Bruce Girrell on wed 10 oct 01
> I am interested in doing some slip casting, full body pieces.
> Human bodies that is. Is my best bet to use plaster cast type
> bandaging? I have seen something about adding alginate to that.
> Then, I presume, I could take that and make a clay positive, to
> create a pottery plaster mold for pouring slip cast.
Go to www.pinkhouse.com, the site of Pink House Studios. They specialize in
supplies for live casting. They also have videos that demonstrate the "how
to" part. Watching the video really gives you an appreciation for how hard
this is for the model, as well.
I think that you will do best with just a straight plaster cast reversed to
a clay, Forton, or Fiberglas form from which a multipart slip cast mold
could be built. Alginate is too flexible and has too little working time (it
shrinks and cracks as the water evaporates) unless you want to go
alginate--> Forton--> plaster mold. Alginate molds must be used the same day
and are good for one use only.
Be prepared for some sticker shock. This stuff is not cheap. Even the
plaster bandages will run you $50 - 100* for enough to do a complete torso.
Their Ply-O-Life product (for finely detailed things like hands) uses a
platinum catalyst. Need I say more? If you use the plaster bandages you will
also need some #1 molding plaster. That's cheap, but it only comes in 100 lb
bags ($15), so you may end up paying more for shipping than for the product.
Bruce Girrell
in windy, but colorful northern Michigan.
*I have checked other suppliers, including medical supply houses, and have
not been able to find any prices that are substantially lower.
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