Our journey to getting our very own finger hooks started in the classroom. We were able to begin by mixing the alginate with water in a 1:1 ratio. This allowed us to create a mixture into which we could put our fingers in to keep its shape….a mold. After correctly making the mixture, we were able to put in our fingers for 7-10 minutes and create a mold that was able to be held up without any help. We then took out our fingers and the picture below shows what it looked like.
Getting my fingers out
After doing that, I was able to pour in a plaster mix that would then be held solid. I would also put in nails so that I would be able to screw in these finger hooks to my wall. After about a day, I went back to take these fingers out. Below shows what the fingers looked like.
Fingers Pre Smoothing
Fingers Pre Smoothing
Fingers Pre Smoothing
I then wanted to remove any products of manufacturing so I took to sanding down my fingers. I wanted to make each of them smooth. What I found that while I was making them smooth was that I was also removing some details of my fingers. It was a bit of a go forward 1 step, and go back 2. I found that in doing this, I had to be more deliberate with my sanding rather than doing it willy nilly. Below shows the finish.
Smoothing But at a Cost
I then wanted to make my finger to stand out more so I used spray paint to make the finger red. I made sure to do one coat and spray from a distance and in strokes. Below shows the product of this.
First Coat of Paint
There was no way I was going to be painting fingers and not make the nails stand out. I got blue acrylic paint and went to work on the nails. This bit turned out to be the hardest aspect as it was easy to mess up and paint around the nail. Below shows the finished product.
Don’t Forget The Nails
I learned a lot about how to make actual molds and then use plaster to fill and treat these structures. Not only that, but I learned how to change up this mixture to get an intended product. I messed up a bit with the sanding in taking away some of the details of my fingers, but I made up for it by making my finger stand out with the bright paint.
This project was a little bit different in terms of necessary products. I decided to get all of my materials all off of Amazon.
- Alginate: $16.99
- Plaster of paris: $8.23
- 1 Sand Paper 100 Grit Sheet: $2.79
- Red Spray Paint: $6.19
- Blue Acrylic Paint: $0.54
- 2 hours of labor x $7.25/hour = $14.50
- Total = $49.24
