Pouring plaster - techniques & advice

Pouring plaster into your impression mould is something I have been busy doing all week so I thought I'd pass on a few helpful hints while I'm still in 'casting mode'!

The first thing to remember is this is not an exact science. Many professional sculptors & craftsmen never measure quantities of plaster & water & rely on experience to get the mix they want. It doesn't matter if you add slightly too much powder/water when mixing your casting mix - it should still work out ok. What may vary is the amount of time you have before the mix sets & how strong the final piece is.

Secondly, plaster sets quicker the older it is. If you have a kit which has not been used within 6 months of purchase the plaster is likely to set quicker than stated in the instructions, giving you less working time!

Now for some real advice:

Plaster types: there are many & they vary in coarseness of the powder, hardness & setting time. Our kits use a plaster with a total working time of 5/6 minutes at room temperature. It is a form of dental plaster that gives excellent detail & good hardness whilst not being too hard to carve & sand once dry. There are many other plasters available & if using them you should obtain a data sheet with mixing ratios & setting times & experiment before pouring a mix into your precious baby foot mould!

Adding plaster to water: As a rule, you need 1 part water to 2 parts plaster. You should always add the water to the plaster & not the other way round. Pour the plaster into the water & make a little mountain in the middle of the water. This should be left to soak up the water for 1-2 minutes before you start mixing. This allows the water to be absorbed by the plaster in a nice, even manner & you are less likely to get lumps.

Mixing techniques: Mix from the bottom of the container in smooth circles. You are trying to mix without putting bubbles into the mixture. Mix for a minute or so - the more you mix the faster & harder the plaster will set so don't overdo it! As soon as you have a mix which is smooth like single cream you're almost ready to pour.

Removing bubbles: they are your enemy as they will catch in fingers & toes leaving your cast digitless. Tap the tub of plaster on a hard surface to 'knock out' as many bubbles as possible before pouring into the mould. If pouring a foot, half fill & using the bristle end of a paintbrush, 'paint' around the inside of the mould into every toe & as much of the inside surface as possible. Tap the mould to dislodge any more bubbles & then top the mould right up.

If pouring a hand, fill the mould once, empty the plaster back into the tub & then refill slowly. Clamp a cloth over the open end of the mould & shake well, tipping the mould upside down & shaking it in all planes to give bubbles a chance to escape. Then, remove the cloth, top up the mould & leave to set.


Lots of words here I know but it's all good advice! I think I need a video of these tips - watch this space!!

Unusual baby names make for a lucky future!

Children who have been given strange names by their celebrity parents tend to do better in life.

New research suggests that odd names such as Princess Tiaamii or Peaches can be an advantage.

Certain sounds in a name or links with royalty can make people seem more successful, lucky or attractive, according to psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman.

His team polled more than 6,000 people to determine their perception of certain names, as part of a study to launch Edinburgh International Science Festival.

People called James and Elizabeth are seen as the most successful, Jack and Lucy the luckiest and Sophie and Ryan the most attractive.

But Lisa and Brian are the most likely to fail, Helen and John are the unluckiest and Ann and George are the least attractive.

Mr Wiseman said: "Traditional names with royal associations are viewed as highly successful and intelligent.

"Attractive female names tended to be soft-sounding and end with the 'ee' sound, whereas the sexiest males names are short and much harder sounding."

During the study, 6,686 people were given a list of 10 male and 10 female names and asked to rank them in terms of success, attractiveness and luck. Mr Wiseman also analysed some unusual names celebrities have given to their children.

Princess Tiaamii, Jordan and Peter Andre's daughter, should have a lucky life because her name has royal associations and ends with a double 'e' sound, according to Mr Wiseman.

Peaches Geldof, Bob Geldof and Paul Yates' second child, has a soft sounding name with positive connotations which make it attractive.

Kal-el, the son of Nicolas Cage, has a short, hard-sounding name which is also the original moniker of Superman, making it sexy and attractive.

Article taken from: Sky News

Baby Footprint Tattoos - a bizarre use of the inkless print kit!

It’s amazing what people plan to do with our inkless imprint kits. We met a chap at the Excel baby show who had a tattoo made of his daughters hands – something like those shown left.

He created the copy by placing her hands on a scanner – no easy task as she wiggled a lot and it was difficult to keep her hands still. Remarkably the tattoo is fantastic. He saw a real advantage with the inkless imprint kit as it was much quicker and a lot less stressful and easier for his tattoo artist to use. He planned to use the baby’s footprints going up his back this time.

If you have any other stories of how you are using the inkless kits we’d love to hear from you!

Click here to see the great mess free inkless print range on our website.