Ultracal 30 part 1: Simple open face molds 

thank you

Same Product, just an updated can design

Yes. Absolutely

@@toxicimagestudios9547 awesome thanks I'm literally about to mold the first half!

could be. if its stained from the clay then some water with a dish brush would work better i think

@@toxicimagestudios9547 yeah i did it and i gonna pour another one to see if the stain is gone! Thanks for the respond!

No. I go by visual characteristics. I am sure one exists... I just don’t know it lol

@@toxicimagestudios9547 ah ok thanks. also the first coat you did was somewhat thick. i thought the first coat of plaster was supposed to be thinner?sorry for the questions but it’s my first time working with ultracal

hey so i have a volume 3 corey taylor mask sculpt from slipknot which has lots of details and stuff that i need the plaster to get into so i can cast in in latex. should i make my first coat a little thinner than yours so it gets into everything or is that first consistency you had good enough?

Ian_6 you can make it less viscous if you need to, just remember that if you make it too thin it can become weak. You can use an air gun/nozzle/airbrush to force it into all the details.

@@toxicimagestudios9547 ok got it thanks so much! also once you let that first coat dry, did you get a whole other bucket to mix that next batch for the burlap in?

I am not sure I understand what you’re referring to, mate.

@@toxicimagestudios9547 you talk about using an air gun to get the bubbles out of the UltraCal in the video. Could I use a heat gun instead or would that be too hot for the UltraCal?

I don’t think you would get the benefit with a heat gun. The air pressure is usually too l,ow and you risk more causing issues to your sculpt, especially if it is an oil based clay. Heat gun is the wrong tool. You’re better off just blowing on it

Believe you can use dust off though @@qt_sir

maybe a hair dryer on low heat. The heat could crack the mold.

Thanks. Glad you got something out of it

One is a plaster (hydrocal) and one is a cement (ultracal) ultracal is MUCH stronger than hydrocal. Hydrocal is great for life casts as it is a very pretty even white colour. It also is better for slush (slip) casting of latex appliances and masks, as it is more porous and absorbs the ammonia faster. Some people (I have also done this) will mix the two together for full head latex masks. This allows the strength vs porous debate to meet in the middle. Can you use hydrocal for a foam latex mold? Sure. I have done it in a severe pinch. Just be aware it is much softer and the mold will not last as long as an ultracal one. Hope this answers your question

@@toxicimagestudios9547 excellent, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question in detail. Great content!

if you did it would erase the small details because the resin would fill in those little details so you couldn't get latex in there.

It was WED clay

depends on which speed of Ultracal you are using. If it is Ultracal30 then it should take 30 minutes if mixed according to manufacturers specifications. A good rule of thumb, though , is to go by the temperature of the material. If mixed effectively, it should heat up considerably as it sets. Once cooled you should be able to do whatever you need to it. If running foam latex, however, you will most likely need to bake out the mold to remove the unwanted moisture or you can get delamination.

It depends on how thick you want the mold walls, really and what you'll be doing with it. It also depends on the size of the sculpture. Too hard to answer without those specifics.

@@toxicimagestudios9547 it’s about 2.5x2 feet and want at least an inch thick

@@benwatford3068 Hmm, I think 25lbs may not be enough for you.

I don’t know what you mean by melting point.

@@toxicimagestudios9547 In which temperature this mold will melt..

The mold is made from cement. It does not melt.

ultracal 30 is pretty decent for long lasting molds. Ive been using it for many years. The molds last longer than pottery plaster or plaster of paris by almost 100 or more pulls. I didn't really like hydrocal because after a few pulls it gets more and more porous than before. Using heat above 100 F to 200 F will cause ultracal to crack or explode depending on how high the temp is because of its low shrink value. Sucks to have to vacuum your oven.

Yes, you are correct. Hydrocal is superior for its capillary action in regards to leeching out the ammonia and leaving a nice even skin on the mold. It is not, however, superior in terms of strength and library life. UC30 lasts a whole lot longer, you just need to leave it to dwell for longer and you will still get the same effect. When I worked at Universal we used to mix 2:1 UC to HC to try and wlk the line between both worlds. It worked pretty well. This mold needs to last for many many pulls, so I decided on UC30. I am not "reinventing the wheel". Many people use Ultracal 30 for mask molds. In fact, Rick Baker recently had Rob Freitas mold one of his mask molds and he used Ultyracal 30. Be careful throwing around words like "ALL" and "ALWAYS".

@@toxicimagestudios9547 what do I know, I've only been a special effects makeup artist for 40 years. I have hydrocal molds that are 30 years old . Now I use number one pottery plaster for all latex items .

Many people enjoy more long form tutorials, mate. No one is forcing you to watch it.

For people like me who are just getting started the detail was very much appreciated, really enjoyed the process and I am looking forward to the next step.