Casting Materials

[MermaidHyli]

:headwall::headwall::headwall::headwall::headwall: :headwall::headwall::headwall:

So after spending days upon days making little circles out of clay I was ready to cast!! I had read you can use.plaster, silicone, or liquid plastic.
I did some tests to see which I liked better. Know to completely understand my agony some of my first step mistakes need to be shown. So I made the scale sheet on tracing paper..it actually held up pretty good but my material for molding went through on some places and it didnt end well...and then I forgot to put a board underneath. So now that thats out of the way..

Onto the little practice molds. I decided to disregard silicone mpstly because I didnt know how to create a backing. Thus I used plaster and liquid plastic. The plaster worked very well and didnt leave me hacking from the fumes. so I went with plaster for mu scale sheet...enter tears here.
The good news my scale pattern looks awesome!!! Bad news its in a million pieces...more tears. Second good news most of the scales are salvagable. So my questions are is there a better substitute for making a cast. Or can some one kindly explain. To me how to do silicone backing and what type of material to cast on aka no tracing paper.

Any help would be so so helpful.

[Mermaid Photine]

From what I've read, big plaster things require a support. Smooth-on has a lifecasting tutorial where, during the end portion, they made supports out of plaster gauze and dowel rods build into the plaster piece.

[MermaidHyli]

Yeah after looking at Mermaid Star's fb I was able to figure out that she does Ultracal 30 with burlap every layer..so I begin the process again once I get the materials.