This was my first time working with molding, casting, plaster, etc. and the most important lesson I learned is patience.
- Molding my thumb
By mixing equal parts alginate and water, I created a mixture that I let my thumb sit in for 10 minutes for the mold. My thumb is in a straight position because I wanted to conserve resources/time and use the one mold for both fingers.
2. Plaster Patience
Once my mold was complete, I made a mixture with 2:1 plaster to water. After pouring the plaster in my mold, I took my screw (a random one from the unsorted pile) and used tape to have it suspended in the middle of my thumb. And then, I left it to sit for 40 minutes.
When I thought the plaster hardened completely, I tried to take the finger out of the mold and it snapped in half! I was very annoyed but upon inspection I was excited about how well the mold came out. For the next mixture I tried to be more exact with the 2:1 ratio and left it to sit for an hour to ensure it had enough time to completely harden.
My second attempt was successful! And even though the mold was definitely not in the most pristine condition, I was able to follow the above steps to create my third thumb.
I then sprayed a clear coat to make them smoother to the touch.
3. Conclusion
I’m very excited about my thumb hooks! I think it’s going to be a great mother’s day gift for my mom. I’m a little worried about how sturdy the thumbs are, but I think they will be perfect for small items like car keys.
4. Cost breakdown:
A cup of alginate from OEDK = $5
A cup of plaster from OEDK = $5
Screws = $2
Clear coat = $8
Labor = 3 Hours x $15/hour = $45
Total = $60
