Alja‑Safe™ Hand Castings Go Wild!

Overview

Unleash your creativity by taking Alja-Safe™ hand castings to the next level. Let your imagination run wild and create unexpected images with basic hand shapes.

Materials Used in this Tutorial

  • Alja-Safe
  • Mixing Sticks
  • Mixing Containers
  • Water
  • Plaster
  • Acrylic Paints

Step 1: Making the Alja-Safe™ Mold

Alja-Safe™ is mixed 1 part water to 1 part powder by volume (1 cup + 1 cup, for example). You can vary the water level somewhat to change consistency of the mixture. Less water will make Alja-Safe™ thicker. More water will make the mixture thinner and easier to pour. Be careful…too much water will may result in the mixture not curing.

At 80° F / 27° C, Alja-Safe™ will have a working time of 8 minutes and a demold time of 10 minutes. Warmer water will cause the material to cure faster (less working time). Colder water will give a longer working time and slower demold time. For best results, sift Alja-Safe™ powder into water and mix as directed.

Alja-Safe™ can be hand mixed, but best results will be obtained using a power drill with a mixer attachment. Attach a Jiffy Mixer or Turbine Mixer to a power drill and mix for one minute (depending on volume) to a gel-like consistency – smooth without any powder lumps.

Choose your desired hand shape. Then slowly immerse the posed hand into the Alja-Safe™ gel and hold it there for 8 to 10 minutes until the gel has set. Once the gel has set, gently wiggle your fingers and slowly remove your hand from the mold.

Step 2: Casting and Demolding Plaster

Mix the plaster and water until creamy and then pour it into the Alja-Safe™ mold. Allow the plaster to cure for a minimum of 3 hours before removing the Alja-Safe™ mold. After the plaster casting has dried overnight, you can use a pencil to outline the design.

Step 3: Finishing and Painting

Hydrocal plaster is very easy to paint using standard acrylic paints.

In the finished example below, acrylic paints were used to create a parrot.

Look twice to see that this parrot is actually a hand, made by a simple hand shape cast with Alja-Safe® Life Casting Starter Kit.

In following photos, a simple hand cast with Alja-Safe® Life Casting Starter Kit becomes a dramatic Zebra head when painted.