This article discusses if hydrocal is stronger than plaster of Paris. You can also check out this article that we have shared that discusses what the difference is between hydrocal and ultracal. Seal it first. A real pain to touch up those "bright" white chips. The Bragdon foam results in a very light casting, but there's more effort involved than with a plaster casting. We have shared an in-depth discussion about the topic. like a sponge. It's heavier than Hydrocal but I have no complaints. It is 30 to 50 percent harder as compared to other casting plaster. On the other hand, when you use less plaster, it creates more porous as well as brittle molds. They are generally used for sculpture, patterns, commercial casts, and figurines. Posted 11 May 2017 - 09:42 AM. Well mix your plaster exactly like this. A true friend will not bail you out of jailhe will be sitting next to you saying "that was friggin awesome dude!" What is it and can it be used as an ordinary plaster? is this normal? How you mix the plaster will affect the outcome of your cast. They soak up moisture, float, and even grow mold in some enviroments. It is extremely non-chip, and molds well. In this article, we will have an in-depth discussion about hydrocal. Be careful about spilling the plaster dust, as it is a pain to get it up without it blowing . Decorating is poetry. Below is a step-by-step instruction on how to mix hydrocal. If you are working with other types of plaster, they need to be supervised to achieve the best results. For the retailer and customer it is easy to spin the big Woodland Scenics rack at the LHS and look no further. Stop when the powder is almost covering the surface of the water. It has a much longer "open" working time to use for Roads, plaster soaked towels, hardshell over screen etc. Plaster of paris and cement are about the same price, you just have to buy twice as much for twice the price- even this is usually cheaper than going straight for the quality products. Hydrocal provides twice the compressive strength of plaster and is ideal for thin and delicate sections where high green strength is needed. Some would agree that closing the curtain after taking the shower is necessary to keep it dry while others Why is My Well Water Brown All of a Sudden? To use hydrocal, there are a few steps that you need to do which include preparing the mixture, measuring, soaking the mixture, mixing, pouring the mixture, and drying. Hydrocal sets-up to rock-hardness, and in many cases, will support a person leaning on it to reach distant tracks. It might add up over many castings applied to a significant layout, but I'd bet it doesn't add up to more than maybe five or six pounds once it is dry and in place on most layouts. Woodland Scenics materials are easy to buy, but very expenssive. I was wondering about this idea after helping my son-in-law hang sheetrock and mudding the seams. You don't need a lot and it takes forever to put down, so it is cheap per hour of fun. Leaving the shower curtain open or closed has long been a debate for a lot of people. How do you prepare plaster of Paris? When it comes to plaster of Paris, the ideal mixing ratio is two parts plaster powder and one part water. Kc Bodycasting shared the video below on YouTube. If you want the cast to be completely cured before you remove it from the mold, wait until it feels dry and warm. Those using plaster, could you please tell me the ratio you are using. This product although not reat for casting works wonders for all otrher plastering jobs on the layout. Is that about right? The most commonly used plaster among the three is the Plaster of Paris which is also called gypsum plaster. For general wall and ceiling repair. Tap the bottom of the mold to help remove bubbles on the mixture. a 10 pound box of this hydrocal was I think 10 bucks..so 1 dollar a pound. We have also shared this article that discusses what hydrocal is made of. What is hydrocal? Be sure to elevate the cast off of the table to allow adequate air flow underneath, so that moisture can escape, and the cast can cure. I've also used Bragdon Foam with a Bragdon mold. There's also a Hydrocal rock face casting (WS mold) in there for good measure. We had the "pleasuer" of having Jeff Adam of Motrac Models as a club member. When exposed to a temperature that is higher than this, hydrocal will start to calcinate. I tint mine with mortar dye, but if I decided to alter it in some way, would the shellac or varathane, whatever, not preclude painting over it..or will acrylics "take"? This website is strictly for entertainment purposes. Is Hydrocal Better than Plaster of Paris? You need to achieve a nice thick soupy consistency. Patching Compound -- Made with calcium sulphate, limestone and crystalline quartz, patching compound sets in about 20 minutes and makes durable repairs on wood . Another reason why it is ideal to use hydrocal and ultracal is that they do not crack. This keeps a hard calcified layer from forming on the top. Check out the rest of the article below for more tips and ideas. Pour 2 cups of plaster of Paris into the mixture. You should use some kind of tiles regardless of the type of plaster, ceramic or glass tiles. You can also check out this article that we have shared that discusses the difference between hydrocal and ultracal. I picked it up off the floor.. looked for chips.. cracks.. nothing. I find Plaster of Paris too soft, and subject to scratches and breakage. It is also an extremely wear-resistant material. I had to chisel some off the sides to remove the cast. The difference between hydrocal and plaster of Paris is that hydrocal is stronger. Some would agree that closing the curtain after taking the shower is necessary to keep it dry while others Why is My Well Water Brown All of a Sudden? Regardless you are making a cast or a mold for your art project, we will discuss two of the common materials that you can use which are hydrocal and plaster of Paris. As compared to most plasters, hydrocal is stronger. If you are looking for a good substitute for plaster of Paris, you can consider using hydrocal. I usePofP now only for rock castings. What I like to do w/ that huge bag of Hydrcal is to rebag in smaller more managable amounts. Plaster of Paris is not waterproof. Hydrocal comes in several versions(Hydrocal/Ultracal/etc). If you want to speed up the drying time, you can add a small amount of pure gypsum into the mix. They use a two-part chemical resin that sets up very well but can actually be softened later with a hair dryer to allow