How do I make a plaster cast of my hand or arm?
with plaster you only want to use plaster bandages not solid plaster as the latter will get hot and can burn you. The plaster in plaster bandages is not as thick, so won’t produce as much heat. You can get plaster bandages in some art supply places as well as in medical supply places. If you just want to make a mold of your hand I would recommend using alginate (dental supply or art stores), should be about $10 for a pound. First play around with small amounts so you know what it does. Mix enough to fill a large soft drink bottle as high as you want your mold. Stick your hand inside the alginate, don’t move for about 3-5 mins, then it should be set. Gently remove your hand – alginate is like jello, so it is flexible. It needs to be used soon after you made the mold as like jello it changes shape when it dries out. You could pour plaster into it. The drawback of alginate is that you only get one cast out of your mold. The advantage is that it is nontoxic, safe and produces great surface
