About Casting Gifts 3D Plaster Lifecasting Kits...
Lifecasting is the process of recreating an actual living form into a three dimensional sculptured work of art. The most unique and outstanding feature about 3D lifecasting is that it allows the model to be copied with an extremely high level of realism and detail. Lifecasts can replicate exact details in actual size, and with refined features like the fingernails of the tiniest newborn, or even fingerprints and pores. For lifecasting done on animals, these details can include the actual paw pad print complete with scars, nails and hair.
The amazing alginate molding compound we use in our life casting kits captures every poignant little detail like wrinkles, creases, folds, dimples, nails, even details in rings worn on the hand, and preserves them into a unique keepsake in three dimensions.
Each of Casting Gifts 3D plaster lifecasting kits comes complete with a molding container, and enough lifecast molding powder and casting stone to complete a statue of the size indicated for the kit. Plus, every kit includes supplies to help clean off, sand, and in most kits, finish paint your resulting plaster art sculpture.
What types of Lifecasting Kits does Casting Gifts carry?
Below is a list of our Life Casting Keepsake Kits as they apply to specific age groups.
For more information on our 3D lifecasting kits, consult the list of frequently asked questions below.
Lifecasting Kit FAQ's
What type of materials are used in your 3D life casting kits and Shadow Boxes? All Casting Gifts' 3D Plaster Casting Kits (Baby, Child, Family, Shoe Bronzing, Pet, and Ornament kits) as well as our Treasured Memory Keepsake Shadow Box Kits contain a combination of two materials to complete each casting: Molding Powder to form the mold and Casting Stone to create the statue.
- Molding Powder: The powder we use to create our molds is called an alginate. The alginate material is the only material that touches the skin during the making of the mold! It is environmentally safe, non-toxic, hypo-allergenic, and has been FDA (Food/Drug Administration) and ADA (American Dental Association) approved. It has been used by the dental profession for years to make dental molds inside the mouth. It has also been used by the medical profession and by hospitals for skin and wound care. It is specially formulated for use on skin, so it can be used on skin as sensitive as a newborn baby. The alginate is water-based and one ingredient is a form of processed seaweed. The powder formula is manufactured with chromatic, color changing properties to make the molding process as easy and safe to follow as possible. You'll know exactly when to insert the model's hand because the color of the mixture turns from pink to white when it is ready. The molding material also carries ASTM-D4236 certification (American Society for Testing and Materials/ASTM International) and meets LHAMA (Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials Act) requirements indicating the material is non-toxic and not expected to produce any chronic or adverse health effects. The formula we use is dust free to minimize the chance of inhalation. However, as with any powder, avoid inhalation as this may aggravate respiratory conditions. Should powder get in the eyes, flush thoroughly with water. If irritation persists, consult a physician. Primary ingredients: Tetrasodium Phosphate and Potassium Alginate
- Casting Stone: Once the mold is created, the stone used to cast the actual statue is a gypsum plaster formula. We believe our casting stone is one of the finest grades available. It is substantially stronger than the art grade plaster of paris you'll find in craft or art stores. This part of the process does not require your child to be present and should be conducted separately and safely away from children and pets, as the material is not safe for ingestion. As with any powder, avoid inhalation as this may aggravate respiratory conditions. Should powder get in the eyes, flush thoroughly with water. If irritation persists, consult a physician. Should the plaster material be ingested, contact a physician immediately. Primary Ingredient: Calcium Sulfate Hemihydrate
What is involved in the creation of a plaster statue (what is the process)? The first step is to create the mold. This is done with our molding powder, which is a dustless, color changing formulation. The molding powder is mixed with water in the molding container provided with the kit. When the powder is ready (2-3 minutes), the hand is inserted into the molding mixture and remains there until the mixture turns from a thick liquid into a solid rubbery gel (about 3 minutes). Then the hand is easily removed from the mold. The second step in the process (recommended to be done away from children and pets) uses casting stone, which is also mixed with water until it looks smooth and is the consistency of paint. The stone is poured into the mold made by the hand, where it sets in a half hour or less. After several hours have passed, the rubbery molding material can be pealed away leaving the completed plaster statue. After several days, when the plaster cast dries and completely hardens, it can then be painted with either our clear glaze for a glossy ceramic or porcelain look, or finished with one of our metallic paint colors.
Is wiggling a problem while creating the mold? The alginate is very user-friendly. Some movement is actually good once a hand or foot enters the molding powder (and is encouraged even in the kit instructions), as this helps to coat all areas, minimize surface bubbles, and get alginate into the tiniest creases and spaces. Movement in the initial 20 - 30 seconds is no problem at all. Near the 60-90 second mark, there is a "setting window" where the alginate begins to harden from a liquid into a rubbery gel around the hand (this feels much like a hard boiled egg to the touch). During and after the setting window, it is best to keep the hand as still as possible. This is why we recommend actually holding a baby or toddler's wrist securely, to keep them from pulling a hand or foot out prematurely as the top of the mold will set before the inside. In general, unless a small child completely ruins a mold by clenching an open hand into a fist after the setting window, or by yanking the hand out before the mold has completely set, the molding compound is pretty forgiving.
How is a hand removed from the mold? The hand is gently moved from side to side to break the suction of the molding material from the skin. Once the suction is broken, the hand is slowly extracted and will slide easily out of the mold. At no time will the mold harden around the skin, so removing the model from the mold should always be done slowly and carefully. If multiple people are in the mold, the easiest hand to remove should go first (not necessarily the youngest, most impatient model).
