Introduction

I really enjoyed learning how to create a mold using alginate and plaster during class, and I was even more excited to already be done with the molding and casting project by the end of class! So I was quite disappointed when my finger molds broke while I removed them from the alginate. Here’s how I redid the whole process!

Process

First I gathered all of my materials (alginate, plaster, cups, water, mixing sticks, and a scale) and took them to the picnic table outside. Following the instructions, I mixed 50 g of alginate with 200 grams of water, then put my fingers in the mixture for about 6 minutes, until the alginate was more solidified and had a rubbery quality. Then, I removed my fingers and mixed about 50 g of plaster with about 30 g of water. I poured the plaster into the holes that remained, set the nails in place using a cardboard holder, then allowed it to dry overnight.

When I came back in the morning, I very carefully cut away the alginate until I was left with my (intact!) finger molds.

To post-process them, I decided to try something I hadn’t seen done before, and painted gold finger tattoos. I used an unfolded paper clip and sprayed some paint into a cup so that I could dip the paper clip and draw out the design. Here are my finished finger molds!

Cost Estimate

Alginate: $1.60 for 50g

Plaster of Paris: $7.58 for 64oz

Spray paint: insignificant amt

Labor: $20 for 2 hours

Total: $29.18