It occurred to me later that the gift might have even more impact if given several years after it was made. Perhaps when the nest is empty, or when you have your first grandchild. Keep in mind that while the parts are made of fairly tough plaster, it is still easy to scratch and damage. Clearcoating, or painting, is recommended for long term durability. As the part is heavy and cold (high thermal mass), a bronze or other metallic paint will cause many to wonder if it is really metal. The Discovery DIY Hand Casting kit is our suggestion for hesitant crafters curious about this medium but not up for the occasional splurge. How much I usedI tended to make more than needed, as I would rather waste a little now for a lower chance of making a mistake than mix less now for a higher chance of having to do it over again wasting even more time and material. Now that I've done it once, though, I expect I'll be more frugal in the future.

CastingUsed as both a verb and noun. Casting, verb, describes the process of making a casting from a mold. Casting, noun, refers to the part pulled from the mold once the casting compound has cured. The part pulled from the mold is generally a "positive" part, exactly duplicating the original part molded. Therefore, opt for a brand that is straightforward and simple to use. The best hand casting kits have detailed instruction manuals enclosed or provide links to video tutorials. Going through all the steps several times before beginning is advisable to know what is expected from you. 3. Size Apart from being solid symbols of relationships, milestones, and special events, hand statues are also art pieces. They provide a fascinating and personalized way of decorating any room in your home or office and they don’t even need to be done professionally.

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The smallest amount of alginate I used was 10oz, which made just over 3 cups of molding compound. In total the six molds took about 4.5 pounds of alginate. Sound like something you would want to try out with your friends, family, kids, or partner? Then stay on this post where you’ll learn everything there is to know about choosing hand casting kits. We also give you a headstart by recommending the best hand casting kits for that flawless detailed 3D hand replica. Choosing a Hand Casting Kit

Well, my wife was pleased to receive the hands, and the poem made it much more significant than it would have been otherwise. Her mother's reaction was even greater, with heavy hints that such a gift would mean a lot to her as well, should I choose to do so later. Casting PlasterMany plasters are available for casting, you can even use the inexpensive local plaster you find in any hardware store. I used a particular formula called Hydrostone which features high strength, and high detail. This also came from FX Supply, as item HYD, and is a 20 minute set plaster.As I expected, and as the poem alludes to, my mother-in-law was much more impressed by the gift than my wife. When you can hold the hands each day you tend not to need reminders. Over time the gifts will become more precious. Besides standard materials such as casting/molding powders, gloves, shaping tools, sandpaper, and more, this kit also contains sample powders to get a taste of what outcomes look like before diving in for the real deal. Air bubbles in the mold show up as bumps in the casting. This could have been reduced by mixing the molding compound carefully to avoid introducing more air, pulling a vacuum on the compound to bring bubbles to the surface (it will foam, so make sure you're prepared for a mess), and having the model move around so the compound adheres to the object, causing any bubbles to form away from the model, rather than next to it. I removed the larger of these from the casting simply by pinching them with a set of pliers. A file, sandpaper, or rotary tool with a burr would work as well though you lose detail the more material you remove. This is by far the most common issue, and one of the easiest to fix. Still, make sure they wriggle their fingers and move their hand around a lot before holding the pose during molding. I did not fully meet my goal. I wanted to pull several hands from each mold, but did not carefully consider the problem of overhangs, and the fact that the fist and hand are larger than the wrist. With suitable mold release compound one might still succeed to some limited extent, but I expect a 2 part mold would work better, and I will attempt that in the future.

Materials AlginateThis molding compound forms a rubbery elastomer within minutes of mixing with water. Captures impressive detail, while being flexible enough to prevent entrapment of the hand. It dries and shrinks over time, so it's not suitable for more than a few castings. I used ALG-390 from Special Effect Supply Corporation, which is a 3 minute set alginate. Babies are especially prone to hand movement, so often it is best to do this while they sleep. Make sure the molding compound is warm to the touch, but not hot, and make sure the baby is in a comfortable position for the mold. As you can see in the picture, our youngest child woke up during the process, but was still laying comfortably and only required a little singing to prevent wiggling and worrying. As you can't easily instruct the baby to wiggle their fingers or move their hand in the beginning you'll have to move it around by the wrist when you insert the hand. In this case I pushed the hand in, moved it side to side to side to side, then partially removed and re-inserted it. That said, the most robust option may not be the safest, affordable, or the most effective for catching fine details. Resin and plaster are usually preferable casting materials. The 5 Best Hand Casting Kits Carefully wrapping the castings, I then had each child present them to their mother, youngest to oldest, and then gave the poem last.

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HydrostoneA form of gypsum plaster, when mixed with water cures into a long-lasting, hard material without shrinking. This is slow setting, and pours well. Although marketed as a couple’s kit, there’s still ample space to squeeze in a small child’s hand and triple the fun. How about making it three kids, or two little kids and an adult’s hand? It’s really up to you. Apart from the molding cast, what else does the kit bring to the table? You might encounter various additions depending on the brand. Some manufacturers will include paint, others a clear finish, mixing tubs, cleaning and measuring tools, or a display stand. It’s really up to you to decide what appeals to you. Durability