite Skin Safe Silicone Rubber is favored by life casting artists, special effects artists and even for prosthetics due its superior quality and excellent results. This is a two-component, platinum-cured, room temperature cure silicone rubber with excellent physical properties like flexibility, quick curing, forensic detail and long mold life. It can stay put even on horizontal surfaces, allowing for easy full body molds with the model in standing position.


Tips for using LifeRite

  • This silicone rubber features a mix ratio of 10 Parts A to 1 Part B by weight and is easy to mix. The base and catalyst should be mixed thoroughly to get an even lavender hue. Ensure that no catalyst remains on the base or sides of the container.
  • To slow down the working time, the base can be kept in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or even left in the freezer overnight.
  • Silicone rubber does not stick to anything but itself. Therefore, it can be directly applied on clean and dry skin. However, petroleum jelly or mold release is favored for keeping body hair from getting entangled in the silicone.
  • As latex rubber inhibits this platinum-cured silicone, wearing rubber gloves can keep the body mold from curing properly. It is advisable to use vinyl gloves instead.
  • The silicone can be applied with a soft bristle brush, spatula, palette knife or a manual or pneumatic cartridge gun system. Dearing is not required as both the base and catalyst are deaired at the manufacturing stage itself. However, applying a print coat first is preferable to eliminate any tiny air bubbles.
  • Allow the rubber to cure for 5 to 6 minutes before applying the shell mold.
  • After demolding, the body mold should be left to cure for an additional hour or so prior to the casting. Else pin-hole air bubbles may appear in the life cast.
  • Wax, plaster, clay or resin can be cast in the LifeRite mold. If making clay life casts for special effects works, the material should be sulfur-free as the presence of sulfur can again inhibit the curing.

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Clear Ballistic Gel Available at EnvironMolds

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , Saturday, July 11, 2020 10:40 AM

The clear ballistic gel blocks and dummies replace standard ballistic gelatin as the most effective medium for testing terminal performance of different types of arms, ammunition and even body armor.

Terminal ballistic testing involves verifying the destructive effects of various firearms and ammunition on the real human body. Even body armor like vests need to be tested for the level of efficacy in protecting the human body.

This kind of testing requires dummies or backing material that can mimic human tissue. Clear ballistic gel torso has emerged as a standardized testing medium as the gelatin closely simulates both the density and viscosity of human and animal tissue. This can be used to analyze the effects of different bullet wounds or even as backing material when testing ballistic vests and the like.


EnvironMolds offers the first-ever commercially available and reusable ballistic testing dummy made of industry-leading, 100% synthetic ballistic gelatin without any organic materials. The dummy heads and torsos are suitable for testing any ammunition, weapons, personal armor, shields or any other protection equipment including shrapnel penetrations. What’s more, they can even provide penetrating and non-penetrating ballistic data from the same device at the same time. The clear ballistic gel dummies meet the FBI protocols for providing unmatched terminal ballistics data and are duly calibrated by Clear Ballistics.

The three-dimensional ballistic gel torso is designed to replicate an athletic male in great physical condition. It can be used in sitting position (vertical) or lying down (horizontal) for all types of testing, research or even recreation purposes. What’s more, the torso is reusable as the ballistic gelatin can be remelted and remolded any number of times.

Apart from this, the company website, https://www.artmolds.com also stocks clear ballistic gel blocks that can be molded into any shape. The blocks are available in varied sizes and types to suit different types of terminal ballistic testing and can be purchased by the pound as well.

The results are reliable and consistent and the clear ballistic gel torso is also considered the most cost effective ballistic testing medium!

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Plaster Bandages in Body Molds

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , , Thursday, July 2, 2020 2:47 AM

Life casting artists commonly use plaster of Paris bandages to reinforce the body molds. This keeps the otherwise flexible mold from flopping over itself and losing its shape, thus allowing for proper life casts.

Alginate is the most preferred material for making body molds. It is safe for the skin and captures minute details well. These molds have the making for excellent life casts.

However, alginate molds are flexible and cannot retain their shape after being demolded from the body. They tend to flop over themselves making casting difficult.

