Silicone, also known as polydiethylsiloxane, also known as silicone rubber, is an organosilicon polymer.

It is characterized by heat resistance and low electrical conductivity.

Are you wondering what silicone is made of? Oddly enough, the hardest material is made natural material- silicon. Thanks to smart people, from silicon, in other words, sand or quartz, such an elastic and durable material as silicone was magically created.

Women, giggling, perceive it in their own way, men are familiar with silicone sealants. Silicone molds for baking, for making soap, jewelry, jewelry, fishing baits - this is not the entire list of what can be made from silicone. How to make silicone and silicone molds yourself? We'll find out about this now.

You will need:

Precautions

Please note that you need to play the young chemist wisely. Individual means Buy hand protection, namely rubber gloves first. Silicone mass is quite toxic, so decide where you will create. It is advisable to provide a well-ventilated room, possibly a balcony. On the street - perfect.

Required materials

We purchase liquid glass and ethyl alcohol. Mix the ingredients in equal proportions 1:1. The container can be any plastic container.

Silicone hardens quickly when exposed to air, so you need to cook quickly or in small quantities.

When mixing liquid glass and alcohol, add a dye, such as gouache, according to your mood, so that the final result is the desired color.

Frequently asked questions and answers:

What is silicone?

What does silicone look like?

Appearance depends on its components, the degree of density (liquid, gel-like, solid) and the presence of coloring substances. Color varies from clear to any color.

What is coating silicone?

How to make liquid silicone?

It is important to know the type of silicone in order to select required solvent. Sometimes gasoline and alcohol are used.

How to melt silicone at home?

Finely chop the silicone into a container (resistant to high temperatures), sort if it is colored. You can put it in the microwave, but you shouldn’t do this in an apartment because of the subsequent unpleasant odor. It is better to try to melt it over a fire, it is important not to overheat, otherwise it will spoil.

The process of mixing components

You can mix silicone with anything. With a wooden stick or spoon made of any material. The main thing, apart from silicone, is not to interfere with anything else with this spoon, and certainly not to eat it! After mixing, you should get a mass resembling plasticine or rubber. This mass is either:

• knead with your own hands - a creative option;
• fill in cooking bag, pastry syringe with nozzles and squeeze out whatever you want;
• fill simple shortbread molds with it;
• cast the desired shape.

Here you need to understand that repeating the shape of an object in in this case combinations (liquid glass + alcohol) are possible only if you apply our homemade silicone rubber to the outer surface of the object. In other words, not into the cup, but on top of it.

Before application, be sure to treat with soapy water or sunflower oil.

Casting the mold

The compound is a two-component material consisting of silicone paste and a hardener (catalyst). It's not exactly DIY silicone. But still.

By mixing these components in the correct proportions, you will get a miracle mixture for casting any shape you like.

The catalyst does not allow the silicone to harden as quickly as in the first case.

So. you have very beautiful shape and you need to copy it in silicone format.

1. Take the container and make sure it has no cracks or leaks.
2. Place a model of a plastic or plaster toy in the shape of a bear in it.
3. Fill the box with the model with dry mixture or sand to understand how much silicone will be needed for pouring in milliliters.
4. We treat our bear with soapy water or sunflower oil and fill it with silicone.
5. Think in advance about how you will seal this box hermetically.
6. We wait approximately 15 minutes.
7. We disassemble the container and check that the silicone does not stick to the fingers.
8. Use a utility knife to cut the silicone lengthwise.
9. Now replicate this form using the resulting silicone mold as much as you want.

Using liquid or cast silicone, you can make molds on platinum.

1. We treat foam or gypsum platinum with the same soap solution.
2. Apply liquid silicone with a brush.
3. First we work on the details, the top layers generously.
4. Let it dry. This will take time.
5. Remove the silicone. Sleight of hand, as they say, and no fraud.

Using silicone sealant

Nothing complicated either. Even easier than everything that came before.

1. Squeeze any silicone sealant onto a plate.
2. Add potato starch.
3. Knead the rubber dough.
4. This mass is ideal for making molds.
5. Lubricate the workpiece, which can be anything, with oil or hand cream.
6. Cover with silicone.
7. Let's forget about this matter until tomorrow.
8. The silicone has hardened, cut it lengthwise stationery knife, take out the workpiece - done! Everything ingenious is simple.

Second option. We roll a ball from the same dough and press the blank of the future mold into it. Well, let's say a coin. Smooth out the edges. After the same few hours, we check the degree of hardening of the silicone. We take out the money, the mold is ready!

