I really want to make a latex copy of my hand, because there are all sorts of great magic tricks you can do with the hand on show. DD and I obviously have much smaller hands than the ones you can buy.

I have got an alginate gel to make a mould of my hand which is great - the detail is amazing!

But Im not sure how to use the liquid latex. I filled the whole mould up with it, but it just didnt set. After 3 days it was still liquid!

I tried making a plaster mould in it, but it didnt really take the detail properly, and was a bit heavy and breakable to use in the trick.

So Ive gone back to the latex. I'm trying building it up a layer at a time, but I was wondering if anyone else has done anything like this, or if I could use something else to bulk out the liquid latex because its going to cost a fortune to fill the whole mould with it!

while i have never done what your trying i wonder if the audience would really be able to tell the difference in size of your hand and the fake "third hand" guess that all depends on how close they are to you

the hands you can buy for those effects are hollow, pour the latex into your mold and let it set then pour out the liquid part and then let it sit and dry. I just put the first half coat of latex on my foam pie shell i'm making YAY for latex!

Scoop, you are probably right, as far as my hand goes. But DD is only 7 yrs old, so I think it would be pretty obvious on her! :D

She actually has a paying gig next week, from someone who saw her do a 10 minute magic show at a friends party, and they want her to do a magic show for their kids!

So Im frantically trying to find cheap tricks or make things myself, to add to her act.

Stu, thanks for the advice, that sounds good. I'll give that a go. Ive never used latex before so it is a new experience. My kitchen is covered in gloop!

To prove a point to my clowns I have done thumb tip magic with a thumb that is several shades darker than my hand. The mind fools most people into seeing the thumb tip as the same color. I would recomend buying a comertially avalible hand that is close to your hand. They will last langer and be easier than making your own.,