Responses to: Draping over foam
Carl Ganzert
Description
Collection
Title:
Responses to: Draping over foam
Creator:
Carl Ganzert
Date:
8/17/2015
Text:
Thanks to all who have replied, this is my first time using the list for my
own personal inquiry and I am impressed by the community's support and
help. I had many responses of varying natures but what seems to be the
majority's opinion is that wetting the sock/nylon just prior to draping
seems to provide good results. A word of warning from those who suggested
this technique was that too much water causes blistering and imperfections
in the plastic due to the water steaming up.
The second most commonly referenced method was different iterations of
using silicone sheeting or balloons. If silicone sheeting is to be used it
was recommended that a stack of plaster bandage be applied to the anterior
side of the carving to provide something to staple into. Most people who
mentioned the silicone technique also used silicone spray for lubrication;
spray or grease was also referenced by others who use it independently.
Other methods included using corn starch on the carving, cooling the
plastic surface with air, or using a thin plaster slurry.
Another side topic that was mentioned which we have also experienced which
was referred to as curling. This is the opposite of springing, but unlike
on a paster cast where the inside cools faster than the outside air temp,
the foam insulates and stays warmer far longer than the outside leading to
a less linear mer structure. This results in headaches in the fitting room
as the whole device will seem too small. To deal with this we have been
annealing our drapes to enure there is no plastic tension. To do so we heat
the draped cast/ carving in an oven at 200 degrees farenheit for 2 hours
then turn the oven off, leaving it to cool down inside as a closed system.
This re-sets the mer structure without actually melting the plastic or
changing its macro shape. This technique is something that gives is great,
consistent results and can be done with multiple orthoses at the end of the
day and left to cool overnight.
Hopefully this summary for and the annealing tip help make other people's
transition to foam easier. Thanks again for the help List!
Carl Ganzert, BSc
Hodgson Orthotics
113 - 250 Schoolhouse St.
Coquitlam, BC
(604) 520 - 7332
own personal inquiry and I am impressed by the community's support and
help. I had many responses of varying natures but what seems to be the
majority's opinion is that wetting the sock/nylon just prior to draping
seems to provide good results. A word of warning from those who suggested
this technique was that too much water causes blistering and imperfections
in the plastic due to the water steaming up.
The second most commonly referenced method was different iterations of
using silicone sheeting or balloons. If silicone sheeting is to be used it
was recommended that a stack of plaster bandage be applied to the anterior
side of the carving to provide something to staple into. Most people who
mentioned the silicone technique also used silicone spray for lubrication;
spray or grease was also referenced by others who use it independently.
Other methods included using corn starch on the carving, cooling the
plastic surface with air, or using a thin plaster slurry.
Another side topic that was mentioned which we have also experienced which
was referred to as curling. This is the opposite of springing, but unlike
on a paster cast where the inside cools faster than the outside air temp,
the foam insulates and stays warmer far longer than the outside leading to
a less linear mer structure. This results in headaches in the fitting room
as the whole device will seem too small. To deal with this we have been
annealing our drapes to enure there is no plastic tension. To do so we heat
the draped cast/ carving in an oven at 200 degrees farenheit for 2 hours
then turn the oven off, leaving it to cool down inside as a closed system.
This re-sets the mer structure without actually melting the plastic or
changing its macro shape. This technique is something that gives is great,
consistent results and can be done with multiple orthoses at the end of the
day and left to cool overnight.
Hopefully this summary for and the annealing tip help make other people's
transition to foam easier. Thanks again for the help List!
Carl Ganzert, BSc
Hodgson Orthotics
113 - 250 Schoolhouse St.
Coquitlam, BC
(604) 520 - 7332
Citation
Carl Ganzert, “Responses to: Draping over foam,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 2, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/237632.