Frequently asked questions and answers

What can be replaced silicone molds?

An excellent alternative is glass and ceramics.

What is the electrical conductivity of silicone?

Has very low electrical conductivity.

Which silicone is best for making molds?

The best series are E-Series, Mold Star Series, Equinox Series, Rebound Series.

How to glue silicone products at home?

You can use special glue for elastic products, silicone sealant, or melt the torn edges with fire and connect them.

How to make liquid rubber at home?

The necessary ingredients are borax (1 pack), PVA glue (2 bottles), water (0.5 cups), dye, containers and something for stirring. Combine borax and water in one container, stir until clear. The other contains glue and dye. Mix the contents of both containers and wait until the liquid hardens.

How long does it take for silicone to cure?

The drying period is influenced by many factors - humidity and air temperature, layer thickness. On average, a film is formed in 15 minutes, and the substance hardens in 24 hours. Acid sealant dries in 4-6 hours, neutral sealant dries in 24 hours. Also, the approximate “ready” time is always indicated on the packaging.

More and more craftsmen are showing a desire to try their hand at working with this relatively new material, but from the very first steps they are faced with difficulties, not knowing where to start, what silicone to use and how to handle it. Here I will try to summarize the main points, based on my own experience and information obtained from the Internet. I’ll say right away that I won’t tell you anything fundamentally new - everything that will be discussed is well known to professionals working with silicone, but I hope that the information collected in one place will help beginners overcome their first difficulties.

What silicones are needed for casting?

So, first of all, the silicone itself. When creating dolls, I use platinum-based compounds (two-component silicones) from Smooth-On made in the USA, so we will talk about them. To work, you will need two types of silicones: for casting the dolls themselves and for making the mold. There are not many of the first, primarily the Dragon Skin Series and Ecoflex Series. They have high degree elasticity and allow you to most realistically convey the effect of human flesh.

The silicones of each of these series have different technical specifications: softness, pot life (length of time when silicone remains fluid), hardening time, viscosity, etc. What kind of silicone is best to use when creating dolls? I can’t say anything specific here - it all depends on the master’s ultimate goal. In my opinion, it is best to follow the path of experimentation, trying different series in order to find in practice the one and only one that allows you to achieve desired effect material.

Silicones from the Dragon Skin Series and Ecoflex Series are colorless and translucent, so to obtain a realistic doll color they must be colored using special Silc Pig pigments.

The second type of silicones is used to make the mold. Be careful - Platinum-based silicones can only be cast into molds made from platinum-containing silicone. Silicones with a tin catalyst cannot be used. Otherwise, the casting will not harden. Silicones intended for mold removal have a lower degree of elasticity, greater hardness, and are usually colored bright colors or transparent. Bright color one of the components allows you to evenly mix components A and B before pouring, and transparent ones allow you to see the model in the mold (this is convenient if the mold is cast as a whole and then cut into parts). Silicones intended for mold removal include such series as: E-Series, Mold Star Series, Equinox Series, Rebound Series, etc.

The mold can be made by pouring, or by gradually applying layers of silicone with a brush. The first method is simpler and faster, but requires more silicone consumption. The second one is more labor-intensive, and it also requires various additional materials. You can clearly see the process of creating a “spread” form on the official video of the company:

A little about forms

The finished silicone mold remains elastic, this is its absolute advantage, but we must not forget that it can be easily deformed, so it must be placed in a special protective casing cast from ordinary plaster.

Before pouring silicone into a silicone mold, you must use a special release agent, Ease Release, otherwise the mold and the casting will stick tightly together. The separator layer must be thoroughly dried, since in some cases it prevents the silicone cast from completely hardening.

Molds for casting dolls can be made not only from silicone, but also from plaster. It is advisable to use special dental plaster for this purpose, such as Fuji Rock, which has increased strength, perfectly conveys small relief details and dries fairly quickly. Compared to silicone molds, gypsum molds do not require the use of a release agent and absorb excess silicone oil still in the process of casting. However, plaster molds also have significant disadvantages - the master model is almost impossible to remove from the plaster without damage, the molds open with great difficulty and become loose quite quickly, losing the accuracy of the alignment of the halves. Also, in comparison with silicone, plaster mold it has to be made from more parts, which increases the number of seams on the finished casting.

Basic rules for working with silicone

So, we’ve sorted out the materials for casting, now let’s talk about the process itself. To avoid defects and failures when working with silicone, you must follow two golden rules that make the life of the master much easier:

1. Always strictly and pedantically follow instructions, avoiding any amateur activities.
2. Always test new materials that come into contact with silicone for compatibility.

