Moulding and Casting

People tend to confuse the terms "mould" and "cast"; generally speaking, a mould is an impression taken of an item or subject, and a cast is what you make from a mould.

In the case of body moulds (also referred to as "lifecasts"), dental alginate is mixed and poured over a body part (or parts) and reinforced with plaster bandage; the mould is removed from the subject after it has set and plaster is poured into the mould to make the positive cast. In the picture above there are two positive casts -- a face and neck -- and a negative mould 'pulled' from the neck casting for use in creating a slashed throat appliance (if you look very carefully at the negative, you can see where the wound has been sculpted); the process involved using clay on the neck positive to build up where the cut would be, then pouring plaster onto the positive to make the negative. When the clay is removed, the space between the positive and negative can be filled with latex to make the appliance.

The Wizard's Den can make casts of virtually anything for any purpose, for props such as breakaway bottles and vases...

(RTV silicone mould with plaster "mother mould" used for making breakaway vases)

to custom moulds for"special body parts"

(Casting of a brain made from a latex mould of a brain model used in a medical school)

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