Can I use my molding container again? In most cases, yes. The exception to this can be if you choose to incorporate an integrated base onto the statue of a hand, such as with our Child Hand Kit. In this case, casting stone may be poured up and over the surface of the molding material to create the base. The cement hardens against the molding container. In this case, it is possible (though not probable) that the container may need to be cut and peeled away from the stone statue base to unmold it, destroying the container in the process. If an integrated base is not selected, any of our molding containers can easily be reused to create additional statues without buying an entirely new kit, or you can use a plastic container you have at home. We provide kit refills of the molding powder and casting stone alone for just this reason. See our Casting Kit Refills page for selections.
How do I make repairs to my statue? Occasionally, the unmolding process may break off a finger, or reveal other areas on the statue that need correction. We strongly recommend making any statue repairs right after unmolding. This is because, after drying several days, the cast will harden more and will whiten as it dries. Repairs to harder, whiter plaster are more challenging to repair and are more visible to the eye when finished. Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after working with plaster.
Several of the most common types of repairs are:
- Plaster bubbles: In our instructions, we recommend applying a spoon or two of molding mix to the area being cast like lotion, just prior to immersing the model's hand or foot. Plaster bubbles are generally caused by skipping this step. However, this is an easy error to fix. Using the cleaning stick, pop off individual bubbles with the tip or if there are lots of bubbles, scrape the side of the stick along the surface to remove lots of them at once.
- Air pockets in the plaster: If the surface of your statue has lots of air pockets (small areas where the plaster didn't fill in), add a little bit of plaster to a few drops of water and mix it to a paste consistency. You can use the brush provided in your kit to paint over the areas with new plaster, or fill in with your fingertip. Rub away the excess with a paper towel or your finger. (Please be advised that working with plaster directly on your skin is tough on your skin. If you have sensitive skin or a skin condition, always wear gloves.)
- Hollow fingertips: Most of the time, this error is found if the model's fingers are curled inside the mold, into a position that was not visible as the mold was filled. Hollow fingertips occur when plaster collects at the knuckles or farther toward the fingertips, but does not reach the actual tip causing an air pocket to form inside the mold. This can occur if the plaster was too thick when it was poured, or because the mold was not tilted around enough to cover all the unseen fingertips when the plaster was poured. To correct a hollow fingertip, add a few drops of water to a tiny bit of left over plaster. Use a paintbrush to add small amounts of thickened plaster into the hollow tip until it rounds out like the other fingertips. Lightly use the tip of the cleaning stick like a sculpting tool to evenly round the tip or scrape away excess plaster in areas where it is not desirable. Once the added plaster hardens a bit, the tip of the cleaning stick can even be used to artificially score the plaster to form a fingernail.
- Broken fingers: There are two ways to reattach a finger. Superglue it back on, and after the glue has dried add a drop or two of water to a little bit of plaster to form a paste. Spread the paste around the seam of the break, smoothing away any excess. After the statue has dried several days, the area can be finish sanded to remove any rough spots. The second way to reattach a finger is to make a little plaster paste and apply it to both sides of the break then hold them together until the plaster sets (may take 10 minutes). After drying several days, any rough spots around the break can be lightly sanded off and the statue will look good as new.
What if I want to purchase materials for a large group or classroom project? There are several ways to purchase materials.
- First, we offer individual Casting Kit Refills for each specific type of Lifecasting Kit. This will allow you to reuse the molding container and instructions from the original kit to make additional statues.
- We also have a "Group Hand or Footprint Project Kit" which includes enough molding powder and casting material to do approximately 18 to 20 Baby Hand statues or 9 to 10 baby or pet feet or 6 to 7 Baby Handprint and Footprint Combos, or 6 to 8 Child Hands statues, or 3 to 4 Family Hand statues, 11-13 pet or baby ornaments, 8 to 10 baby shoes or various combinations of the above. Our Group Project Kits are great for play groups, family craft projects, classroom projects, family reunions, or if you want to perform life casting services for others or as part of fundraising activities for your club or organization. A Group Project Kit can be ordered in multiple sets for even larger projects. Each Group Project Kit contains molding containers of different sizes, multiple brushes for painting, multiple sets of sanding paper & both glazing and metallic paints and instructions. Click here for more details our Group Project Kit.
- A third way to purchase materials for larger groups or projects is by buying Bulk Alginate Molding Powder and Plaster Casting Stone in discounted multiple pound increments. Click for pricing and to purchase our Bulk Molding Powder & Casting Stone.
Why are Casting Gifts life casting keepsakes unique? When you buy a lifecasting kit from Casting Gifts, you are not buying traditional handprint crafts. Our life casting kits are very different! While other keepsakes are typically geared toward babies and small children alone, we carry a full line of life casting and keepsake kits suitable for everyone from a newborn to great grandma! Traditional handprint and footprint crafts typically take a simple pressure impression of a child or baby handprint or footprint. While these are still precious in their own way, creating an exact life-sized replica of your baby, child, spouse, parent, or grandparent's hand in three dimensions truly makes a more memorable family keepsake and heirloom. Time flies, children grow, and family life changes quickly! Remember beloved hand prints forever with a 3D plaster hand mold keepsake for any age, baby to adult! Plus, these kits make unique gifts for parents, grandparents, birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day or any occasion. They are also perfect for a baby shower, new mom, dad, sibling or grandparent gift too! |
