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Animal Prints
Name: Kelsey J
Status: student
Age: 9
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2002
Question:
I would like to know how to make animal print molds in
the snow? What can I use to do that? Thank you, Kelsey
Replies:
Kelsey, I have never tried this, but if was going to, here is what I would
do (no
guarantees!). I would try to firm up the snow, so that I would not distort
the
track. To do this, I would mist the track very lightly with _cold_ water
from a
spray bottle and let it freeze, and repeat a few times as needed, so that you
end up with a track that is more ice than snow. That would make it stronger
for the next step. I believe forensic investigators use plaster of Paris
(available in arts and crafts stores) to make molds of tire tracks (can
anyone help here?). It seems you would want to mix up a batch that was not
runny,
but rather, a fairly firm mix. Maybe you could pack it gently into the icy
track, get it to mold into the track, and then lift the whole thing up (maybe
the icy track AND plaster) and take it indoors. Flip it over on a table, let
the ice/snow melt away, and let the plaster warm up and harden. Heck, try it
and see. Good luck, and let us know if it worked! (Maybe someone who has
worked with plaster of Paris can tell us if it will harden at below freezing
temperatures, in which case you could pack it into the icy track and let it
harden right there.)
Paul Mahoney, PhD
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Update: June 2012
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