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Post by bluecloud2k2 on Sept 1, 2016 23:40:58 GMT
On behalf of a friend of mine: What is the best plaster for Hirst Arts Molds? Can you Bake Super Sculpey in a Hirst Arts Molds? If you use a homemade Bake-Box, will the plaster crack or otherwise be brittle? Any other pearls of wisdom?
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Post by adamantinedragon on Sept 2, 2016 0:44:43 GMT
I can't answer all of those, but I'll do what I can.
I use Hydrostone, because it's the best compromise between strength and price. There are so many gypsum-based plaster products that it really boils down to personal taste. Even the most expensive plasters are pretty cheap.
I wouldn't bake anything in my Hirst Arts molds. They wear out fast enough without stressing them more than I need to.
I'm not sure why you are asking about plaster cracking in a bake-box. Plaster cures, heat tends to increase the speed of curing. If you get it hot enough, it might crack, I suppose, but I don't know why you would. At room temperature it cures plenty fast for most purposes. What I find a need for isn't heat, but a dehydrating rack. I use a rack designed for making jerky.
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sotf
Advice Guru
Posts: 1,084
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Post by sotf on Sept 2, 2016 1:42:28 GMT
A bake box can create issues, the airflow from a dryer can cause issues with the normally self leveling of the plaster.
What you really want to get if you want to quickly make plaster casts are dehydrators, you can normally find them for extremely cheap on ebay or second hand stores, just look for ones big enough to fit what you want into it.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2016 21:09:25 GMT
Yes you can bake the molds, we had a discussion somewhere here before. I don't remember the exact temperature they withstand, but you can squeeze hot glue directly into them. I do think I remember they could be baked, though like it has been pointed out, it would cause more stress on them.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2016 13:08:37 GMT
I have made some plaster casts using a mix of dental plaster, water and a bit of PVA glue, that turned out pretty strong, I was not using the Hirst arts moulds, just some I made myself, but the principle is the same. Sculpey is both too expensive and really not the most durable material to use, though you could get away with doing just a few batches, the silicon mould rubber will withstand the heat easily enough.
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Post by bluecloud2k2 on Sept 9, 2016 12:13:33 GMT
Thanks for the feedback!
My friend's wife picked up a food dehydrator on Facebook Yardsale (or was it Craig's List? heck if I know), so he's gonna use that to help cure the plaster.
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Post by adamantinedragon on Sept 9, 2016 22:53:08 GMT
Probably being too pedantic here, but can't help myself. The dehydrator won't do anything to help cure the plaster. The curing process is pretty fast, but it traps a lot of moisture inside the block. The dehydrator helps dry the already cured block. In fact, water is what makes plaster cure, so you want to make sure that you don't dry out the plaster as it's curing. Once it's cured, that's when you dry it out.
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Post by bluecloud2k2 on Sept 13, 2016 12:37:40 GMT
I'll let him know. He's been at it... already has a BUNCH of casts made... it's insane.
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