For this project, I am going to mold my own finger and cast it with cement! The first step is to prepare the alginate for the molding step. I mixed alginate with water with approximately 2 to 1 ratio and get a cup of thick, yellow brownish gel like mixture. Then, I stick my finger in to the mixture, hold it in position for about 5 minutes to let the mixture cure. Then, I pulled out my finger, resulting in a mold of my finger!

Then, I mixed the cement powder with water in an appropriately 1 to 1 ratio. However, it turns out the mixture is too thin for good casting, I added more cement gradually to the mixture to thicken it. This process is much like cooking – adjusting the percentage of each ingredient carefully by observing the current state.

After I get the cement mixture, I poured them into the alginate mold. Then I tapped the mold several times, trying to get the air bubbles out. I placed a screw at the end for the hanging mechanism of the hook. After one night for letting the cement dry, I pulled the casted finger out of the mold.

To my surprise, the casted finger is really fine in detail. All the wrinkles and fingerprints can be clearly seen. Then, I decided to spray paint my casted fingers to a golden color.

The resulted golden finger looks really nice! The reflecting finish gives the finger a metallic look.

 

Cost estimate:

Alginate: $1

Cement: $1

Labor: 5hr * $15/hr = $75

Total = $77