Need Help on Torso Casting

[Adel Muradov]

Hi All,

I have a question regarding the Mans torso and Pregnant Belly casting. As I am an amateur, I think I am doing something wrong.

I have applied alginate
then covered it with cotton (evenly)
After I put plaster bandage

But the outcome is not satisfying, as you can see the body is crumbly, with sort of uneven surface (the models body is not like that) moreover one of the nipples is pressed down, don't know how it happened.

Hope you guys can help me to figure out my mistake. Thank you!

 

[udog]

Probably it has to do with covering it evenly with cotton. I understand that you are doing this to ensure a mechanical "grab" bettwen alginate and plaster bandages.
I´d say that has to do with all that bumpy surface. Forget about the cotton and apply your plaster bandages directly over the alginate. If you have extended a correct amount of alginate etc... youĺl be fine without the cotton. Bear in mind that if you have too much cotton there, most probably the bandages are not touching the alginate in some parts. This could give distortion of some kind.
Unless there is something else in the process going wrong...is alginate setting ok?,, are the plaster bandages setting ok (firm and hard)?
Also, when you demold the alginate from the model, you remove both alginate and plaster together (as if they where one) right?. If you separate them it could be very tricky to assemble them together again correctly.

 

[Adel Muradov]

Thank you very much for your reply. Thats most probably is the issue. However I applied thin layer of cotton, but maybe some of the pads were overlaid, which caused unreachable are for the plaster bandage. I will try to make it without the cotton, I just afraid that plaster bandage won't catch the alginate. Maybe clips on the sides will make it work for me. By they, wanted to ask as well, since I am planning to do a belly casting, I have a concern about the cold alginate, won't it be harmful for a pregnant lady? I usually mix alginate with a below room temperature water, to have more working time, if I will make it warm, I will have no time to apply alginate all over the required area.

 

[udog]

Usually the alginate you aply won´t end up with a smooth surface, which helps the bandages to cling to the alginate. If it worries you, try to lay the cotton (or any other method)only in certain parts, edges for example, that are not that important in the piece. I think that would be enough to ensure it all comes out together. Or you can creat some rougher areas (alginate) to help the bandages to cling.
By the way, going back to the bumpy distortion, is your plaster bandage shell thick/firm enough?

As for the setting time, what alginate are you using?. There are some that are slow setting too.
Can´t say about cold water and pregnant bellies, never made one, never had children. Ask a doctor or someone who really knows to make sure, safety first. Or better, the model should ask her doctor, each pregnancy might have it´s particular issues.,But I guess the same risk would be there if the pregnant woman takes a bath in a cool swimming pool?
Also there is a product called Algislo, with several properties. One of them is aiding better bond of alginate on already set material., another is retarding setting time by mixing a little Algislo in the alginate batch. I have it here in the studio. Very handy product for alginate.