This project was relatively quick and easy! We started by making alginate molds of our fingers during class time in BIO 555. Because we were placed in partners to ensure the alginate would set correctly, I did not make my mold during the original session. Instead, I worked with my partner to understand the process so I could replicate it later. Later that week, I mixed the alginate and water and poured the well-mixed liquid into two small cups to create molds of two different fingers. I used the designated amount of materials but smaller cups to distribute the liquid so that two fingers would fit. After molding my fingers I mixed the plaster together to pour into the molds. Despite using the specified plaster ratio to water, the mixture was very thick. I added a bit more water to ensure the plaster mix would fill the mold without trapping bubbles. I tapped the molds on the table to force any air bubbles to the top then let the fingers sit for about 8-12 hours. I also used the provided screw holder to set the screws inside the plaster. Later that day I de-molded the fingers and noticed a bit of water in the bottom of the mold. This was unexpected though it did not seem to affect the outcome of the finger castings. I let the plaster dry a bit more, then used sandpaper to clean up the edges around the bottom that were sharp after the casting process. Next, I spray-painted the fingers green. The color was a bit too bright for my taste so I went back with a thin layer of white to mute the green into more of a pastel. I let the color dry then applied matte clear sealant to the fingers. I cleaned up my workspace and the project was complete!

Cost Type	Cost	Price	Source	Quantity	Total
Materials	Alginate	$11.99/1.5 lbs	HobbyLobby.com	1	$11.99
	Plaster of Paris	$7.99/ 4lbs	Michaels.com	1	$7.99
	Silicon Cups	$1.99	Temu.com	3	$5.97
	Screws	$6.84	Walmart.com	1	$6.84
	Spray Paint	$5.98	Walmart.com	3	$17.94
	Sandpaper	$1.60	Walamrt.com	1	$1.60
Labor	Prototyping Engineer	$25/hr	Personal Rate	2 hrs	$50.00
Overhead	Quality Control	$19/hr	ZipRecruiter.com	N/A	$0
Total					$102.33

Above is the cost breakdown for the finger mold and casting. This cost would be greatly reduced by sharing materials (like we did in class) to split the cost of items where we require very little material (ex-Plaster). Additionally, this required more hours for the “prototyping engineer” (Me) due to the fact that I was unable to complete a mold in class. In the future this time could be greatly reduced which would save money.