This is why life casting artists always reinforce the alginate body molds with Plaster of Paris bandages. This is known as a shell mold as it forms a rigid covering that supports the mold and facilitates easy casting.


The plaster bandages are in the form of long rolls of gauze that is infused with plaster powder. The technique is to wet the bandage and apply it over the mold. The plaster in the bandage will dry to form a rigid mold that helps the inner mold to retain its shape.

When making a shell mold, first cut out long strips of the plaster bandage. Take a bowl of warm water and dip one strip until it is saturated. Gently lift it out and squeeze the excess water. Apply on the mold surface while taking care to remove air bubbles by smoothing out the surface with the fingers. Repeat the process with each bandage while ensuring that each successive layer overlaps the earlier one until the entire mold is covered.

It is advisable to change the water once it starts getting milky. This is because some of the plaster is shed while wetting. Continuing to use the same may cause the bandages to delaminate after they have dried.

Once the mold is dry, demold from the body and continue casting as usual.

The same plaster bandages are sometimes used directly on the body as well. This is preferred for making molds of the abdomen, especially for pregnancy molds. It makes form molds of the shape as details are not required.


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Backdating Mold Making and Casting

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , , , , Tuesday, June 9, 2020 12:10 AM

The techniques of mold making and casting are nothing new. In fact, they emerged way back in the Neolithic times and gradually developed as the key for making most of the objects we use and enjoy today.

Mold making and casting procedures are used to make most of the things we use – from household goods and decorative items to industrial equipment and structural components. These techniques are especially popular in the world of art and design and are patronized by artists of various genres. They are commonly used for new artworks, art reproductions, sculpture making, ceramic works, garden statuary, candle making, props, masks and the like. The same are also applied for architectural restoration works, prototype tooling, taxidermy, fossil preservation, etc.



Not to mention the beautiful art of life casting. Indeed, life casts have emerged as a magnificent mode of creating a three-dimensional reproduction of the live human body. The regular techniques of making molds and casts are used with appropriate skin-safe materials to make body molds and life casts of the face, hands, feet, belly, torso or even the entire body. These are extremely popular for infants, friends, families, pregnant mothers and more. The same is also used for medical prosthetics, special effects, animatronics, etc.


The synthetic materials like polyurethane resin, latex rubber and silicone rubber may be new additions to the fold, but mold making and casting themselves are not contemporary techniques by a long shot. In fact, they date back to the prehistoric times when settlements were being established and agriculture came into being. The primitives slowly developed these processes to fabricate tools, equipment, jewelry and religious artifacts What’s more, the oldest surviving casting of a copper frog dates back to 3200 BC!

With the passage of time, these techniques were applied for making and reproducing artworks, especially sculptures. The introduction of hollow wax casting was the precursor to the highly prized Greek statues and Roman copies made later.

Clay and plaster continued to be the popular medium of making molds and casts down the ages. Gradually, art schools started teaching mold making and casting and used wood or terracotta also to make the molds. This led to the creation of iconic artworks that remain illustrious till date. Simultaneously, they were used for making pottery and ceramics as well.

These age-old processes finally made their way from the homes of royals, aristocrats and art aficionados to the foundries of today. The advent of industrialization witnessed a quick adoption for the mass production of regular objects in a range of styles. Injection molding was introduced in industries and new materials like plastics and polymers also came into being. Everyday items became inexpensive due to lower costs of production.



These techniques were progressively incorporated into the making of complicated automotive parts, equipment, machinery and even structures.

Indeed, from the simple molds and casts of ancient times to two part molds and cold casting for artworks to highly technical and complex processes in industries - mold making and casting have surely come a long way!

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Life Casting The Feet

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , , , Wednesday, May 27, 2020 6:53 PM

A life cast is always a treasured keepsake. While hands and face are the common body parts favored for a life cast, recreating the feet also makes for a novel souvenir. Making it is a wonderful experience too!

Hands make beautiful life castings. They are very popular for commemorating special occasions, marking the birth of a baby or just celebrating with friends. The possibilities are endless – people try out different ideas - like a couple holding hands together, a rings of hands with friends, parents encircling the hands of a newborn child, a person holding a golf ball, a baseball glove or a trophy and so on.

