handcasting

Hand/Foot Casting

Materials you need............

Alginate 500grams

Bowl for mixing alginate

Plaster

1x model

Level 1

Please Read before you start

First things first you will need to make a container to contain the moulding material and hand. This you can make or use one of those extra large cider bottles cut down.

You will need a container to mix the alginate in (a large plastic or glass bowl).

You will need water (I leave the tap running (slow) so as its easy to top the water if needed.

Make sure you have everything together before you start.

Discuss to your model about the position the hand/foot should be in so as there is no doubt as to who is doing what and how.
Right mix the alginate thoroughly you must do this really fast as time will run out quickly.
Pour the Alginate into the container (it should be sloppy enough).
Get you model to position their hand/foot shape before they put it into the alginate, then push hand/foot into the moulding material, tell your model to wiggle their hand/foot to make sure the Alginate has gone into all creases, then tell them to hold that position until the Alginate has cured into a solid rubber (this should take 1-2 minutes). There should be a wall thickness of no less ˝"-Ľ" inch.

Removing your hand from Mould

This is the easy part the Models hand may feel a bit tight, she/he should now again wiggle the hand/foot to release model from the walls of the mould slightly pulling upwards at the same time, continue doing this until the hand/foot has released.

Making a plaster positive of the Mould

Mix Plaster as per instructions.

TO REMOVE PLASTER MODEL FROM ALGINATE MOULD

VERY GENTLY REMOVE THE OUTER CONTAINER E.G. COLA BOTTLE

CUT AROUND THE MODEL WITH A CRAFT KNIFE

IF THE ALGINATE IS DIFFICULT TO GET OFF DO NOT PULL IT AWAY AS YOU MAY BREAK ONE OF THE FINGERS OFF (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT)

CONTINUE WITH THE CRAFT KNIFE, CUTTING SMALL BITS AWAY IF YOU HAVE TO

(THIS IS THE MOST DELICATE PART OF THE PROCESS).

ONCE YOU HAVE REMOVED ALL THE ALGINATE, YOU SHOULD HAVE A PERFECT REPLICATE OF YOUR HAND, YOU WILL PROBABLE NEED TO SAND DOWN THE BASE TO MAKE IT SMOOTH AND FINISHED PROPERLY.

THE PLASTER CAN THEN BE LEFT TO DRY OUT, THIS WILL TAKE A FEW DAYS, THE HAND IS NOW READY TO PAINT OR SPRAY WITH A FINISH OF YOUR CHOICE.

Finished positive cast.