Out of all the projects discussed at the beginning of 677, I was most intrigued by this one. I’ve seen YouTube videos of people molding and casting their baby’s hands and feet before so I was somewhat familiar with the process. What I didn’t know was how precise the ratios of had to be in order to achieve the right consistency with the alginate and plaster.

During the tutorial, we were instructed to use a ratio of 4:1 alginate powder to water. Asma and I used a ratio of 200 g of alginate powder to 50 g of water and it worked perfectly. After stirring our mixture for about 2 minutes, we achieved a thick pancake batter consistency. The amount of liquid alginate was suitable for our cups and it allowed us to fully submerge our fingers as well. Once submerged, we had to hold still for about 5-8 minutes until the alginate solidified and formed molds of our fingers. I have to say, given my VERY low upper body strength, my biceps were so tired after holding that position. I could feel my arm shifting which caused by fingers to also shift within the alginate…

Once the alginate solidified, we wiggled our fingers out of the cups and formed our molds! Before making the plaster, we had to make floating screws that were in line with our fingers molds. This way, when the plaster is casted into the finger molds, they’ll hold the screws in place. Initially I created floating screws, but later opted to make a finger stand where I can store my rings.

The next part of the tutorial required us to make plaster to cast into our molds. The ratio was 2:1 plaster to water. I worked with Asma, Katy, and Anjitha to make the plaster and divide it among us. Initially we had a very loose mixture and we realized that we messed up the ratio and accidentally mixed 2:1 water to plaster. Once we added more plaster, the mixture became thicker and we verified with Dr. Wettergreen that it was the right consistency.  Each of us pour the plaster into our molds, tilting the cup to ensure that the plaster reaches the inner nooks and crannies of our molds. We also slightly tapped the bottom of our cups against the tabletop to get rid of any air bubbles that may have been trapped during the pour. I poured slightly more than the length of my fingers to create a base for the stand. Now all that was left to do is to wait for the plaster to dry.

Although the assignment instructions suggested to not leave the plaster to dry overnight, I was afraid of removing the fingers prematurely. Once I did remove the plaster, it was apparent that it did release water and needed to be air-dried in order to completely dry out. I was pleasantly surprised that my fingers stayed in-tact and looked realistic. I thought that my movements during the molding portion would distort my finger shapes, but it didn’t thankfully! When it came to post-processing, I kept it very minimal. I liked the natural finish of the plaster so I decided to a single coat of the clear finish.

Once my fingers dried, my project was complete! So happy that I was able to successfully make a two-finger ring stand during my first try at casting and molding. I can’t wait to use these skills for other DIY projects later. Just in time for gift-giving season too!

Cost analysis

Materials
Alginate: 0.44 lb @$8.99/lb = $3.96
Plaster of Paris: 0.11 lb @$9.69/lb = $1.07
Clear Coat: 0.15 oz @$4.99/12 oz = $0.06

Labor
Labor: 2 hrs @$7.25/hr = $15.00
Overhead: 1 hr @$15/hr = $15.00

Total = $35.09