I molded my thumb. The alginate mixed with water had a consistency and feel resembling wet flour: damp, viscous, and slightly sticky. Since it was my first-time molding, I had no intuition for how long it took for the alginate to cure, but around 10-15 minutes was enough to create a solid thumb-shaped cavity.
Next, I poured the plaster and water into the mold, holding a screw over the mold opening using painter’s tape. Initially, I did a 2:1 ratio of water to plaster rather than the other way around, so the first finger came out crumbly. However, the alginate mold withstood the first cast’s removal, so I poured another batch of plaster and water two times afterward.
Afterward, I post-processed the casts by spray painting with a blue, protecting coating. Truly a two thumbs up job up if I do say so myself.
Cost Analysis:
Labor:
3h * $7.25/h = $21.75
Material:
Alginate (Amazon):
$8.99/454 g * 160 g used = $3.17
Plaster (The Home Depot):
$10.78/1816g * 100 g used = $0.59
Cups (Party City)
$10.00 / 72 cups * 3 cups used = $0.42
Cost of Materials: $4.18
Total Cost: $25.93