For work it is advisable to purchase vacuum chamber with a pump that pumps air out of the mixture before pouring. Some types of silicones can be used without prior degassing, however, the risk that air bubbles will remain in the frozen mass is quite high.

It’s also a good idea to have an oven or drying cabinet for post-curing finished products. Silicone that has undergone heat treatment quickly acquires the properties declared by the manufacturer. physical and chemical properties. Heat the product in an oven designed for food products I wouldn't risk it, despite the fact that platinum-based silicones are considered non-toxic materials.

I would like to note that making silicone dolls requires significant financial expenses, but it is impossible to save on materials and equipment by looking for cheap analogues and doing amateur work - the result of such experiments is usually disastrous and leads to inevitable damage to castings and molds.

When working with silicone, you should only wear vinyl gloves; latex gloves cannot be used.

The casting room must be heated; the temperature in it should not fall below 22-23 degrees. Necessary temperature regime one of the most important factors - at temperatures below 18 degrees, silicone may simply not harden, but more high temperature air slightly reduces the life time of the finished silicone mixture.

But you can’t store silicone in the heat. The material has a limited shelf life, which is reduced by increasing temperature. An open can must be used quickly, since contact with the environment can also affect its properties. The algorithm of actions when working with silicone should be as follows: we take out jars of silicone from a cool place, wait for it to warm up to the required 23 degrees, thoroughly mix the contents of each of the jars, combine components A and B in exact proportions, and subject ready mixture degassing, pour into the mold and return the remaining silicone to the cold room.

In general, it should be remembered that silicone is a very capricious material that does not allow liberties in handling.

The vagaries of silicone

In principle, the process of making silicone castings is elementary, but this simplicity is deceptive. Silicone constantly presents unpleasant surprises, preventing the master from relaxing and making mistakes. Main danger for uncured silicone this is inhibition (poisoning) by various substances incompatible with it. The most formidable and at the same time the most common “enemy” of silicone is plasticine containing sulfur. To work, you need to buy only plasticines marked Sulfur Free, such as Monster Clay or Chavant. It is better not to keep questionable plasticines in the workshop at all - even accidentally touching a sulfur-containing material with your hand can “infect” the silicone mold.

The second “enemy” of silicone is latex. Do not use latex gloves, syringes with rubber nozzles on pistons, or any other instruments that have latex parts in their design.

Use wooden sticks with great care to stir the mixture. Some types of silicone do not tolerate contact with wood and may be inhibited. To protect yourself from unpleasant surprises, it is advisable to mix the silicone with metal stirrers.

Freshly cured polyesters, epoxy and polyurethane rubbers are also dangerous. As I already wrote above, before using any new material, you need to test it by filling it with a small portion of silicone. If the mixture completely hardens in the usual time allotted for complete polymerization, and the surface of the silicone is not sticky, we can assume that the new material has successfully passed the exam and can be used in further work.

That's basically all I wanted to tell you about the techniques of working with silicone. I myself have often made mistakes, experienced many unpleasant moments, and I hope that this hard-won experience will help novice craftsmen not step on the painfully familiar old rake, and save nerves, time and money. Good luck with your creativity!

Ethyl alcohol for wiping various mechanisms can be found in the home of any self-respecting man. To make silicone, in addition to such alcohol, you will also need liquid glass. IN plastic bottle these substances need to be poured into equal parts and stir with a wooden stick. This is done carefully, because the substances are quite caustic. Hands should be protected with thick rubber gloves. The resulting mass should stand for a while to thicken. When this happens, the material is kneaded with your hands, like plasticine. Typical for him white and dense consistency. The mass hardens and begins to resemble rubber. Now without any special effort the desired shape is molded. If you give it time, it will completely harden and become elastic. When you need to reproduce a certain figure, it is better to buy silicone in a store. It takes longer to harden, so you have time to create a silicone masterpiece. Knowing how to make silicone at home, or buying it liquid substance in the store, you can cast incredible figures. You just need to put the item you want to copy into the solution.

