Full-head life cast to face cast

[Junklady]

I made a full head cast from shoulders up and I want to make just a cast of the face(buck?). I know there's a way to duplicate the face using silicone, but I'm broke and would rather use materials I already have or are on the cheaper side.

I tried to use alginate, but when I went to remove it, it became distorted (most likely due to the weight of the full lifecast and not able to maneuver it).

Any suggestions? Thank you!

 

[Contec]

Did you use a outer plaster gauze shell over the Alginate or just alginate?

 

[Junklady]

Did you use a outer plaster gauze shell over the Alginate or just alginate?

I did use a plaster bandage shell, just like as if I was doing a life cast. The problem was maneuvering the shell and the alginate off together. When I went to fill it with Ultracal there were parts of the face that were "crushed in". Maybe I should just try it again and have an extra pair of hands to hold the full head cast while I remove the alginate/plaster shell.

 

[Contec]

I did use a plaster bandage shell, just like as if I was doing a life cast. The problem was maneuvering the shell and the alginate off together. When I went to fill it with Ultracal there were parts of the face that were "crushed in". Maybe I should just try it again and have an extra pair of hands to hold the full head cast while I remove the alginate/plaster shell.

Maybe the thickness of the Alginate was too thin? Or the bandage shell was too thin that it distorted the mold. When my friend and i made a cast of his face we could remove the plaster shell and the alginate separate and then we put them together when removed.
An extra pair of hand are recommended when using alginate because of the short time it takes for it to solidify.

 

[XtcofPain]

Alginate will work. I've done just that several times. Release the plaster with a light layer of Vaseline, Mac wax or some firm of parfiln/release. Then mix and apply your alginatebto the area you want to duplicate. Then plaster bandage over that, remove and get a plaster out of the new alginate/plaster bandage mold.

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Also you can put cotton fuzz on the alginate before it sets. When you bandage this then the plaster will stick to the alginate and hold it in the shell.