I used the mold that we made from class to make my fingers. I unfortunately didn’t take any photos while we were in the process of making the finger molds. But I followed the steps below:

To prepare the alginate mixture, I carefully measured 33 grams of alginate and combined it with 125 grams of water, ensuring precise measurements to achieve the correct setting time. I then stirred the mixture thoroughly for approximately three to four minutes until it reached a smooth and slightly runny consistency. 

Next, I began forming the mold by gently inserting two fingers into the alginate mixture. After waiting for about 15 minutes, the mixture solidified around my fingers. To remove them without damaging the mold, I carefully wiggled my fingers, which helped ease them out while maintaining the mold’s integrity. 

To create a cast of my fingers, I used plaster to replicate the mold. I prepared the plaster mixture by combining plaster powder with water in an estimated 2:1 ratio, adjusting slightly to reach the desired consistency. With guidance from the teaching assistants, I ensured that the mixture was smooth before proceeding. Before pouring the plaster, I attached a screw to a jig to embed it into the cast.  I then carefully poured the plaster into the alginate mold, ensuring an even distribution. The cast was left to dry overnight before the next step. 

Once the plaster had fully solidified, I carefully broke away the alginate mold to reveal the casted finger. However, I was not entirely satisfied with the final result, as part of the mold had broken off where it cured around my nail. While the finger itself remained intact, I realized that the outcome could have been improved with better screw placement. I decided I would “fix” the nail when i post-processed my finger. 

After my finger was removed, i went on to buffing out any extra chunks of plaster that was unnecessary to my molded finger. I used a dremel to smooth out surfaces and when they were smoothed I was ready to fill in superficial bubbles and start painting.

I chose to paint my fingers as realistic as possible using acrylic paint that I own. Then when the paint finished drying, i went back and used clear spary paint to do a final coating on the nail. Once the fingers dried, i went back and added little fake nails so that you could still have the really pretty nail tips that were lost in the mold 🙁.  

 Here is the final product, hope you enjoyed! 

Cost Analysis 

Cost Type	Item	Price	Source	Quantity	Total
Materials	Alginate	$8.07	link	1	$8.07
	Plaster of Paris	$7.99	link	1	$7.99
	Acrylic Paint	$0.58/bottle	link	6	$3.48
	Spray Paint	$5.98	link	1	$5.98
	Screw	$4.28	link	1	$4.28
	Mixing Containers	$4.20	link	2	$8.40
	Popsicle sticks	$0.97	link	1	$0.97
Labor	Molding and Casting Engineer (Me)	$41/hr	link	1 hr	$41
	Artist	$25/hr	link	3 hrs	$75
Overhead	Outside space	$0	Mother nature 🙂	–	–
TOTAL	$155.17

 

 Work station: