Subject: Casting bronze face mask

From: Bruce Olson <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 4 Jun 95 15:14:41 -0500

I would like to cast a face mask of a live person.  Can anyone suggest
literature that would get me started or personal experience?  I need to
make the impression from the person and then make the pattern (wax?) to
use as the pattern for the casting.  I am familiar with the lost wax process
and have the required tools but don't know about the original pattern or
such things as parting compounds etc.  Local library was a bust.
Appreciate any information.  Thanks Bruce

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From: [email-masked] (BrnzCaster)
Date: 4 Jun 1995 17:48:42 -0400

Contact these folks ... they have the materials and literature re
lifecasts.

Johnson Atelier
 50 Princeton-Hightstown Road
 Suite L
 Princeton Junction, NJ 08550

 Orders: 1-800-732-7203 or
 FAX 1-609-936-7206
 Technical assistance: 1-800-732-7203

-------------------------------------
Winston W. Harness
Metal Casting Services
[email-masked] / [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Barry Workman)
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 05:08:00 GMT

>Appreciate any information.  Thanks Bruce

The life mask (original impression) is done with an algenate.  This is
the same stuff dentists use to make impressions of your mouth.  You
can get it from dental supply houses or Cinema Secrets, Burbank, CA.
Cinema Secrets is overpriced IMHO.

Next you want plaster cast bandages and a skull cap.  The skull cap can
be made from the toe of old pantyhose or nylon stocking.  Use a petroleum
jelly for any facial hair (eyebrows, beards, etc), mix the algenate as
per the directions.  You may want to add a bit more water than the directions
call for but you will learn this through trial and error -- sorry, still
the best teacher.  Cover the hair with the skull cap.  Grease the hair.
Have the subject lying down for face only casts, sitting up for torso
work.  Start at the forehead and with your hands spread the algenate over
the head and eyes.  Uh, don't stick straws up the nose, this will give
an unnatural shape to the casting.  Rather have the model breathe 
through the mouth while you cover the nostrils.  Then have the model
suck in through the nose and blow out through the nose.  This will
give you a natural casting of the nose and nostrils.  With the air
passages created this way, the model can now breathe through the nose
as you cover the mouth, chin and neck.  We would have the model relax
the mouth so that it was slightly open.  This would give a lifemask
that was easier to build SFX makeup appliances but that's your call.

The Algenate will set rather quickly.  Once it has set, start with the
plaster bandages and wrap the whole mold (still on the models face)
with it.  Algenates do not hold form well.  Wrap a good 1/2" thick
overall like you would a paper mache.  Once the plaster has set,
you can remove the whole mold from the model.  Now, you must make
a positive immediately.  Algenate shrinks.  It will become thin
and brittle in a day or so.  Best is to use dental stone for the
positive although Plaster of Paris will do.  From the positive you've
made, clean it up.  Fill any little air holes, sculpt out the parts
you don't want, sculpt in the additions you do.  Now make your plaster
or dental stone mold from the positive you've cleaned up and made
pretty.  With this new negative mold, pour your wax and proceed
with your standard bronze lost wax casting.
-- 
    - Barry Workman

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From: [email-masked] (Mark Anderson)
Date: 5 Jun 1995 20:09:51 GMT

Bruce Olson ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I would like to cast a face mask of a live person.  Can anyone suggest
: literature that would get me started or personal experience?  I need to
: make the impression from the person and then make the pattern (wax?) to
: use as the pattern for the casting.  I am familiar with the lost wax process
: and have the required tools but don't know about the original pattern or
: such things as parting compounds etc.  Local library was a bust.
: Appreciate any information.  Thanks Bruce

Piece of cake.

To cast someone's face you use plaster just like they use to make
casts for broken legs.  Guess it is plaster and some sort of cloth.
It is available at the local art/hobby store in town (not that this
does you any good).  Use vaseline for a parting compound.  Facial
hair will stick a little and it is relatively important to allow
to breathing holes unless you can hold you breath for 10 minutes.

I saw this done as an ice breaker at a party where you would cast
some stranger's face.  The mask is really unusual to look at.  Having
a beard let me off the hook.

You may want to mold your foot a few times to get the feel for it.

good luck
mark anderson

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From: [email-masked] (Barry Workman)
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 21:35:47 GMT

>mark anderson

No, No, NO!  Don't use plaster directly on the skin.  First of
all, you are always going to have some hair that gets caught
in the mold.  Plaster of Paris does NOT release the hair, you 
end up pulling it out by the roots -- maybe an alternate to
waxing but -- .  Plaster gets hot as it sets.  The model will
not like it a whole lot.   Plaster does not flex requiring the
models skin to flex all the more, you will have some areas that
are undercut, like around the nose.  Use an algenate first.  
-- 
    - Barry Workman

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From: [email-masked] ("Simon Lukic")
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 10:21:46 GMT

What is an algenate please?

Simon

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From: [email-masked] (J. Kimberlin)
Date: 8 Jun 1995 17:05:15 -0700

In article <[email-masked]>,
>What is an algenate please?

It is what dentists use to take impressions for making false teeth or 
whole mouth casts.  Dental supply houses will have it.

JerryK

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From: [email-masked] (BrnzCaster)
Date: 4 Jun 1995 17:48:42 -0400

Johnson Atelier

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From: [email-masked] (Barry Workman)
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 05:08:00 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (Mark Anderson)
Date: 5 Jun 1995 20:09:51 GMT

Piece of cake.

good luck
mark anderson