Silicone is used in the manufacture of various gaskets, bushings, cuffs and plugs. It retains its flexible properties at temperatures from minus sixty degrees to plus two hundred. It is not damaged by prolonged exposure to sea and fresh water, alcohol, weak acid, hydrogen peroxide. Even resistant to radiation. Having such characteristics, it is used in many industries. When working with this material, you need to pay attention to the fact that the container should be without gaps and with smooth sides, then make silicone and cast the figure correct form it will be easy enough. Removable sides will help you remove the figure without damaging it. You need to pour it in parts: first one side - when it hardens - take apart the side, then the other side. And so on until the entire figure is complete. Wide Application Silicone molds were used by women in the kitchen when baking various muffins, pastries, and cookies. Silicone cookware can be placed in microwaves and ovens. Food prepared in such forms retains its taste well, since silicone does not interact with it.

Add three tablespoons of potato or corn starch to a yogurt glass and the same amount silicone sealant. You should stir for at least seven minutes. When this “plasticine” easily comes off your hands, it kneads well and the production of a silicone mold begins. During cooking, this form is slightly greased vegetable oil. Takes up very little space in the kitchen. In addition to baking in silicone molds, you can bake fish and stew meat. They are suitable for jellies, puddings, jellied meats. Ready dish It is easily removed and retains a beautiful, even shape given by silicone. Making a silicone mold at home is quite easy. Since silicone is white, it is better to add food coloring of any other color to it, and then the mold will become colored. It can be made in large and small sizes. Dishes prepared in this form will delight any guest.

Silicone molds in lately began to enjoy enormous popularity. They are made very simply. If desired, you can even make them yourself. Their service life is very long compared, for example, with gypsum. However, of course, a high-quality mold can only be made from a material with good performance characteristics. What qualities should liquid silicone for molds have and what should you pay attention to when purchasing it?

Types of silicone and master models

Of course, when purchasing material for making molds, you should first of all pay attention to its technical characteristics. Today, only two main types of silicone are produced: coating and filling.

For both materials, master models made of metal and wood, as well as plastic, cardboard, or even just paper can be used in the manufacture of forms.

Coating silicone

This variety is very suitable for making molds. This is a very viscous silicone, applied to the master model with a special brush. An example of such a material is the heat-resistant auto sealant ABRO

Potting silicone

It is also a good material for making molds. When using it, the master model is installed in the flask and poured from above. Liquid silicone for forms of this variety consists of two components: a hardener and a base. Before pouring, they are thoroughly mixed and then placed in a vacuum chamber to remove air bubbles. A very popular material of this type is, for example, Pentelast-708S.

Elongation factor

What characteristics can be considered the most important when choosing a material such as liquid silicone? In principle, almost any variety of it is suitable for making molds. However, it is still worth paying attention to some indicators when purchasing. The most important parameter characterizing the quality of silicone is the elongation coefficient. U modern materials this figure ranges from about 200-1300%. The higher this number, the more the hardened silicone can stretch and the greater the number of castings a mold made from it can withstand.

In practice, 700-800 percent one- or two-component liquid silicone is usually used. It is usually ideal for mold production. Products made from material with this elongation coefficient can easily withstand up to 80 castings. This figure may be smaller or larger, depending on the complexity of the master model configuration.

Silicone viscosity

This is also important indicator, which has a huge impact on quality ready-made form. Pouring liquid silicone for molds has a very low viscosity. During operation, it easily fills the smallest recesses of the master model. Therefore, it is advisable to use it for the manufacture of molds of very complex configurations.

Viscosity is measured in CPS. For potting materials this figure usually does not exceed 3000 CPS. For comparison: water has a viscosity of 0 CPS, sunflower oil - 500, honey - 10,000.

Other indicators

In addition to viscosity and elongation coefficient, when choosing silicone you should pay attention to:

Working hours. The higher this indicator, the longer the material retains its viscosity.

Polymerization time. This characteristic is also quite important. It shows how long it takes for the poured form to reach the stated elongation factor.

Two-component liquid silicone for mold making usually takes longer to harden and polymerize than it is viscous. This can be attributed to the advantages of the material. After all, when working with it, the master does not need to rush anywhere.

How to use

Liquid silicone is used to make molds as follows.

The master model is fixed to the stand with a drop of superglue and coated with a special release agent. At home, this could be, for example, Vaseline or machine oil.

The stand with the model is fixed in the flask. The latter can be made from almost any material: wood, plasticine, plastic, etc. Disposable flasks are made of paper. Its height should be twice that of the future form. The fact is that during the vacuumization process, silicone foams very much. One of the walls of the flask must be removable.

The evacuated compound is poured into the flask in a thin stream. This is necessary in order to liquid material as little air as possible got in.

The flask is placed in vacuum installation for 1-2 min. Repeated processing is necessary in order to remove absolutely all the air from the silicone that got into it during pouring.

