7: Molding Fingers

• Catherine

For this homework, I set out to make some finger hooks using the molding/casting techniques we discussed in class.

To make the mold, I mixed 1.5 ounces of alginate with 6.75 ounces of water for approximately 2 minutes until the mixture had no visible clumps. I used a mixer attachment and a drill to improve the rigor and speed of the mixing process. Once smooth, I placed two fingers inside the mold and waited approximately 5 minutes until the mold became rigid. Extracting my fingers yielded the mold I would use for the finger hooks.

Next, I mixed 35 grams of Rockite (expansion cement) with 10 grams of water until smooth. I poured the concrete mixture into the finger molds and inserted a screw (head-first) into each.

Once I finished using all the measurement equipment, I made sure to clean them up to the best of my ability and tidy the work area.

After waiting 24 hours for the concrete to solidify, I carefully extracted my concrete fingers from the mold. The bottom of the fingers were slightly uneven, so I used 60-grit sandpaper to sand away some of the excess concrete.

Satisfied with the shape, I spray painted the fingers a metallic copper color (no clear coat per the instructions on the can) and let them air dry for 24 hours.

With that, I had my final product!

I’m pretty happy with how these turned out, as they are quite detailed and definitely resemble my fingers. However, if I were to do this again, I would try creating a deeper pocket with my fingers when making the mold. I think that would make the final product more closely resemble a hook as opposed to just a finger on a hook.

Cost Breakdown:

Materials

Labor

  • 2 hours @ Rice’s student worker wage = 2 x $12 = $24

Equipment

Total Cost: $136.36

 

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