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I'm looking for a detailed hard casting plaster, like Ultracal or Hydrocal. However I can't find a distributor of these two in Europe (England, Germany...) Besides some overlypriced bags, sold by individuals on Amazon (however they usually have only one or two bags).

Is there an alternative to these Materials that Europeans use? Because I can hardly imagine that they don't make plaster/stone castings.

I've heard, that you could use something like dental plaster.

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  • Have you already found an alternative Frezzley?
    – Michael
    Mar 6 '18 at 19:52
  • Answers on Stack Exchange aren't just intended for the person who asked the question initially, but for anyone who may have a similar question in the future - so if you have information to add, go for it.
    – walrus
    Mar 7 '18 at 12:22
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The material you are looking for is sold in europe (or at least in germany) by the chemical name: calciumhydroxid (ca(OH)2. You can purchase it as a paste oder in powder form practically everywhere; your next door pharmacy, home depot store, aquaristic store or online.

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  • Thank you for your answer, however I'm not shure if this is the material I'm looking for. Wikipedia says: "Unprotected exposure to Ca(OH)2 can increase health risks, so it should be limited. It can cause severe skin irritation, chemical burns, blindness or lung damage. See MSDS." Sounds dangerous, doesn't it? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_hydroxide
    – Frezzley
    Apr 11 '17 at 8:05
  • I don't want to doubt your answer, I just try to be skeptical on answers I get on the internet. (Because when I look on Amazon.de, I see the warning signs for "reizend" and "ätzend")
    – Frezzley
    Apr 11 '17 at 8:47
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    The MSDS for Ultracal is similarly terrifying. (However, it also has a different chemical formula -- may simply be proprietary formulation of the Ultracal product but may be a somewhat different material.)
    – Erica ♦
    Apr 11 '17 at 15:42
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I get my ultracal from Formx. They have a .nl website and a .eu website. I find the price acceptable but I don't have a reference what you are used to paying for it in the US. Obviously, in the EU the imported stuff is more expensive.

What I learned is that Ultracal is not just gypsum or plaster of paris as it seems to be called, but a mix of gypsum, portland cement and a third component that I forgot about. Google for it and you shall find.

If you're looking for just gypsum, most of your run of the mill home improvement shops in the EU will offer gypsum from Knauff. The two main types are "Redband" and "Goldband". I think the Goldband is the less lumpier one, more usable for casting.

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