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This is what my hand cast in alginate looks like. It can be tricky at first, but this is an amazing thing to experiment with, and with practice, almost anything can be cast. Alginate is the same stuff they use to make molds of your teeth when you first go in to get braces at the orthodontist, for those of us who have had the pleasure. Although you can get this or other similar suitable casting mediums from arts and crafts stores, this is actual dental alginate which I got from an ex-GFs best friend who worked at a dentists office.

It comes in a fine, powdered form. Before using it you have to have everything carefully planned out and set up so there are no mistakes after you mix it with water...the stuff sets up fast. Your container, what you're casting and how much you are going to mix al have to be measured and prepared in advance. After mixing the poweder with water, I poured the then-liquid alginate into a cardboard box lined with plastic to keep it from leaking out. Then I set my hand into the surface about halfway in. In about 40 seconds, though you can't feel it happening, the alginate takes on a more solid, rubbery consistency. You can then work your hand out of it carefully, leaving behind a physical negative of your hand.

Next step is to mix and pour some plaster into the box on top of the solidified alginate. That's why the edge of this box has been left so high, it's going to be the backing of the cast once the plaster dries. Plaster is cheap and easily available at the craft store. Mix it with an electric hand mixer to get a nice, even consistency. Make sure the alginate is pretty dry when you pour the plaster into it.

Then, pour away, baby! Let the plaster settle and then sit there overnight to make sure it hardens properly. In the morning, peel the box away from the plaster and alginate, then carefully peel away all the alginate. Yes, you can only use the alginate once. It's useless after being used for one cast. Throw it out. Let the plaster dry without wiping any of it. You cold otherwise destroy the detail if you do. Then spray it LIGHTLY with some matte clearcoat paint to protect it from dirt and moisture. Hang it on the wlal of mount it on a piece of wood and prop it somewhere. Tell everyone where you got this brilliant idea from, that being me, Jeff, Master of the Universe.

I went to the dentist today to get an old dying silver/mercury filling replaced with high tech stuff that smells quite interesting and is hardened with UV light.

All in all very painless. I don't enjoy dental work, but as a long ago boss once said, most of it is not pain, but just sensation that we convince ourselves is pain.

This shot makes me laugh.

True enough for me.

A long time ago for a unremembered Burning Man project, this same dentist sold me some alginate. I made a few impressions of my snaggle teeth and set them aside.

So here there are, painted in a disgusting manner, cradling a red gelatin filled Christmas globe and being hit by a pellet.

Two full power flashes on this one.

At least when I am dead, the forensics dudes will have a good copy of my teeth sitting on the shelf for a proper identification.

Cheers.