Baby casting - more feet from just one cast, is it possible??

This is a question I am asked many times so thought I would make it

February's tip - Recasting from a plaster positive using alginate.

The answer of course is sometimes and no, I can't guarantee you'll succeed. There is also a real chance of damaging the original cast so be warned!! For more general tips on taking a mould from baby you should take a look at our taking a baby cast page on our baby casting website.

The basic problem is that the cast doesn't flex like a baby's foot so how can you minimise the risks. What advice would I give to someone who wants to take copies of the lovely cast they have of baby's foot?

1. Try not to use the only good cast you have if at all possible. Try to get 2 good feet from each foot & then you still have a good pair should you break the cast trying to remould it.
2. Clean up the cast first. Remove any bubbles on the plaster surface which need knocking off with your fingernail or a cocktail stick. If you have a lot of ankle on the cast, leave it on for now as it will give you something to hold when remoulding.
3. Do not try to recast a hand or a foot with toes that are sticking out individually. They are very likely to be broken off if you recast them using the alginate/impression powder. Closely bunched toes are the easiest option.

The easiest way to recast is to use the impression powder you already have but that remould tends to be rather inflexible & can only be used once as before. It is however still the way many home casters will go so is the method I'll explain now.

• Take the foot to be remoulded & place it in a bowl of hot water for 5 mins. This allows it to soak up the water & should stop the alginate mixture from sticking to it. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!! If you do not soak the cast before putting it into the alginate mix you will not get it out again!
• Mix a runny & therefore softer batch of impression mix by adding a bit more water than the instructions suggest. This makes the mould easier to remove from the cast as it will be more flexible.
• Remove the mould as soon as possible after it has set. You may have to split the mould from the top of the foot to the toes to allow you to wriggle it loose. Be very careful to allow the air to release the vacuum from around all the toes before you go for the final pull out as this will help release them.

If you want to go for a more technical approach you can make a RTV silicone or latex mould using some of the solvent based rubber casting materials available from many good craft stores. CFS Fibreglass Supplies , Cornwall is one such online site as well as Tiranti's in London. This method is not really suitable for doing in the home kitchen however so I won't go into details here.


Hope this helps those of you who don't want to put baby through the casting process any more than necessary!