The form hardens in about 5-6 hours. The final polymerization occurs after a day or three. On final stage the form is removed from the flask and cut in half. After this, the master model is removed from it.



Viscous silicone molds

In this case, a slightly different technology is used. The mold is not used in the manufacture of silicone molds. The master model is simply coated with the material using a special brush in several layers (2-3 mm each) with intermediate drying for 2-3 hours.

Liquid silicone for molds: price

The advantages of this material include not only the ease of making molds. It has earned great popularity due to its low cost. The price of high-quality silicone can range from only 450-750 rubles.

In specialized stores or on the Internet, you should look for silicone intended specifically for making molds. The fact is that today the most different types this material. For example, liquid fishing silicone is sold. It is used to lubricate braided threads on gear, which extends their service life and increases casting distance. Such silicone, of course, is not suitable for making molds.

How to make at home

In order to make liquid silicone for molds with your own hands, you need to buy ethyl alcohol and liquid glass. You will also need a plastic bottle and wooden stick. Since silicone components are quite caustic materials, you should wear thick rubber gloves on your hands. The manufacturing procedure itself is as follows:

Liquid glass and ethyl alcohol are poured into a plastic bottle in equal parts.

The mixture is thoroughly mixed with a wooden stick.

After it thickens, it needs to be removed from the bottle and thoroughly kneaded with your hands.

Silicone prepared in this way resembles plastic, sticky rubber and can be made into any shape.

Silicone molds for the oven

Of course, environmentally unsafe materials cannot be used to make such castings. In this case, liquid silicone for molds is made a little differently:

Three tablespoons of potato starch are poured into a yogurt cup.

Pour silicone sealant there in the same quantity.

Mix everything for ten minutes.

From silicone prepared in this way, you can easily mold simple form for baking. Before pouring the dough into mandatory coated with vegetable oil.

Using silicone molds

So, liquid silicone is often used to make molds. The use of products made from “starch” material allows you to bake original pastries, cakes, etc. But how are molds made from ordinary silicone used? Most often they are used for making beautiful products from various kinds two-component fills. Any large items are usually not made using silicone molds. Therefore, to mix the components of fills at home, use conventional medical syringes. Next, they are tinted with a drop of dye and poured into the mold through the injection hole stretched by a spacer.

Every year there are more and more fans of spinning fishing, this leads to an increase in pollution of water bodies with baits; silicone baits, which are so fashionable today, pose a particular danger. The thing is that if part of such bait gets into the body of a fish, it cannot digest it and may die. Silicone can also be eaten by birds, and this can also cause their death. In addition to everything else, a lot of bait remains lying on the bottom, because the probability of the hook getting caught on a snag or other underwater obstacle is quite high.

One author suggested homemade version production of environmentally friendly baits. Their main feature is that after a certain time in water they completely dissolve. Of course, the composition for their manufacture is not yet ideal, but the idea already deserves attention.

Materials and tools for making baits:
- a couple of packets of gelatin;
- water;
- fish oil tablets;
- dye;
- a bowl for stirring the mixture and a stove;
- mold for casting baits;
- a tablespoon and other small things.

Bait making process:

Step one. Mixing ingredients
To create the mixture, you will need to take 3/4 cup of water and pour it into a small saucepan. If used as a flavoring fish oil, then you need to pierce the capsule with a pin or needle and squeeze the contents into the pan. Next, you need to pour four bags of gelatin into the pan.

Among other things, the advantage of this method is that baits of any size, shape and characteristics can be made. You can cast a variety of beetles, toads, fish, worms and other living creatures that fish feed on. You can also use real beetles to create the shapes.

Among the disadvantages, the most important one is that gelatin dissolves quite quickly in water, therefore, with such bait you can make about 1-3 casts, and then it needs to be changed. But this problem can be solved; you need to experiment with the composition, adding various substances to it. For example, if you coat gelatin with fat, it will repel water, and the bait will last much longer. Gelatin is also sensitive to heat; it becomes soft when heated, so baits should be refrigerated.

The next drawback is that gelatin is quite difficult to break through with a hook; it is too hard. In this regard, it is best to immediately install the hooks into the mold, that is, cast the bait immediately along with the hooks.

Well, another disadvantage of gelatin is that if a fish takes the tip of the bait, it can bite it off and not be hooked.

To sum up, we can undoubtedly say that this technology for making baits has its place. After all, in this way you can make quite catchy baits in large quantities just in your kitchen, and very cheaply and quickly. To make such baits even more attractive, you can use various attractants.