APPOINTMENTS

How long do I have to wait for an appointment? 
With the exception of Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and the Christmas season, scheduling an appointment in the next day or so is usually possible.  We encourage people to book their casting appointments far in advance of these holidays to assure a finished product for gift giving.

May I make an evening or weekend appointment for a casting session?
Yes, with the exception of Sundays, we make appointments to suit the convenience of our customers.

How long is the casting session?
One molding can easily be finished within five minutes. So, it would depend on how many castings you would like to have done.

How long does the hand or foot need to be in the molding gel?
The molding impression is a very quick procedure requiring 20-45 seconds for babies and children.  Impressions of adult hands take 1-2 minutes.

When will our castings be ready for pick up? 
They will usually be ready for pickup in a week. 

Can you rush the completion of my castings? 
Usually.

Will you travel locally to my home, hospital or funeral home for casting sessions? 
Yes, however, there is an added travel fee starting at $10 for this service.

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CASTING SESSION

What should I wear to the casting session?  
Anything is fine, but you do need to be able to pull long sleeves up out of the way.  
We take precautions to avoid getting clothes soiled.

Does my baby need to be asleep to do the casting? 
No, however it’s helpful if baby has been fed before the appointment, as they will be more relaxed.

Will the molding be ruined if my child wiggles?
Because of the exceptional techniques we have developed, it’s extremely rare.  We guarantee that our castings will not be defective, so maybe once or twice a year we have someone return to remake their mold. 

My child may not cooperate, but I really want a casting done.
We have special distraction techniques that rarely fail.  If the occasion arises that a child absolutely refuses, you may choose to come back another time or to have us do the moldings while the child continues to fuss.

Will you cast multiple people together?
Yes, this is a lovely way to represent multiple generations, or a group of young or older siblings or friends, etc. See the gallery for sample images.

Can rings be worn during the molding process? 
Yes, any rings can be harmlessly worn and will add to the heirloom value of your casting.

Can I bring someone with me that wants castings also. 
Please do.  We are grateful for your referrals.

Can we order several castings from the same mold?  
Unfortunately no.  Because the molding medium has to be broken away in chunks in order to be released from the poured casting, your professionally finished casting is a one-of-a-kind irreplaceable piece of art.

Do you keep the molds so I can order more later?  
Unfortunately no.  Because the molding medium has to be broken away in chunks in order to be released from the poured casting, your professionally finished casting is a one-of-a-kind irreplaceable piece of art.

What is the molding medium made from?
We use a food quality grade impression material made of plant extracts-- usually seaweed or algae.  Although perfectly safe to eat, it has no taste.  Our material was carefully selected from many available products for the high-quality, detailed impressions it produces.

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PAYMENT

When do I pay for my castings?
Payment is requested at the conclusion of the molding appointment.

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CASTING SERVICES ON LOCATION LOCAL AND NON-LOCAL

Will you travel locally to my home, hospital or funeral home for casting sessions? 
Yes, however, there is an added travel fee starting at $10 for this service.

Can you cast the hand of my bed-ridden grandpa, and can you do the casting with someone’s hand holding his? 
Absolutely.

I live in another state and cannot find a professional to cast the hand of my terminally-ill parent; can I fly you here to help me out?
Absolutely.  Please call for information.

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TERMINAL ILLNESS

Can you cast the hand of my bed-ridden grandpa, and can you do the casting with someone’s hand holding his? 
Absolutely.

Do you keep the molds so I can order more later?  
Unfortunately no.  Because the molding medium has to be broken away in chunks in order to be released from the poured casting, your professionally finished casting is a one-of-a-kind irreplaceable piece of art.

I live in another state and cannot find a professional caster to cast the hand of my bedridden parent; can I fly you here to help me out?
Absolutely.  Please call for information.

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FUNERAL- HOME CASTING SERVICE

Can you cast multiple people together with my deceased loved one?
Yes.  I highly encourage families to be present during the casting session.  My casting sessions at funeral homes mostly involve casting parents with their baby/child that has passed, adult children with a parent that has passed, or most any combination desired.

Can you do death masks?
Usually.

My friend miscarried her baby at twenty weeks, are you able to do castings in this situation?
We have honored requests to do castings at all stages of pregnancy.

I had you go to the funeral home and do a casting of a loved one’s hand when she passed away a few months ago, and now some family members would like you to make some more… can you do this?  
Usually not.  It's important to order all the castings that you think you might possibly need before the funeral, as it is usually not possible to make a casting from a casting.  If you have a casting that needs to be duplicated, please contact us to further discuss the possibility.

Can we order several castings from the same mold, and do you keep the molds so I can order more later?  
Unfortunately no.  Because the molding medium has to be broken away in chunks in order to be released from the poured casting, your professionally finished casting is a one-of-a-kind irreplaceable piece of art.

My loved one has passed away, and I live in another state and cannot find a professional caster; can I fly you here to help me out?
Absolutely.  Please call for information.

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DISPLAY AND CARE

How do I take care of my casting? 
The plaster is porous and would absorb any liquid that it touches.  When handling, make sure your hands are clean.  For display and keeping clean, either place in a curio cabinet or purchase a dome and base from us for a beautiful tabletop display. Don’t drop your casting; the solid plaster castings are sturdy but fragile like any statue or figurine.

Can I attach an engraved plaque?
Yes.  Sticky-backed engraved plaques are inexpensive and a Trophy and Stamp business is a good place to order yours.  Just set your casting on the base so it's off-center to allow room.

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REPAIR

My casting is broken; can you repair it? 
Yes, we are able to make completely invisible repairs.  We do minor repairs as a complimentary service for our customers. For major repairs and broken castings made from kits or other companies, please contact us for a quote.

I tried a do-it-yourself casting kit and my casting is rough looking, full of holes and has missing fingertips, will you fix it? 
Usually that is possible.  The casting kits are not meant to provide a professional, heirloom-quality product.  Because extensive restoration work is usually required, the cost of professionally finishing a casting made from a kit is often times more than would be charged if we did the casting from start to finish.  Please contact us to arrange a quote.

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SHIPPING

Can my finished castings be safely shipped?
Absolutely.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 

I would like to learn the hand casting trade.  Will you train me? 
Professional Hand Casting sells non-franchised home businesses anywhere in the country or to English speaking foreigners. Email us to request information.

I live several states away and cannot leave my children; will you fly to my location for the business training?
Yes.  Please call or email us for information.

Why is it so hard to find someone in the hand casting business?  
When trying to launch a casting business, many 
people find that it’s very difficult to learn on their own and are not able to
produce non-defective high-quality artwork for sale. The techniques we have
developed for each phase of the process, while difficult to figure
out, are very simple and uncomplicated to learn when properly
trained.  

Can I learn to do this if I am not artistic? 
Natural artistic abilities are not required in order to learn the techniques.   The exceptional techniques we have developed for each phase of the process, while very difficult to figure out, are uncomplicated and simple to learn when properly trained.

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DO-IT-YOURSELF HAND CASTING KITS

Do you sell do-it-yourself hand casting kits?
No, we specialize in professionally finished heirloom-quality artwork for display.

I tried a do-it-yourself hand casting kit and my casting is rough looking, full of holes and has missing fingertips.  Will you fix it?
Usually that is possible.  The hand casting kits are not meant to provide a professional, heirloom-quality product.  Because there is usually extensive restoration work required, the cost of professionally finishing a casting made from a kit is often more than would be charged if we did the casting from start to finish.  Please contact us to arrange a quote.