Lifecasting tutorials?

[Draven]

Does anyone have any good face/lifecasting tutorials they can direct me towards? Free video tutorials would be good too.

I'm due to do a few face casts in the next couple of weeks and need to get up to speed..

Any tutorials on molding/casting other body parts would be welcomed too (no rude bits please..)

Thanks.

Draven

 

[Goldenrod]

try here Draven. http://www.themonsterlab.com/faq.html
Life casting takes a some practice and money. Start on a hand to get feel for the materials. Alginate can set fast or slow depending on the temp of the water and room temp. So take notes on your progress as you go for future ref.
Patience is a big factor and NEVER EVER put straws in your subjects nose. And vaseline their eyelashes and eyebrows and any other hair to be coated in alginate. And as your doing it reassure them that it can be removed at anytime quickly if they become uncomfortable. Just talk them through it and all should go well.
Also if they are at all clostaphobic (probably spelled wrong) then its not a good idea to do a cast of that person.
Again you really should practice a few times on hands or own someone who you knows you really well and is comfortable with doing something like llifecasting.
good luck,
Michael

 

[Draven]

Thanks Goldenrod - I'll have a good read through them tonight.

Do you know why not to use straws? I thought that was the only way to do a face cast..?

Draven

 

[Goldenrod]

Its extremely dangerous to put straws up ones nose. Its a BIG no no. I can tell you horror stories.
Heres how i do it:
Save the nose area for last.
Start at the forehead and work your way down the face neck avoiding the nose. Once you have everything else covered in alginate you can then consentrate on just the nose.
What i do is tell the subject to take a deep breath and carefully press a small amount of alginate into "1 nostril", and have them exhale abruptly. This pushes the alginate out of the clogged nosehole but leaving enough for a good cast. Make sure that they exhale hard to clear the nostril. Check and see that its clear of alginate. Then you tell them to take another big breath and press alginate into the other nostril and have them exhale hard. Through the nose mouth stays closed. And then you are ready to start the plaster bandages. Have your bandages pre-torn into the desired lengths and a bowl of water to dip them in.
This is why i say practice on someone's hand a few times to get the hang of the alginate. Cold water slows the geling process and warm water speeds it up.
PM me if you need any other advice.
Goldenrod

 

[Dark Shadow]

ok, after both nostrils are alginated and have been exhaled. If you plaster bandage the face with the nostril area out of the nose, the casting will look distorted. How do you deal with that?
-Scott

 

[Goldenrod]

oh no.
i'm sorry i should have explained alittle better.
You do place plaster bandage strips across the nose as well. In fact i place a small narrow strip down the center of the nose and then another across the nose. I do this before i place the bandages on the rest of the face. The method i've described is to insure a good casting of the nose in the lifecast.