For our molding and casting project, we were tasked with creating two of our fingers! I first started off by mixing together alginate and water in a 1:4 ratio by weight. I learned that you have to quickly stir the mixture before it starts to set. Once I mixed them together, I put in my index finger to create a mold of it. The mixture started to set for about 7-10 min. After that, I was able to easily slide my finger out. Next, I mixed plaster of Paris and water in a 2:1 ratio by volume. I then pour that into my mold and put a screw into it. I let it set and dry overnight! I de-molded it the next day. Below you can see how it turned out.

Unfortunately, a portion of my nail chipped off during the de-molding process due to how thin of a wall it is. To be honest, I was not a fan of putting a screw into it to create a finger hook so I decided to go forward with creating a ring holder by pouring additional plaster to create a layer at the top. I followed the same steps as my first try but this time I put two fingers into the alginate at the same time. This second attempt can be seen below.

As you can see, one of the fingers broke off of the base during the de-molding process. Due to this, I tried it again to see if I could de-mold without any breakage. This third attempt can be seen below!

Unfortunately, one of the fingers broke off again. I decided that three times was enough and it was time for me to move on! I then proceeded by super gluing the finger back onto the base and spraying it with a black semi-gloss protective enamel. I let it dry overnight and then sprayed it with a clear satin spray. You can see my final product below! I then added some of my rings to it to show how I could use it as a ringer holder.

Overall, this project was easy to execute but difficult to perfect. There were many imperfections with the fingers such as bubbles and plaster crumbling at the finger tips. I have experience molding with silicone so molding with plaster was something new! It’s a lot more of a fragile material. I definitely think the fingers look creepy but I had fun going through the process a few times!

Cost Estimate
Alginate=$2
Plaster of Paris=$2
Black semi-gloss protective enamel=$4.98
Clear satin spray=$4.98
Labor: $12/hr=$18
TOTAL:$31.96