Random crap with Uno.

[Unorthodox]

$5 for 8" wide plaster wrap 15' long. 

The medical stuff I can see is 3 times as expensive. 

The only thing that approaches the cost effectiveness is buying a different brand (which only comes 6" wide) by the case, and it's the same price after shipping.  Even driving down to SLC and getting it from FX supply isn't as cost effective. 

Some medical stuff is measured by weight, and I don't have a reasonable means of cost comparison. 

[Buster's Uncle]

I think it's very safe to assume anything medical will automatically gouge you 3-10 times the price of the same thing from a non-medical source, and anything you get at a craft store instead of a hardware store is almost as bad, very often.  Specialty supply venues almost always cost more than general ones.  Admittedly, the rolls I saw on jobsites were roughly 4'' wide, and I haven't the foggiest of what they cost, but they were big rolls a good foot across, and I do recommend you do some cursory research; betcha 10 minutes googling, oh, Plaster Gauze construction (or hardware) will save you considerable money if you go through very much of the stuff.

[Unorthodox]

Ok, dish soap doesn't make a great release for a plaster mold and foam.

Stuck a little too much leading to some tearing and deformation on removal.



Also didn't' skin well, causing it to lose a lot of details, but makes for a very good 'worn' look. 
I think I need to add some compression for the expanding foam to do that better, next need to test cooking spray, but have some cleaning of the mold to do first. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Hmm.  A silicon mold is already very slick, so it doesn't need much of a mold release - plaster is porous, and should need something that will soak into the pores and leave a slick finish, I would guess for foam to come out smoothly...  Shellac?  Cut pretty thin, and two coats, I'd think.

[Unorthodox]

Well, I think my problem is that plaster is for absorption molds, wicking moisture out of whatever.  Foam is cured by moisture.

Maybe if I soaked the plaster in water first, it would cure the foam contacting it quicker, thus making a skin? 

There's always the solution of doing a slush coat in latex to hold the details then backfilling with foam. 

[Buster's Uncle]

That might work real well with the water-soaking, but of course it makes the plaster fragile, so be careful with the mold.  I do thin latex molds with a plaster backing a lot, and I think that's a good idea - you do have to be careful about keeping it situated in the plaster exactly right, of course, and I don't know how latex might interact with the plastic of the foam.

[Unorthodox]

Oh the foam sticks.  I mistakenly tried to cast a foam skull in a latex mold a few years ago. 

[Buster's Uncle]

The soap coating doesn't fix that with latex?

[Unorthodox]

The resultant mess was quite a sight, actually.  Expanding foam, mind you.  At the open end of the skull the foam skinned over and sealed the thing tight as it latched onto the uncoated outside of the mold, the inside was then sealed off and expanding, this caused the mold to swell like a balloon, breaking the mother mold of plaster.  Still, it shrank back down to normal, and I figured if I just cut into the thing to get past the part it sealed, it would be fine underneath.  So I cut and started pulling...

The pressure had reverted the inside of the foam to a liquid, and only a skinned layer inside the mold.  It tore, and out sprayed liquid foam now expanding as it hit the moisture in the air. 

Took a week to get it all off my hands. 

That was about 6 years ago, and this was the first thing I've done with foam since. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Wow.

I'd guess cooking spray might work better with latex, though it would be a little hard on it, I think.  Sounds like you'd definitely waqnt to coat the outside, too.

[Unorthodox]

Hey, forum moved....and I got a horror tag now.  Are those things I could put on a thread, or just something you guys do? 


Anywho, got my foam coating in last night.  It's in powder form, and deceptively HEAVY.  I don't know what this stuff is, but it sure ways a lot by volume. 

So, I have the powder foam coat, which can be mixed with water, with one of the additives (which I also got a sample of each), or with paint, all having varying degrees on the strength and rigidity of the final product.  LOTS of playing around to be done this weekend. 

Tomorrow is also the 'we all need to band together with my brother' day.  He's got a big event in downtown Ogden (not the safest place in the world), so I'll at least make an appearance.

[sisko]

Hey, forum moved....and I got a horror tag now.  Are those things I could put on a thread, or just something you guys do?

you can change that by yourself with one of the available icons. of course, if the icon you chose has nothing to do with the thread, someone will take care of it.
also if you want a custom one, you'll have to ask Buncle, our resident artist.

[Buster's Uncle]

It is true that I'm an artist who lives here and would be glad to hook you up.

I'm on the fence about the forum move - I see the logic of grouping it with Community, but I'm used to having OT at the bottom...


This project has grown on me a lot, and I'll be very interested to see what you can work out with the foam.  PICS!  (When you have them.)


You've definitely got your heart in the right place on the family stuff - you only get one, however crapulent.  I mean, putting up with more for the sake of the kids than you would on your own is the right thing to do.  Are there any cousins, perchance?  A child should have cousins, and get to see them often.

[sisko]

also if you want a custom one, you'll have to ask Buncle, our resident artist.

i gues 'CREEPY' is the apropiate word for your thread

[Buster's Uncle]

"Creepy Art & Creepy Family" would be too long...