silicone use
silicone use
When I was looking through the sites I saw mention of vacuum applied to remove air from mix.
Boy did the first batch have bubbles, even with carefull mixing.
So the second batch I mixed, Poured into a pickle jar with a hole punched into top. I then applied a vacuum to the jar using a hand pump that I have for testing car vacuum devices .
Well apon hitting around 15in/hg the mix started expanding. I continued all the way to 20in/hg the air "boiled out" and the mix colapsed back down. I then did a new pour and NO BUBBLES!
If your planning on doing repairs this is well worth using. You can get one made by Mighty vac at you car parts store. Here there $25.00 although if there still available the one I have is made by sun and is better made. The Mighty-vac is plastic, the sun is brass/metal. (I think I paid about $40)
You may already know of this, but I had'nt seen it mentioned.
Cosidering the cost of the silicone and repair kits this would know doubt pay for itself.
Word of warning: Make sure you put the mix in a jar that is about three times the volume of the silicone your mixing. The batch I made expanded to almost twice it's volume before the air boiled off. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="modules/Forums/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif" />
silicone use
This is good information. Would you mind if it was included in the Doll Faq? You would get credit for the article.
Thanks,
Ish
silicone use
Never have to ask, Ish. If anything I post can help anyone is welcome to it. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="modules/Forums/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif" />
silicone use
Thanks very much :)
I'm at my kids' house for a few days while their mom is out of town, so I don't have access to all of my passwords and links.
Unless Davecat wants to add it now, I'll be able to include it some time after the weekend.
Thanks again,
ish
silicone use
Have you tried pouring silicone standing on top of a ladder? Just mix a batch and pour down in a thin stream. No air. Try it.
<img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="modules/Forums/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif" />
silicone use
This sounds worthy of an FAQ entry as well.
<img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="modules/Forums/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif" />
Ish
silicone use
Like 3 years ago I made some small 12" tall doll bodies. The skeletons were made from wire coat hangers. I used Alumilite Silicone for the skin. They wanted me to use it for the mold, but I ended up using pour a mold from the Synair Corp.
The project failed and had alot of problems. The wires broke inside, and tore out through the skin. I used regular Barbie and G.I. Joe heads for the bodies. And that's all that remains. Because rodents ate up the bodies.
The molds were squeezed together with 2 sheets of plywood, and some bolts. It was like pouring plaster for a ceramics class. But the first doll body had alot of air, and you could see it in all the pot marks it had. The second came out o.k. with only a few imperfections. Mark gave me the tip to pour from a ladder. It worked.
But I didn't take his advice and use the Burmans Brand of Silicone.
So give Mark credit for the ladder pour. It was his idea.
Maybe oneday I'll go back to the project. I'm a little busy right now blowing all my cash on Masters of The Universe Figures and G.I. Joes. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="modules/Forums/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif" />
silicone use
You do need to pour slowly though so as not to create pockets of trapped air.
The vacuum removes even micro bubbles which would increase the durability of the cured product. Any air bubble is a loss of interlinks within the silicone. The big problem is the air you can't see. You'll see them when you apply a vacuum though! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="modules/Forums/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif" />