the castings to be bent around curves later. Try buying it in 50 lb bags from a building supply houseNot usually at a Home Depot, look for the store specializing in lath and plaster supplies (there is usually one in most towns) Much cheaper in bulk. link to Should You Leave Your Shower Curtain Open or Closed? Video Casting Hydrocal White into a Plaster Mold. Light and strong. Work with the mixture until you have a smooth and consistent mix. It will do just fine IMO. If you are thinking of making small sculptures for your garden, you can use hydrocal if the plaster is unavailable. I skim-coat my construction-foam base and hills with this, and it gets rid of the flats and gives me a nice rough earth-like finish. We have shared an in-depth discussion about the topic. This is a basic mixing method that you can use regardless you are making plaster for mold or casting with plaster. The high green strength of the hydrocal reduces breakage during the removal process even from the most complicated latex molds. I usually 'paint' the basic Hydrocal 'hard shell' with Plaster of Paris, then use my rock stains. I used the finer plaster of paris for rock castings. I have poured large faces of rocks.. using less and less dental plaster. The best plaster mix is the one wherein the plaster particles completely dissolve in the water. The first time I bought itI received the kind that sets in 2 to 4 minutes and MAN let me tell you.. you'll learn to work very fast with that stuff. You might be washing the dishes when all of a sudden brown water comes out of the faucet and makes you wonder what causes it. The pictures below are of a Hydrocal High Arched PRR prototype stone viaduct that I've been working on the past week or so. 2. I would still use real ballast. Hydrocal is made for making solid and hollow castings. Plaster of Paris (USG No. Hardens like a rock quickly. how about ballast? Follow the instructions on the label on how to mix the hydrocal. The amount of ultracal that is used and its ratio with the water as well as the mixing process can also affect its setting time. It takes washes well. So far, it is strong. Stir the plaster of Paris and water mixture slowly until it forms an even and smooth consistency. You can also check out this article thatdiscusses if plaster of Paris is flammable. I wasn't pleased with the results. Leaving the shower curtain open or closed has long been a debate for a lot of people. I noticed how thin, light and how strong the casting was. Unless you have a portable layout,I don't see where weight would be a problem unless I'm overlooking somethingcomments? As compared to ultracal, hydrocal is softer so you can be able to work on it longer. But in short using the hyrdrocal/dental plaster. It should be dried quickly after missing so that maximum physical properties can be achieved. It is usually sold in 100# bags. The powdered dye is added to the dry plaster to approximate end color of choice. http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds! Just my opinionTim. Make sure that the hydrocal is completely dispersed in water before mixing. This just take 10 seconds to clean. If you use open cell foam (styrofoam) for a castform, you're going to bein trouble trying to free the cast from the form. Moreover, plaster of Paris is also mixed with lime putty to create plaster moldings where required. Beats the heck out of Walmart prices/unit weight/volume. Plaster of Paris is a gypsum plaster that quickly sets. Wearing gloves is also recommended. Thanks, Rich Side note: I can even break this casting a bit.. remove certain areas.. it breaks nicely.. and the plaster cloth on the backholds everything together..so I can go back.. add plaster to the areas.. to seal them up.. and I guess its a mild re-glueing with plaster. Sorry for the poor picture quality but the reddish color of Pa. Stone is not really well represented by my poor photography. I've used rigid board insulation for making cast formsfor years now. Now all I do is, just paint a 1/4 thickness of plaster.. lay in a cloth strip and done. Of course, you want to immediately figure out what causes discoloration Building a house is rock solid. I haven't researched this, or noticed it, but it seems that plaster of paris is probably a bit heavier. While we strive to provide quality information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. Hydrocal has a very white color. M. Many of the castings on our layout are his. Mix the plaster into the water before adding the glue. It provides a slightly better heat resistance as compared to pottery plaster with higher dry and wet strengths. I would not use dirt(too much organic stuff in it). Falling in Art 1lb Plaster of Paris Powder - Plaster Hand Mold Casting Kit Powder, Gypsum Cement, Pottery & Ceramic Plaster Powder for Crafts, Sculpture, Diorama and Home Decor. You can keep the surface of the casteasy to scrape by lining with cellophane and filling with sand while it cures over the course of several days. It would do so after priming. It is not recommended that you add the glue to the water before adding the plaster because it can cause the plaster to clump together. Thanks for your reply. Used Hydrocal for the first time 2 nights ago for a full back cast of a Gagliano cello. It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. You can check out the article for useful tips and ideas that you can refer to when working with plaster of Paris. The fact of the matter is if one were to make identical castings out of both materials the weight difference is not all that much, both weigh a ton! Ideal for hollow and solid casting applications to create figurines, moldings and plaques I find that hydrocal is just a little lighter than plaster, but doesn't give you a really long 'working' time, at least in my California Basement (garage) layout. If you find you like rock face and stone wall castings, you might also look at Bragdon Enterprises. Hydrocal doesn't take paint easily. It's natural tendency is to suck up stains or washes etc. Avoid mixing vigorously because it can cause air bubbles to form. Plaster of Paris is best for patching holes in plaster walls, because its characteristics are more likely to match the wall material. 1 Casting Plaster. The next step that you need to do is to measure the ingredients. Hardens like a rock quickly. While hydrocal is an excellent product, it is usually sold in really small packages and can be expensive. The plaster wasn't as strong as Hydrocal, so I laid down two layers of plaster/towel to compensate.