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Well, I didn't know if this was the right place to ask this, but many of you guys do know a lot about csting, so, here it goes.

My sister in-law in 8 months pregnant. She would like a body-casting done to record her shape. Having some casting experience, I was elected to do a full body cast and mold of her torso.

Now that I have gotten over the mental trauma of actually being in this predicament, I now only have to figure out how to physically do this. I know how to make a molding of her torso, that is the easy part. What I am not sure about is how to make the cast.

If all I did was fill the mold with plaster the thing would weigh 100 pounds or more. So, I am thinking of just using a two-part resin to fill the outside "shell" and using blocks of sheet styrofoam to make the "core" of the casting. This will give it strenth and lightness.

Does this sound about right to everyone else? The outside "shell" needs to be sandable and paintable ( she wants it painted as realistically as possible).

If anyone else has any suggestions, please let me know. If my plan is plausible, does anyone know anywere to get a TON of two-part resin that won't cost an arm and a leg?

man that is wierd... i have no casting experience or knowledge - but the technique seems sound enough.

Funnily enough, about a year ago in my last job, I worked on a book about mouldmaking and casting, called (a little unimaginatively) Mouldmaking and Casting.

It's available on Amazon (ISBN: 1 86126 668 5) or direct from the publishers Crowood Press here:

http://www.crowoodpress.co.uk/2004/book_details.asp?ISBN=1+86126+668+5

While it doesn't give instructions on casting pregnant women's bellies (that's a rather specialised market!), it does explain various methods of casting, (including casting human body parts – a hand and a head) along with details of suppliers for the equipment and casting materials.

One thing you're going to have to bear in mind is the fact she's going to need to breathe – I think an entire body cast is pretty dangerous, to be honest, and you'd be better off just casting her belly.

I'd also recommend getting this okayed by her doctor, too. There's some pretty weird stuff in the casting materials you'll be using.

Best of luck.

Indeed Cpt Saint is right- it's definetly necessary to run this by a doctor. I'd give him a list of the ingredients in the resin mold making material.

You might also like to run it past your psychologist – seeing your pregnant sister in the buff is two steps away from rocking back and forth muttering 'A boy's best friend is his mother', no matter how many people tell you that 'pregnancy is a beautiful thing, to be celebrated.'

Same for childbirth, in my opinion – ain't nothing beautiful about seeing your sister's do-whats looking like a cross between a blood-soaked fungus and a baseball mitt.

*Cough*

Cuda,

Check out this place: http://www.theclubhouse1.net/

It is worth registering just for the sculptor's forum. 

Anyway, the reason I suggest that site is that there are alot of folks who work in movie/television special effects that frequent the sculptor's forum.  Everyone there is extremely friendly and helpful, so I am sure they can give you some suggestions on how to proceed.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Eric

From a wargaming perspective, the finished casting could make a great hill...

Posted By Cpl_Saint on 09/15/2006 4:40 AM

You might also like to run it past your psychologist – seeing your pregnant sister in the buff is two steps away from rocking back and forth muttering 'A boy's best friend is his mother', no matter how many people tell you that 'pregnancy is a beautiful thing, to be celebrated.'

Same for childbirth, in my opinion – ain't nothing beautiful about seeing your sister's do-whats looking like a cross between a blood-soaked fungus and a baseball mitt.

*Cough*

It's his sister-in-law which doesn't have nearly the same psychological impact.

IMHO the further you get from adolescence the more you can appreciate the beauty of pregnancy. Particularly if you've seen the fit pregnant chicks that I have.

I've been with my wife through both of her pregnancies and lemme tell ya guys'n'gals, there ain't *nothin'* beautiful about it... Especially the birthing part ><

interesting project.  I think you are going to want to do sectional latex molds.  Figure out how many sections you will need (probably around 12x12 max), and then pre plan how you will make the molds on her body.  Possibly borrow her, and mark the sections with a permant marker.  The areas where you have compound curves will be complicated, such as where the belly, side, and hip all meet together.

as for casting, I suspect you will want to do hollow resin casts which you then rebuild over wire frame to get the whole "belly"

Definately take pictures of what you end up doing.  call it "1:1 miniature casting"

Because apparently I do nothing but post "a ton" of flame posts around here, I'll step up to the bench and inform you what you're attempting is, in fact, very common among pregnant women.

Do a search on ebay for casting and you'll find there are a ton of ready-made casting kits that will make a permanent mold of what you're looking for.

Best of luck to you, and be safe!

--Chris
www.chrisvalera.com

That project sounds fun! I think it would be a lil creeping having a fake me laying around, but hey. Anyway, I have made moulds of car bodies and people's busts, so hopefully a lil mix of technique might help. When you make the body I would recomend you create an external structure out of wood. Maybe a long brace in her length, then some small branches off of it that would touch various parts of her body. This will give the cast more strength so that it does not fall apart when you move it. Mound up the plaster in parts that are detail sensitive, like the nose, mouth, etc. You might want to have your brother cover her in vasoline first. Those little body hairs haev a tendency to not feel so good when you pull them out. With her head put some straws in her nose and pack some tissue around them and maybe a lil in her ears too. Ears might be a lil difficult, pack some tissue behind her ear before hand. If you use plaster back there you might have to amputate her ears to get her head out of the cast. Lather the vasoline on her eyelashes. I have lost a few due to insufficiant lubing.

Good luck and have fun! Post some pictures when the mould is done, I would love to see it.