Goa'uld Hand Device: Day One

Before I begin the epic tale of how I failed to properly cast my hand, let me give credit to the awesome guy who provided me with the tutorial I needed to get started. XRobots Iron Man Glove Tutorial begins with instructions for casting your own hands. My failure is in no way a result of these instructions, as I will explain shortly.

I ordered a casting kit from eBay, consisting of 450g of alginate and 900g of plaster. If you happen to be on the Gold Coast or in the surrounding areas, I recommend ordering from the same supplier, particularly if you are time poor, as they express courier to your door the following day. I ordered mine late Tuesday night and was surprised to receive it on Wednesday afternoon. It worked out particularly well for me as, after purchasing the container I was going to be using for the alginate, I quickly realised I was going to need a lot more. If you have a little more time, you could head to Barnes (in Brisbane). It'll probably work out better for your wallet.

Bucket I used to cast my hand. It cost around $10.00 from Bunnings.

Technically, you don't really need to cast your hand. You could probably make do with any old mannequin hand from a retail supply store. It really depends on how accurately you want the glove to fit you. For me, there is the added desire to learn to cast. If you are going to cast your hand, I recommend getting a bucket deep enough that the rim lines up with the middle of your forearm, but not too wide or you'll need far too much alginate. Remember not to touch the bottom with your fingers, or you'll end up with holes in your mould.

As mentioned in the tutorial, you only have a few minutes to work with the alginate once you add the water. The instructions for mixing will be on the packet. I used a separate bucket and a wooden spoon to create the mixture before pouring it into my casting bucket. You only have about 60sec to stir before you need to get pouring. The mixture is quite thick and can be difficult to manipulate, but just think of those biceps! Don't worry too much about minor lumps and bumps - you're never going to get them all out in the time you have.

Once you've poured the mixture into your casting bucket, don't be shy, just get in there. Keep enough distance between your fingers so that you can feel the alginate completely surround them and REMEMBER NOT TO TOUCH THE BOTTOM. Don't worry about getting comfortable. You only need a couple of minutes before the alginate sets, then you can enjoy spending the next five minutes trying to get your hand free. While you're at it, you can enjoy the pleasant aroma of choc-mint pudding.

My hand in the casting bucket. I ended up using 3 x 450g bags of alginate, however next time I will probably use four, so I can get a little more of my wrist in the mould.

The completed mould.

So, I just realised I haven't quite got to my failure yet. It's late and I need to go to bed, so I guess you'll have to wait for tomorrow's post. Just call me George RR Martin.