How To Estimate Volume & Materials By Displacement:

EXAMPLE 1: Measuring Volumes By Displacement:

Determining volume is easy if a measuring cup is used as a matrix.

•, Any container can be marked off for this method by successively filling it with 1 cup (or greater) increments of water, marking that level with a line and repeating all the way to the top.

1. Arrange the hands or other object so it touches bottom.

- Fill with water and mark this top level (A).

2. Remove the hands or other object.

- Mark this new lower level (B).

The lowest level is the volume of mold material needed (C).

- In this example it is 3 cups.

The difference between marks is the total volume of casting material needed (D).

- In this example it is 1.5 cups.

EXAMPLE 2: Using The Volume of (C) To Determine Mold Materials:

Each type of material has its own characteristics:

1. ArtForm™ or Earthium™ do not add much to the volume of water alone (3 cups)

- You can ignore their volumes and add the amounts of powder needed by your chosen ratio. At the standard 2:1 ratio for example you would add 1.5 cups of powder.

•, For best results when you are not using a BlendBag™, add the powder to the water while stirring. Wire whisks work best with the powders.

2. ArtCast™ is not typically used as a mold medium except for making ceramic or casting latex absorbsion molds.

- In those cases follow the instructions given in example 3 below to determine amounts to be used here for the 3 cups of volume.

3. PolyArt™ does not use the water but this would be the total material volume needed. From that we need its weight.

•, The volumes are converted to the 'Specific Gravity' of Part A which is 1.1. This means that Part A weighs 1.1 times as much as water of the same volume. Since water weighs 8 ounces per cup Part A would then be 8 oz. X 1.1 = 8.8 oz. per cup.

- In this example it would be 3 cups X 8.8 oz. per cup = 26.4 ounces Part A needed.

- Subtract the volume of Part B by the percent you intend to use and recalculate the total.

- For example; if you are going to use 10% Part B then Part A is reduced to 90%. In this example it would be: 26.4 oz. X .90 = 23.76 oz. Part A and 26.4 oz. X .10 = 2.64 oz. Part B. It is best to prepare a little more than the math indicates since adjustment later is difficult.

- And of course you cannot use PolyArt™ directly on the body so the hands illustrated here for displacement would actually be whatever object you want to take a mold from.

•, When not using a BlendBag™ with PolyArt™ use a disposable container and a non-aluminum metal spatula.

•, Be careful not to contaminate the PolyArt™ with water.

EXAMPLE 3: Using The Volume of (D) To Determine Mold Materials:

1. ArtForm™ or Earthium™ are occasionally used as casting materials to perform Media Transfers or shrink castings (see the Library).

- This would be done in the same way as above, ignoring their volumes and concentrating only on the ratio you want to pour into the mold.

2. ArtCast™ combines with the water to create its volume.

- For estimating purposes use the volume as the amount of powder needed then add only the water required for the ratio you want to use.

- In this example the volume of (D) is 1.5 cups and we are using the standard ratio of 1:2 so we'll need 0.75 cup of water (half).

- Pour out half of the water so 0.75 cup remains. Sift in 1.5 cups of powder into the water.

- Soak for 2 minutes then actively blend for another 1.5 minutes before pouring into the mold. Refer to the ArtCast™ Ratio Table for other amounts.

•, Notice that large designs, two hands for example will displace more water and use less ArtFORM™ but, more ArtCAST™. Single hands are just the opposite, using more mold powder and less cement.

- For group projects adjust these factors so you use both mediums at about the same rate.

3. PolyArt™ would be measured with the same proceedure as explained in example 2 above to extract the materials' weight for 1.5 cups of volume to fill the mold.