While regular silicone rubbers cannot be applied on the human body, there are specially formulated options for making body molds. Find out how to make the silicone body mold for life casting.
Silicone rubber is a popular mold making and casting material that is malleable, durable and temperature resistant. The best part is that the inherent flexibility allows it to be stretched and still retain its original shape.
However, the only drawback is that regular silicone rubber cannot be applied directly on the skin for making life castings. It is not approved for use on the human body as it can cause allergic reactions. Silicone body molds call for specially formulated options that are entirely skin safe, like LifeRite Skin Safe Silicone for Life Casting.
This can be used for capturing excellent detail from the human body in molds before making life casts. It is suitable for both small projects like reproducing hands or feet to large ones like life casts of the torso or entire body. Even law enforcement agencies use skin safe silicone for reproducing finger prints.
Apart from this, skin safe silicone also lends itself well when working on special effects for movies, medical training aids, orthotic and orthopedic appliances, prosthetics, etc.
An overarching benefit is that silicone body molds are long-lasting and can be used again and again for making multiple life castings while alginate molds tend to shrink quickly and are good for single castings only. Anything from plaster, clay and wax to resins can be cast in the silicone mold.
How to use?
Simply mix the two parts of silicone rubber in the prescribed ratio (usually it is one to one) and it will be good to go. However, artists are advised to do a patch test first even when using certified skin safe silicone rubber to check for compatibility with the model. While a release agent is usually not needed as silicone does not stick to anything but itself, applying a thin coat will keep the body hair from getting trapped in the mold.
Begin applying the first coat of silicone on the body part to be molded. Here, it is better to mix small quantities for each coat as the rubber has a short working window. Beginners are advised to have another person on hand to assist with the process. Once the first coat has been applied, mix more silicone and apply successive coats to build up approximately a quarter inch of thickness.
While the final layer of silicone is curing, start applying strips of plaster bandages to form a shell mold. This will reinforce the flexible mold and keep it from flopping on itself.
Once it has set properly, the mold can be removed from the model by a little bit of squeezing and pulling. Otherwise, cut a small slit in a zigzag fashion and release the model.
The body mold made with LifeRite Skin Safe Silicone for Life Casting is ready and can be used for making some wonderful life casts. It can also be stored as used at a later date.