Earlier, January 30, 1999, Moonshadow, Kodian, Mirko, and I had a lifecasting session, together with making dinner. So far, things went well. The first problem is that the first batch of alginate didn't take well at first, but the second and subsequent batches did. Would you believe I overbought the alginate? You don't need more than a pound for a full head, yet I got 3 pounds, enough for a few casts! [sigh]
Below are the pics. But of course, my own mother got into it, though she's not in the pictures. [ah, nuts!]
Here's the supplies we used. But of course, there's a few things wrong
with this picture. The Rigid Wrap, found in the craft section of many
craft stores, is *NOT* what you want. It dries slow. I tried some on my
arm a few days after the session, and it was *STILL DRYING* 20 minutes
later, though hardening up. Fast set would do better, found in the local
medical supply houses, by the case.
The Identic brand (with blue lid) were free samples, given to me by one of the local dental supply houses when I was inquiring around. This particular brand was fast set, two pounds, in four 8 ounce packs. The light blue container with white lid is the Quala brand, one pound each, Type II, regular set alginate. This was picked up after much calling around the local area, for about $6 a pound. Next time, we're getting the dental casting stuff or Ultracal, rather than the art plaster. We'll also get the medical plaster bandages, fast set, rather than the rigid wrap from the craft stores. The little white square at the edge is a pound of Roma Plastilina. Wrong color... If you wish to find your local supplier of Ultracal 30, call US Gypsum at 1-800-874-4968.
You'll also need a bald cap and spirit gum. I had a small container of
spirit gum, but couldn't open it. By the time I did, the top was destroyed
due to it being stuck on the container. So, we used the big container of
spirit gum. Just don't use medical adhesive, as it holds WAY TOO STRONG
for this purpose. You also need to apply vaseline to your eyebrows, and
other facial hair that the bald cap doesn't cover.
As I said before, the first batch was mixed too slowly, thus giving
Kodian the look on his hands...
Then they applied the alginate on me, as you can see from the next two
pictures. Since I have my hearing aids off, I'm essentially blind and
deaf, though I could still see some shadows and see the flash from the
camera, as well as feel what's going on me, through the footfalls on
the floor.
The plaster bandages are then applied, but I don't know *WHY* they
didn't take more pictures, to show the side detail, showing how the front
and back part is made.
But of course, they *HAD* to have fun with me, doing the knock-knock
jokes, talking horridly of me, right down to drawing a face on the front
half of the plaster. You may not see it, but besides the red smile, there
are green eyes. Would you believe even my mom got into it?
Am I getting too paranoid or is MoonShadow about to find a way to hang me
while I'm under the alginate?
Finally, after an hour of being under it all, it's taken off, but seems
the bandages didn't adhere well to the alginate, thus we nearly lost the
entire thing, while saving the facial part. It ain't perfect but whatever,
it came out nicely. I'm a little blinded by the light, though doing fine...
Here's the head, though I only wish whoever took the pic got closer,
to show the detail in the head. There were a few imperfections, around one
eye, and a part of the nose. Just scrape it off, and go from there.
...and in the humor of it all, Kodian manages to pull out a rather
huge one, what we can call the KodiBooger.... Boy, what a humdinger of
a booger that was... Alginate Booger, that is... [big laff]
We're gonna try again soon, though we're not
sure when, after we get more details from one person that Kodian was with
back in the summer at Feral. More people as well as pages will be checked
with. In that meantime, I'll be picking up the plaster bandages from the
local medical supply houses as well as the Ultracal 30. If anyone has
something that would help us out, it would be much appreciated, so
email me, please.
I'll post the directions for how much alginate to water, but from looking at the measurements, it looked like 1 part of alginate to 1 1/3 water. From there, you have to mix it up well, then apply it before it sets. You will need the slow set kind. If you can't get that, get the regular set, and use cold water.
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