These life castings can be made in plaster or even cold cast in metal or stone. They are finished with a brass name plate to mark the name, occasion and other details.


However, it’s not just the hands, even the feet have many a story to tell – a step, a movement or even just the position. A life cast of a foot is a complex creation that looks interesting due to the three-dimensional composition. Parents love to get a life cast of their newborn’s feet and even encircle the feet with their own hands to signify the inherent love, care and protection. The casts look beautiful and can be treasured forever.

Making a mold of the foot and then a life cast is also quite a challenge in itself. The leg is usually encased in a batch of alginate mixture. Deciding the pose and angle is important here. The model should feel comfortable while the foot is dipped in alginate. Care is also required as the drying alginate may tend to crack with the body weight itself.

In fact, foot molds are usually made in two parts as it is difficult to extract the leg from the alginate mold once it has set. Even if the life casting artist tries to make a cut to separate the leg from the alginate, the mold may be rendered useless. Making it in two parts is better with proper keys for the registration of the parts and sprue holes for releasing the trapped air.

The foot mold has to capture very many details right from the toes and nails to the folds in the skin, the indentations and even the tiny lines per se. In fact, the mold will also recreate the cracks in the soles of the feet et al. These have to be finished properly prior to the final casting to avoid reproducing them in the cast!

Often artists use trial and error to work out the best method of making the mold from the body. This calls for patience and foresight while making the body molds again and again.

Finally, the life cast of the feet, or any other body part or even the entire body should be finished with name plates engraved with the title, artist name and other details. This will give a professional, gallery finish to the life cast and add to the experience as well!

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Getting to Know FiberGel Alginate

Posted by EnvironMolds , Labels: , , , , , Saturday, May 9, 2020 4:48 PM

FiberGel alginate is a unique patented alginate formula that is quite strong and resistant to tears. Yet, it sets soft and has delayed shrinkage which makes it perfect for special effect works.

The simple alginate powder that was initially used for making dental impressions has slowly evolved over the years into a valuable concoction for making life casts.

The beauty of alginate powder is that being a natural substance, it is completely safe for the skin. However, regular alginate has a quick setting time and is prone to tearing as well.

Various manufacturers try to play around with the formulation to slow the setting time on the one hand and increase the tear resistance on the other. They also try to manipulate other characteristics - like hardness/softness of the alginate once it sets – to suit specific applications.

Accordingly, different groups of alginate are available in art stores today. Apart from the regular life casting formulae that are characterized by a firm set and high strength, there are special formulations with a soft set (suitable for use on babies).


The famed art supplier, EnvironMolds has launched a unique alginate formula called FiberGel E F/X Grade alginate. This is fortified with special fibers that considerably increase the adhesion, strength and tear resistance properties of the alginate. In fact, it is independently tested 40% stronger than the leading brands.

This alginate formulation is thixothropic and will stay in place without dipping or running off like regular alginate mixtures. Moreover, the fiber matrix enables the alginate to retain moisture and reduces the shrinkage rate manifold. Therefore, the alginate mold stays soft and flexible and boasts of delayed casting time as well. Yet, despite the fiber content, the alginate mix still manages to yield the same creamy smoothness that is characteristic of regular alginate formulae.

During studio use, artists find that the mixing and consistency of FiberGel alginate is just like regular alginate. It can easily be applied in a smooth and uniform manner and will continue to stay in place without running. The mold will set within 5 to 6 minutes and does not necessarily require a shell mold either. When demolded, the alginate mold comes off easily in one piece without pulling itself apart. Even bigger body molds will not tear when removed in spite of the larger area or even undercuts. And as the mold will not shrink soon, the cast will turn out closer to the original size without losing any detail.

This is why FiberGel alginate is considered ideal for professional high-production, high-end detailed E F/X work. It can easily be used for creating different kinds of special effects on the sets of movies and television shoots. As the alginate mixture does not run or drip, it can even be applied on vertical structures to capture molds. The comparatively thicker mix of the alginate ensures that it will continue to stay as applied and will recreate all the surface details of the structure as it is!

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