For this project, we were tasked with shape-transferring our fingers using alginate and casting material. Specifically, we were to create two identical finger hooks.

I worked with a few classmates to make the most use of the batches of material we were making. We began by mixing the alginate powder with warm water in a 1:1 ratio and then pouring that mixture into our individual beakers. I inserted two fingers, keeping them as separate as possible to only use one mold. I had already decided that I was going to break the mold to pry my fingers out, since pulling the finger out to try to preserve had resulted in a broken finger in a previous attempt.

This mixture was pretty thick, and already hardening when I poured it into my beaker. This resulted in a bumpy, uneven texture throughout the mold, which ended up ruining the finger shape. After the mold fully hardened, we mixed the plaster of paris with water. The first batch came out too runny, and the second one too thick. On the 3rd attempt, we found that a ratio closer to 1:1 worked best for optimal pouring. After pouring the casting mixture into the finger molds, I used tape to place the screws right over the openings.  Cleaning up took about 45 minutes, so during this time the plaster cured and the fingers were ready to be taken out for post-processing.

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, the texture on these fingers was ruined by the bumpy alginate mold, so I had to redo this process. By repeating the same steps, but this time making sure to pour immediately after mixing, I was able to create 2 better finger hooks. I would’ve wanted them to come out more identical, but I found it easier to put two fingers in the same beaker to save time and material. Additionally, I should’ve devised a better way to keep the screws in place as I poured the plaster, since I had to push and displace some of it to submerge the screws.

 

 

 

 

Lastly, I used gold spray paint to post-process my finger hooks, attaching them to styrofoam blocks to hold them while painting. Overall, this process was very messy and time-consuming, but I’m happy with the results and look forward to creating some chess pieces!

COST ANALYSIS FOR Molding and Casting

Cost Type	Cost	Price	Source	Quantity	Total
Materials	Plaster of paris	$10.98/tub of 1.81 kg	Home Depot	20 g	$0.12
	Alginate powder	$24.99/kit of 454 g	Amazon	20 g	$1.10
	Gold spray paint	1 can	Hobby Lobby	1	$3.99
	Screws	$15.42/box of 203	Amazon	2	$0.15
Labor	Molding and Casting Worker	$20.31/hr	careerexplorer.com	1 hr	$18.03
	Quality	$32.56/hr	salary.com	0.25 hrs	$8.14
Overhead	Water	$45/month	SoFi.com	1 day	$1.50
Design	Free, my finger	$0	Ana	–	$0
Misc.	Waste/scrap		Excess plaster Excess alginate Extra screws	1790 g 434 g 201	$10.86 $23.89 $15.27

The total cost for the molding and casting of 2 fingers is $33.03, not accounting for waste.