DIY Face Cast (part 2)

The second half of a DIY face cast is not as much fun but I still tried really hard to make it enjoyable. I am not very patient when I’m excited about a project or commitment and this half of the project has some wait time. 

You will need

• Elmers glue
• Food color (optional)
• Paint or sponge brush
• A large plastic bowl or cup 
• Something to mix with 
• Water 
• Scissors
• Plaster of Paris 
• Box large enough to hold cast
• Towels or plastic bags
• Oil (vegetable , coconut, even Pam)
• Sandpaper 
• Tools to get into small crevices 

After letting your plaster gauze mask harden you will want to apply 2-3 layers of elmers glue on the inside of the cast (the part that was touching your face. I had a hard time with knowing exactly where I had applied the glue by adding some food coloring to the glue it was much easier to see what areas I had missed. After applying the glue I put a towel and some plastic grocery bags in a small tote and placed my masks in the tote. This will help with stability when you pour the plaster into the mask. Apply oil to the mask so that the release process is easier. I used Pam because it was so easy. 

 

my husbands yellow mask and the giant makeshift chin needed much more plaster

 
Now it was time to mix up the plaster. I could not find my mixing stick so I found a stick in the yard which worked fine. Mix the plaster according to the package. The consistency should be like pancake batter. After making the mixture I poured it into the masks making sure to pour slowly and as far away f on the mask as possible to cut doe the amount of air bubbles. 

 

my son tried grabbing the plaster creating the uneven back, as long as you leave the cast alone you will have a flat even back

Now the worst part… Waiting!!! The next day I checked on the cast it seemed to be ready. I  grabbed my scissors and started cutting the original mask. I found it easier to make small cuts all around the cast and then try to peel the mask off piece by piece. It was scary to remove the mask from the nose I felt like it was going to become a sphinx situation but I was wrong. yay! After removing the cast I noticed it was a little cold and damp feeling so I waited another 24 hours to be safe. The next day it was room temperature and dry so I am glad I waited. I began sandi g the cast making sure not to sand too much but enough to get rid of the rigid lines from the gauze. Around the nose and lips I used plastic clay tools to get into the finer details. 

The next step is to seal your cast. I used the glue option but you can seal it with epoxy and maybe even spraypaint (I have not tried these and do not know how good they wouldnwork) 

Now you are free to do with the cast what you choose. I made mine to create latex prosthetics but I’m sure there are other ways to use a face cast. 

playing around with air dry clay (input some acrylic paint in my glue again to see where it was applied)