Alginate Moulding Powder Chromatic Fast Set Impression Compound Skin Safe by BabyRice 1kg

Really good product, one of the best alginates I’ve ever used

The instructions that come with this alginate are not that great. They tell you to measure your powder by volume and then add the same volume of water. I personally find it easier to weigh the powder in grams and then add 3 times the amount of water in a large mixing bowl. So 100g of alginate powder requires 300g (or 300ml) of water.The instructions will also tell you to use water that is 30°C, which will cause your alginate to set insanely fast. Probably faster then you can even mix it and work with it. So it is perfectly OK to use cold tap water, which will slow down the curing process by a couple of minutes. Those extra minutes can be the difference of being ready in time for the cure or not.The white powder will turn bright pink as soon as you add the water (and smells minty too) after which you must mix like crazy until the powder is blended smooth with the water. You will benefit from a had mixer to do this fast enough and without lumps, so have it to hand before you start the process. Clean up requires scraping the alginate from the mixing blades after it has cured.Pour the mix into your form and cast the object immediately. The mix will turn from bright pink back to white as it firms up before your eyes. As soon as the alginate feels firm you can gently release the object and then cast immediately. Alginate starts to degrade rapidly from the moment it has cured, and will start to 'sweat' as it releases the water, so it's really not something you can prepare in advance. Alginate also traps air bubbles so rarely produces flawless casts. Be prepared for bubble defects on the surface of your castings.I have tried a few different brands of alginate and find them all to be more or less the same.

I personally didn’t have much luck with this, however this could have been due to my baby not cooperating. It sets quite quickly and it was not easy to keep my baby’s hand and foot still. I don’t think he liked the texture. However, this may have just been due to my baby not liking it. The colour change is a good indicator to show that it has set.

Easy to use, simple clear instructions provided. I can't help with "warmth" I don't understand the question. The instructions said the warmer the water you use the quicker it sets... Which is true. Anyway anybody struggling with this stuff do some little practice runs, small stuff like a finger in a shot glass, before you use it all up. This sort of thing always takes a little practice to get right. Use the instructions provided and it's fine. This isn't silicone and so you'll only get one use from the moulding as it seems to need to be destroyed to recover the cast. That said, the nature of the product causes the moulding to shrink over time and so needs to be cast within about 20 minutes. So far it has made perfect casts in plaster, silicone and resin. Excellent product, the details this stuff pick up are amazing.

Does the job, just make sure to use it on the day!

Great stuff, I would suggest making a small tester first in a tiny container though , (1 finger for example) to get a feel for the alginate and how it mixes and sets.It's an odd but fun substance. :)

Good stuff easy to use and easy clean up of mixing bowl and tools.

Obviously not perfect and I would get his foot fully submerged without my own fingers in it and I couldn't stop him touching the base but he is 4 months old and absolutely hated it! I'm altogether really pleased with how these turned out.Product was quite easy to use, I used cooler water rather than hot as it set way too quickly the last time I used it.Would definitely recommend. I got two casts from this bag and could easily get one more from it.